Grinnell College's Sam Lancaster '08 has been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas College Division Scholar All-North/Central Region team.

Lancaster, of St. Paul, Minn., was one of two goal keepers named to the 16-player team. A biology major, he has a 3.56 GPA.

Lancaster is in elite company as the other North/Central Region goal keeper was Derek Christensen of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, who was named to the Scholar All-America first team. Only nine keepers in the country were named to one of the four regional teams.

Lancaster, who started every game for the Pioneers since his sophomore season, is a multiple All-Midwest Conference performer and two-time team captain.. He finished second in the league this season in goals against average at 1.25 while accumulating 70 saves.

His efforts helped the Pioneers, who have recently become a Midwest Conference title contender, go 16-11-6 over the past two seasons after being 10-19-2 in Lancaster's first two years.
Scholar All-Region Team

The Grinnell College men's and women's soccer squads received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America College Team Academic Awards for 2007.

A total of 406 teams earned the honor, 111 on the men's side and 295 women's squads. Grinnell is one of only 71 schools to have both its men's and women's teams honored. To earn the award, a team's grade point average had to be 3.0 or higher. Grinnell's women's team, coached by Heather Benning, had a combined GPA of 3.39 and Brian Jaworski's men's team a 3.11.

A trio of Grinnell College men's soccer players have been named to the All-Midwest Conference first team.

Andrew Stephenson '10 (upper left) was a repeat selection to the elite team, while Sam Lancaster '08 (upper middle) and J.P. Prouty '10 (upper right) landed on the first team after being second-teamers a year ago. It was the first time since 1996 that Grinnell had three All-MWC first-teamers

Stephenson, of Middleton, Wis., was one of six attackers named to the first team. He was second in the MWC in goals with 10 and tied for second in points with 22 as the Pioneers continued their improvement trend, finishing third in the conference with a 7-2-0 mark.

Lancaster, of St. Paul, Minn., was named to the elite team at the keeper spot. He finished second in the MWC in goals against average at 1.25 and was fourth in shutouts with two. He started all 17 games for the Pioneers and had 70 saves.

Prouty, of Stilwell, Kan., was one of four players named to the first team at defender. He had the third-most points for the Pioneers with eight and tied for third on the team in goals scored with three. He had two assists, as well.

Grinnell had a pair of second-team defenders in Alex Exarhos '10 (lower left) and Andrew Mullins '11 (lower right). Exarhos, of Richland, Wash., finished with four points, including a goal and two assists. He was also a second-team All-MWC pick last year. Mullins, of Charlotte, N.C., had three points on a goal and assist.

Carroll College swept the individual awards, as J.J. Guttman was named Player of the Year and Rick Mobley the Coach of the Year.
All-MWC Men's Soccer Release

The Grinnell College men's soccer team lost a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Carroll College in the Midwest Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon at De Pere, Wis.

Carroll, the No. 2 seed, will play top-seeded St. Norbert College at noon Sunday for the title and NCAA Tournament berth. Grinnell, the third seed, has a 9-7-1 mark.

Carroll, 13-5-1 overall, scored the lone goal of the game with 2 1/2 minutes to go in the first half when Craig Carlson found the back of the net. Carroll held an 18-12 edge in shots. Milan Popovic '09 had four shots for Grinnell, while Andrew Stephenson '10 and Andrew Walsh '09 had two each. Keeper Sam Lancaster '08 recorded five saves for the Pioneers.

"Obviously it's a painful loss," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "And the reality of why it hurts is we believed in each other and expected to win. Carroll just made one more play than us, and that one play proved to be the difference. I'm proud of this team and the improvement they showed throughout the season. That improvement came about because we have guys who are accountable to each other. I'm also proud of the seniors who have helped re-establish Grinnell into a winning soccer program. It hasn't been easy, but it's been a lot of fun."

St. Norbert College eked out a 1-0 men's soccer victory over Grinnell College Sunday afternoon in a contest that determined the Midwest Conference championship.

With the win, the Green Knights finished out a perfect league campaign at 9-0 while improving to 12-6-0 overall. Grinnell, battling for a share of the conference championship entering the game, is 7-2 in the league and 9-6-1 in all games.

Grinnell is not done, though, as it advances to the MWC Tournament next weekend as the No. 3 seed. The Pioneers will play second-seeded Carroll College in the tournament, which will be at St. Norbert. That semifinal is slated for Saturday.

