Graceland men’s soccer battles to 2-2 draw at Clarke

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Graceland University men's soccer team earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Clarke University on Tuesday evening in a Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) matchup at Dalzell Field.

With the result, Graceland moves to 3-10-2 overall and 2-8-1 in HAAC play, while Clarke stands at 5-5-5 overall and 3-5-3 in the conference.

The Yellowjackets struck first in the 19th minute, when senior forward Mario Salinas (Monterrey, Mexico) fired home an unassisted effort to give Graceland the early 1-0 advantage. Clarke quickly responded less than a minute later, as Javi Munoz equalized off an assist from Jose Luis Rojas in the 20th minute, leveling the match at 1-1.

Graceland held the edge in the first half statistically, outshooting Clarke 9-5 and recording four corner kicks, while conceding none. Both teams entered the break tied 1-1.

Clarke took the lead immediately after halftime when Miguel Perezagua converted an unassisted chance in the 47th minute, pushing the hosts ahead 2-1.

Graceland responded just 90 seconds later. Freshman forward Alex Iossa (Ontario, Canada) netted the equalizer in the 48th minute, also unassisted, to bring the score to 2-2.

Neither side found a go-ahead goal in the final 40 minutes, though Graceland continued to create chances. The Yellowjackets finished with 16 shots, including eight on goal, while Clarke totaled 11 shots with six on target.

Junior goalkeeper Yuta Hirano (Tokyo, Japan) made four saves over 90 minutes to earn the result in goal.

Graceland's offense was paced by Iossa, who registered three shots on goal to go with his second-half goal. Salinas also contributed with two attempts and the opening goal. Additional shots on goal came from freshman forwards Ashton Adrian (Gardner, Kan.), Ryan Gourzong (Orlando, Fla.), and Kaden Edwards (Blue Springs, Mo.).

After the match, head coach Bryan Courtney praised the team's effort and composure:
"The team showed up ready to play and withstood the opening 15-minute tough barrage from the Clarke side and fought hard to come back from behind and secure a result. It's nice to see the guys get a point for all their hard work. A complete team effort where everyone contributed."

Discipline was a factor throughout, with Salinas issued a yellow card in the 36th minute. The match featured a combined 19 fouls, with Graceland committing eight and Clarke eleven.

Graceland generated six corner kicks in total, all taken by Salinas. Sophomore defender Andrew Porter (Raytown, Mo.) and junior defender Guillermo Tejada (Madrid, Spain) each added shot attempts from the backline to support the attack.

With the draw, the Yellowjackets snap a two-match losing streak and add a valuable point to their late-season conference standings.

Graceland returns home for its final regular-season match on Saturday, October 25, hosting MidAmerica Nazarene University at the Rasmussen Sports Complex in Lamoni, Iowa. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT, and the evening will also serve as Senior Night, honoring the program's graduating student-athletes.

For more information on Graceland men's soccer and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.