In Sunday's contest, Adam Sanchez took a service from the flank and headed it in. Assists went to Donny Baloun and Ahmed Chahdi.

St. Norbert held an 18-11 edge in shots. Milan Popovic '09, J.P. Prouty '10 and Mark Rosenberg '11 each took two shots for the Pioneers, while keeper Sam Lancaster '08 recorded eight saves. Joe Schwartz had four saves for St. Norbert.

"We just got beat today," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "It was a very physical and demanding game and both teams played their hearts out. I'm surprised they were able to shut us out. We move off the ball pretty well and they were able to keep us in front of them for 90 minutes. And the chances we did create narrowly missed or were saved by their goal keeper. "Losing is never fun, especially when you're playing for a share of the championship," he added. "But one thing we'll take from this is that we are 90 percent there. We need to find that last 10 percent of determination, extra effort, extra communication and the drive to score to turn a close loss into a solid win."

The Grinnell College men's soccer team will play for a share of the Midwest Conference title after blanking Lawrence University 2-0 Saturday afternoon.

The Pioneers made a statement right away as Andrew Stephenson '10 scored only 1 minute, 5 seconds into the game with a shot that hit off the post and went in. It was Stephenson's team-leading 10th goal of the year. Mark Rosenberg '11 scored at the 35:40 mark - his third goal of the year - when he was able to win a 50-50 ball in the center of the field, beat two defenders and worked it past the keeper.

Grinnell had a 14-13 edge in shots, with Milan Popovic '08 taking four and Andrew Walsh '09 and Rosenberg three each. Sam Lancaster '08 and Ben Schemper '11 each worked one half at keeper. Lancaster had four saves and Schemper one.

The win puts the Pioneers at 7-1-0 in the league and 9-5-1 overall entering Sunday's 1:30 p.m. contest at St. Norbert College. St. Norbert enters the game 8-0-0 in conference play and Carroll, like Grinnell, is 7-1-0. Lawrence dipped to 3-4-1 in the league and 6-9-1 in all contests.

"We knew we had to come out hard from the opening whistle and we did, scoring just over a minute into the game with a great shot by our leading scorer," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "The key for this year's team has been each player putting the team ahead of anything individual while maintaining the confidence to make a play when we need you to make that play. "I think our guys were also bolstered by the several alums who came to the game," he added. "I could just see after the game how much it meant to our current players to have their support. Tomorrow we play for a share of conference championship - we're excited to have earned the right to play in such a meaningful game."

Regardless of the outcome, Grinnell has already advanced to next weekend's MWC Tournament.

The Illinois Wesleyan soccer team posted a 1-0 victory over Grinnell College Saturday night.

The winners, 5-10-0 overall, tallied the lone goal of the game at the 39:36 mark of the first half when Chris Sleezer scored on an assist by Jason Lopez. Illinois Wesleyan held a 26-7 edge in shots on goal. Parker Koester '09 had two shots for Grinnell..

Also getting off shots for the Pioneers were Andrew Stephenson '10, Tommy Gerberding '10, Alex Exarhos '10, Milan Popovic '08 and Stephen Craig '11.

Sam Lancaster '08 has a solid effort at keeper for Grinnell, coming up with eight saves. The Pioneers, 8-5-1 overall, play at Lawrence University Saturday and at St. Norbert Sunday. Saturdays' game is at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday's is slated for 1.

The Grinnell College men's soccer team stayed in the hunt for a Midwest Conference title Saturday with a thrilling 3-2, come-from-behind double-overtime win at Lake Forest.

Grinnell opened the scoring at the 19:13 mark when Andrew Walsh '09 found the back of the net. The play started when Andrew Stephenson '10 delivered the ball to Walsh. Walsh got tangled up with the defender, the ball popped in the air and Walsh hit a crushing volley into the side of the net.

However, Lake Forest rallied with two quick goals in the second half for a 2-1 edge. Stephenson erased that gap, though, when the goalie misplayed the ball and the Pioneer fired it into the back of the net. After a scoreless first overtime, J.P. Prouty '10 was served a long ball, which he banged into the net for the game-winner.

"We started out great," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski, whose team is 6-1-0 in the league and 8-4-1 in all contests. "We were playing simple and moving the ball around. Then Walsh hits a bomb into the net and we're up 1-0. Early in the second half we were feeling comfortable and controlling play, but then suddenly we have an error in the back that results in a goal for the home team. We got down a bit after that and they scored almost immediately again for the lead.

"At that point it's 2-1 and we're in a real fight to keep our dream of winning the Midwest Conference title alive, and we're on the road," he continued. "But then Stephenson stepped up by taking advantage of a goal keeping error to tie it, and J.P. was in the right spot at the right time to win it. It wasn't necessarily pretty, but a win is a win. We never gave up and kept fighting as a team."

"Sam made some saves to keep us in the game," said Prouty of keeper Sam Lancaster '08, who had six saves in the contest. "After we let them tie it and then let them get ahead, we were under severe pressure. We knew we had to hang on."

"We played as a team and weren't going to be denied today," added Andrew Mullins '11. "It's good to play on a team that's for one another. I think that's the difference between our team and others."

After Saturday's game, Grinnell will step out of MWC play the following Saturday with a contest at Illinois Wesleyan. Game time is

The Grinnell College men's soccer team made the most of its final regular-season home contest by sailing to a 4-0 shutout victory over Monmouth College here Wednesday afternoon. It was the Pioneers' second shutout in a row.

The Pioneers shot out to a 3-0 halftime lead in the contest, which had originally been slated for three weeks ago but was postponed due to lightning and a subsequent rain storm. Grinnell is now 5-1-0 in the Midwest Conference and 7-4-1 overall, while Monmouth fell to 1-3-0 in the MWC and 3-6-2 in all contests.

The Pioneers nearly got on the board under 10 minutes in when Andrew Walsh '09 fired a hard shot at the goal that bounced off the crossbar. Grinnell eventually opened the scoring at the 13:50 mark when Farai Rusinga '08 sent a left cross to Tommy Gerberding '10, who angled the ball past keeper Owen Robinson into the right corner of the net.

Mark Rosenberg '11 got the next goal for the Pioneers when he took a pass from Andrew Mullins 11 in front of the net. Rosenberg approached the goal and delivered a high ball that worked its way into the right side of the net to make it 2-0 at the 26:04 mark. Milan Popovic '08 got into the scoring act after that when he took a left cross from Sean Odedina '09 and found the back of the net for a 3-0 edge at 33:01.

Chris Beitel '08 scored the lone goal of the second half at the 82:44 mark when he took a pass from Demetrio Rojas '08, worked the ball toward the net and shot it past the keeper who had come out a bit from the goal.

Sam Lancaster '08 and Ben Schemper '11 combined for the shutout as Grinnell's keepers. Lancaster worked 74:27 and had two saves. Grinnell outshot the visitors 19-11, with Andrew Stephenson '10 taking eight shots and Popovic three.

"Tonight we were in top form," said Pioneers coach Brian Jaworski. "We did a lot of things right and not a lot of things wrong. When you have a combination like that, you can put together a dominating performance. And that's certainly what we did in the first half."

"It looks like we've got the ball rolling," added captain Parker Koester '09. "We're working for each other and playing together as a team. Our goal is to win conference and we're in position to do that. We have a lot of depth this year and a lot of people are stepping up. We've had a lot of people perform well in different games."

Grinnell's next action will be Saturday at Lake Forest. Game time is 1:30 p.m.

The Grinnell men's soccer team came up with another solid effort as the Pioneers bounced back from their first league loss by shutting out Ripon College 3-0 Sunday afternoon.

With the win, the Pioneers improved to 4-1-0 in the Midwest Conference and 6-4-1 overall. Ripon dipped to 2-2-1 in the MWC and 4-5-3. The contest was halted with 5 minutes, 14 seconds to go due to lightning after a steady rain had fallen most of the second half.

As it was Senior Day, it's only fitting that two accounted for the first score. Farai Rusinga '08 opened the scoring when he took a pass from Sean Miller '08 at the 31:59 mark and scored on an acrobatic kick. Mark Rosenberg '11 scored the next goal at 38:14 when he came from the right side, slid around his defender and found the back of the net. Andrew Walsh '09 got the final goal in the second half at 54:13 when he took a pass from Milan Popovic '08, approached the net and beat the keeper to the left side on a one-on-one opportunity.

Sam Lancaster '08 came up with a big effort at goal, working the first 61:25 while recording a save. Ben Schemper '11 went the rest of the way and had two saves. Grinnell held a 24-13 edge in shots, with Walsh taking five shots and Popovic four. The Pioneers also held a 9-3 margin in shots on goal.

Carroll College clipped the Grinnell College men's soccer team by a 3-2 score here Saturday afternoon.

Carroll moved to 2-1-0 in the Midwest Conference with the win and 6-5-1 overall. The Pioneers suffered their first league loss while falling to 3-1-0 in the MWC and 5-4-1 overall.

The teams embarked in a defensive battle in the first half, which ended in a scoreless tie. Carroll scored shortly into the second half on a goal at the 46:01 mark by Fred Schneider, who had all three Carroll scores. His goal was assisted by Alex Goranson.

J.P. Prouty '10 tied the game when he booted the ball past the keeper on a penalty kick at the 48:36 mark. It was his second goal of the season. Carroll answered at the 59:43 mark as Schneider again scored on a Goranson assist.

Grinnell tied it at 2-all with an impressive goal by Milan Popovic '09, who gracefully swung around while kicking the ball from just outside the box on the left side. The line drive found its way over the goal keeper's outstretched hands into the upper-right portion of the net at the 62:50 mark, giving Popovic his second goal of the year. Andrew Stephenson '10 was credited with the assist. However, Schneider came back with a goal on an assist from Dona Lado at the 64:06 mark for the eventual game-winner.

Sam Lancaster '08 recorded five saves for Grinnell, which outshot the visitors by a 17-16 edge.

"We answered the bell today and I knew we would," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "At the same time, we applaud Carroll College as they came in here as a very good team and beat us on our home field. It was a whale of a game and while we are very disappointed we lost today, we know we must move on. I think the difference in today's game is we didn't finish at least one of our really good opportunities to score in the first half. I don't place blame on any of our guys because we made plays happen, but we just missed by a matter of inches. I think we also need to recognize the effort we got in goal from Sam Lancaster. He kept us in the game in the first half and I can't fault him for any of Carroll three goals."

The Pioneers play their final home league game Sunday when Ripon College visits for a 1:30 p.m. meeting. Grinnell is at Lake Forest College next Saturday, starting at 1:30 p.m.

The Grinnell College men's soccer team stepped out of league play Wednesday and beat Simpson College 3-2 in Indianola.

Andrew Stephenson '10 had a pair of goals as the Pioneers improved to 5-3-1 overall and stretched their win streak to four games. Simpson fell to 2-8-1 in all games.

Stephenson opened the scoring with a classic counter attack goal on Farai Rusinga's '08 assist as the Pioneers went from the back third of the field quickly to the front line. The second goal was scored by Milan Popovic '09 on a through ball by Andrew Walsh '09. Popovic beat the defender and fired it into the net for the score. Stephenson finished off the scoring when, after Grinnell maintained possession for a while, took a pass from Tommy Gerberding '10, had a pair of touches and beat the goalie with a shot to the back of the net.

"Everyone was working hard and for each other tonight," said Stephenson. "We showed our ability to possess in the final third of the field and were able to finish off our opponent. We came back from a 1-0 deficit, which shows our tenacity on offense and defense.

"What a game," added Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "Simpson always plays a tough non-conference schedule and they were battle-tested. I was proud of our guys that they maintained their composure and found a way to win."

Sam Lancaster '08 and Ben Schemper '11 each worked a half at goal. Lancaster recorded two saves and Schemper one.

The Pioneers jump back into league play this weekend as Carroll College visits Saturday and Ripon College Sunday. Both games are at 1:30 p.m.

The Grinnell College men's soccer team made it a clean sweep for Midwest Conference top performer honors this week.

Keeper Sam Lancaster '08 (top photo) was named the league's Defensive Performer of the Week, while forward Andrew Walsh '09 (bottom photo) was tabbed Offensive Performer of the Week.

Lancaster, of St. Paul, Minn., posted a pair of shutouts during the week as Grinnell remained perfect in league play. He had six saves in a 6-0 win over Knox on Wednesday and six more in a 3-0 victory over Illinois College Saturday. For the season, Lancaster owns a 1.24 goals against average and has made 31 total saves.

Walsh netted three goals during the week and also had an assist. He assisted Andrew Mullins' goal against Knox and had one score of his own, and then knocked home two goals against Illinois College. He has five goals for the season, second-best on the team, and an assist.

The Grinnell College men's soccer team finished the first half on a strong note and picked up where it left off early in the second half en route to a 3-0 home win over Illinois College Saturday afternoon.

The victory keeps Grinnell perfect in Midwest Conference play at 3-0-0 while improving to 4-3-1 overall. Illinois College dipped to 0-2-0 and 4-5-2.

Andrew Walsh '09 broke a scoreless tie 39 minutes, 9 seconds into the game on a nifty give-and-go with Alex Exarhos '10, who got the ball back to Walsh who put it home for a goal.

Shortly into the second half, at the 47:52 mark, Andrew Stephenson '10 got loose on a breakaway. He fired a shot that the keeper got a hand on, but the ball had too much on it and zoomed into the net for a 2-0 lead. It was more of Walsh after that, as he recorded his second goal of the game at the 51:21 mark. The ball was blocked and knocked around the net before Walsh put it away for his fifth goal of the year, just one shy of Stephenson's team-leading sixth.

Pioneer keeper Sam Lancaster '08 weaved his second shutout in a row while recording six saves. For the game, Grinnell held a 19-13 edge in shots against their foes.

"This is a solid win today," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "We created three beautiful goals, our team defense was the best it's been all year and we looked real sharp in goal. We're excited about our progress and we're gaining confidence with each practice and game. What I saw today was a team that not only was willing to play together, but wanted to do the little things necessary to play team ball. When a team has this kind of attitude, they can accomplish anything."

The Pioneers step out of conference play on Wednesday with a contest at Simpson College. Game time is 7 p.m. From there, the Pioneers return home to host Carroll College on Saturday and Ripon College on Sunday.

The Grinnell men's soccer team combined a powerful display of offense and defense to bowl over Knox College 6-0 here Wednesday.

Andrew Stephenson '10 had a pair of goals and Sam Lancaster '08 posted a shutout at keeper as the Pioneers improved to 2-0-0 in the Midwest Conference and 3-3-1 overall.

"I think the guys are pleased with their performance today and they should be," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "Midweek home games can be very difficult because our guys are here to learn and they enjoy going to class. Today classes ended at 4:05 p.m. and kickoff was at 5 p.m. That's not a lot of turnaround time to focus on the game, but I thought we brought a strong effort today. We wanted to win today and we did that, but we also wanted to be a better team than we were against Beloit and I thought we were."

Grinnell made a statement almost from the start, as Andrew Mullins '11 scored following a corner kick from the left side by Andrew Walsh '09 just 55 seconds into the game. The Pioneers kept things going from there as Stephenson took a pass from Alex Kohut '10 and beat the keeper with a shot into the left corner of the net at the 13:07 mark. It was Stephenson's team-leading fourth goal. Just a short time later, at the 17:51 mark, Walsh scored his third goal of the year, an unassisted one from 15 yards out.

It was the same story in the second half, starting at the 47:54 mark when Stephenson challenged keeper Cary Archer on a one-and-one opportunity. Archer came out and Stephenson had no trouble booting it by him and into the goal. J.P. Prouty '10 added a penalty kick goal at the 49:34 mark to make it 5-0 and Farai Rusinga '08 finished the scoring when he took a pass from Demetrio Rojas '08 and beat the goalie with a shot into the left side of the net at the 73:40 mark.

Lancaster's perfect night included six saves. Archer had nine as Grinnell outshot the Prairie Fire, who are 3-6-0 overall and 1-2-0 in the MWC, by a 22-13 margin and had a 15-6 edge in shots on goal.

The Pioneers remain on the home field this weekend as they host Illinois College in a 1:30 p.m. contest Saturday.

Last year, the Grinnell College men's soccer team handed Beloit College its lone league loss in the Buccaneers' Midwest Conference championship run.

The Pioneers caused the Buccaneers more fits Saturday afternoon as they posted a 2-1 victory at Beloit. Grinnell improved to 1-0 in the league and 2-3-1 overall, while Beloit dipped to 2-4-1 and 1-2-0.

Beloit opened the scoring with the lone goal of the first half as Bo Wilkins scored on an assist by Kris Wingo at the 37:52 mark.

Things changed in the second half as the Pioneers reeled off two consecutive goals. Alex Kohut '10 started things off when he found the back of the net at the 49:37 mark on an assist by Matti Sahel '11, who had a free kick just outside the box... He served the ball in, the goal keeper got a piece of it, the ball dropped near Kohut and he banged it in for his first goal of the year.

Then it was Andrew Stephenson '10 who stepped up to score his team-leading third goal of the year at the 66:09 mark on assists by J.P. Prouty '10 and Stephen Craig '11. Prouty began the play with a throw-in that was flicked on by Craig to Stephenson, who controlled it with his chest and hit a side volley into the right corner of the net. Sam Lancaster '08 worked the first half at keeper for Grinnell and had five saves. Ben Schemper '11 followed with some solid goal keeping in the second half, recording four saves. Beloit held a 25-15 edge in shots on goal. Alex Exarhos '10 had five of Grinnell's shots.

"It was a thrilling, entertaining match," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "I give all the credit to the players from both teams as they battled end-to-end for 90 minutes. Neither team really deserved to lose, but we were not going to be denied today. We expected our guys to step up, get after it and take advantage of an opportunity to play the defending conference champion on their field. We rose to the occasion and the only reason why we were able to come away with a hard-fought victory is because we showed up as a team."

Grinnell now plays two consecutive home games, starting with a 5 p.m. contest Wednesday against Knox College. The following Saturday, Illinois College visits for a 1:30 p.m. affair.

A goal in the late stages by Alex Exarhos '10 helped the Grinnell College men's soccer team earn a 1-1 tie with Millikin University here Saturday afternoon.

Exarhos scored unassisted at the 73:14 mark of the game to tie things up. The score was still tied at the end of regulation, and a pair of 10-minute overtimes resulted in no more scoring and the ensuing tie. Roo Cudone scored Millikin's goal at the 55:25 mark on a penalty kick.

The first half was a defensive struggle, with the lone shot on goal coming from Grinnell's Andrew Stephenson '10 as the first stanza ended in a tie. Despite the final score, the overall offense was dominated by the Pioneers. They outshot Millikin 21-10 for the game and 6-2 in shots on goal.

Stephenson finished with five shots, Sean Miller '08 four and Andrew Walsh '09 three. Goal keeper Sam Lancaster '08 recorded one save for the Pioneers, who are 1-3-1 on the season. Millikin went to 3-3-1.

"Once again we didn't get the result we were looking for, and that can be frustrating especially because we are defending well as a team yet we're just not finishing plays on the offensive end," said Pioneers' coach Brian Jaworski. "Anybody who watched today's game can see there is no quit on this team. We've grown as a team and I know the guys will be fired up for Monmouth on Tuesday."

The Pioneers open Midwest Conference play Tuesday when Monmouth College visits for a 5 p.m. test. After that, Grinnell's next action is Sept. 22 at Beloit College. That contest begins at noon.

PELLA, Iowa - Grinnell College suffered a 1-0 setback at Central College Tuesday at Pella.

The lone goal of the game came in the 21st minute when Cody Jandik scored on Ben Heithoff's assist.

The Dutch (2-1-1) outshot Grinnell (1-3) by a 27-10 margin and had an 8-2 edge in shots on goal.

Andrew Walsh had three of Grinnell's shots and Tommy Gerberding and Davis Hermann two apiece.

Sam Lancaster and Ben Schemper shared goal keeper duties for Grinnell, each working a half. Lancaster recorded three saves and Schemper four.

The Pioneers return home to host Millikin University on Saturday. Game time is 3 p.m.

Grinnell opens Midwest Conference play the following Tuesday with a home contest against Monmouth College. That contest is slated for 5 p.m.

Storm Lake, Iowa - Buena Vista University edged Grinnell College 2-1 in men's soccer action Sunday afternoon.

The Pioneers, 1-2, did hold a 21-14 edge in shots over the Beavers, who improved to 1-2-1.

After a scoreless first half, Buena Vista got on the board 52 minutes, 38 seconds into the match when Jason Fernandez scored on an assist by Graham Guenther.

' The Beavers made it 2-0 63:38 into the contest when Jayke Vallette scored on a penalty kick.

But Grinnell jumped right back into the game as Andrew Walsh '09 scored his second goal in as many days. The goal, which came 72:42 into the contest, was assisted by Calvin Dane '08 and Alex Exarhos '10.

But that's as close as the Pioneers would get as they finished with a weekend split, having beaten Martin Luther College 3-1 on Saturday. Sam Lancaster '08 played the whole game in goal for the Pioneers and recorded four saves over the 90-minute span. Walsh led the Pioneers in shots with six. Exarhos added five shots for Grinnell and Justin Koester '10 tallied four.

Phillip Wolfe had nine saves for the Beavers.

Grinnell plays Central College at Pella on Tuesday before hosting Millikin University at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Storm Lake, Iowa - Andrew Stephenson '10 scored a pair of goals and added an assist on Saturday afternoon as the Grinnell College men's soccer team improved to 1-1 on the season with a 3-1 victory over Martin Luther during the Buena Vista Soccer Tournament.

Martin Luther took the early advantage when Zac Pudlo took a feed from Philip Kurbis and knocked it through just 7:27 into the contest.

Stephenson then evened the score at 1-1 off of a nice lead pass from J.P. Prouty '10 at the 34:50 mark. With nearly three minutes left before halftime, Davis Hermann '11 sent a nice cross pass from the far side back across the front of the goal and Stephenson sent a header directly to Andrew Walsh '09 who scooted the ball pas the keeper, making it 2-1 Pioneers.

Stephenson, who finished with a game-high five shots (two on-goal) then gave Grinnell a key insurance goal at the 57:52 mark off an assist from Sean Miller '08.

Matti Sahel '11 added three shots (one on-goal) while Thomas Gerberding '10, Walsh, and Hermann chipped in with two shots each as Walsh and Hermann also added one shot on-goal.

Sam Lancaster '08 got the start in-goal for the Pioneers and allowed one goal. Ben Schemper '11 went the distance in the second half and picked up three saves.

Kurbis led the Knights with four shots (one on-goal).

"Our first win of any soccer season is special," said Grinnell coach Brian Jaworski. "I'm proud that we were able to come back from a 0-1 deficit on the road. I'm also proud that our two leading scorers from last season took it upon themselves to get the job done. Getting the job done on this year's team is especially important because we have more options than ever before in my time here.

Grinnell returns to action on Sunday afternoon when it faces Buena Vista (0-2-1) at 1:00 p.m. in the final contest of the tournament.

"We took a step forward today and that makes tomorrow's match all that more important,"he added. "We'll be ready."

Grinnell plays Central College at Pella on Tuesday before hosting Millikin University at 3 p.m. on Sept. 15.

The Grinnell men's soccer team lost a 4-0 decision to Gustavus Adolphus Saturday.

Mike Butterworth scored all four goals for the winners, who are 2-0.

Sam Lancaster '08 had seven saves as goal keeper for Grinnell.

The Pioneers will be in action next weekend at Buena Vista.

The Grinnell men's soccer team opened its 2007 campaign with a 1-0 home victory over North Iowa Area Community College Friday.

The lone goal of the game was scored by Andrew Walsh in the 25th minute. Justin Koester added the assist.

Goal keeper Sam Lancaster had five saves while earning the shutout.

With the loss, NIACC fell to 1-2 on the season.

Grinnell is back in action today when Gustavus Adolphus visits. Game time is 3 p.m.

The Grinnell men's soccer team is seeking another big campaign in 2007.

The Pioneers, 7-4-5 a year ago, went 5-1-3 in the Midwest Conference to tie for second. Head coach Brian Jaworski's team earned a spot in the league tournament for the first time since 2000 and the Pioneers also handed league champ Beloit is lone conference loss.

Returning to lead the Pioneers are three double-digit point scorers … sophomore forward Andrew Stephenson (6 goals), junior forward Andrew Walsh (5 goals, 3 assists) and junior forward Milan Popovic (3 goals, 4 assists).

The Pioneers also will have a stellar defense, sparked by All-Midwest Conference keeper Sam Lancaster (0.94 goals per game, 78 saves).

Lancaster is a three-year letter winner, as are senior forwards Ben Schrager and Farai Rusinga and senior defensemen Benj Wagman and Calvin Dane.

Two-year letter winners include Walsh, senior forward Chris Beitel, senior defender Sean Miller and junior midfielder Parker Koester.

One-year lettermen are Stephenson, Popovic, senior forwards Demetrio Rojas and Jose Bonnin, plus sophomores Justin Koester (midfielder), Alex Kohut (defender), J.P. Prouty (defender), Thomas Gerberbring (midfielder), Alex Exarhos (midfielder) and James Meinert (defender).

"We have been excited about this season as soon as last season ended," said Jaworski. "It was fun seeing the Grinnell name near the top of the standings in the MWC and we are going to do everything we can to be competitive again in the conference.

"Personally, I don't have any expectation for this team other than for them to work hard to improve every day, take care of themselves off the field and get mentally ready to compete the day of the match."

Depth will be key, said Jaworski.

"I would say this year's team is the deepest we have had in my three-plus years here and that should help keep practices competitive," he said. "Plus, with the talent being spread out over our entire roster, we should have more options if injuries or inconsistent play become an issue."