Grinnell Men’s Soccer Tops Simpson in Thrilling 3-2 Victory
The Grinnell College men’s soccer team claimed a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Simpson College on September 25, 2024, at Bill Buxton Stadium in Indianola. The win improved Grinnell’s record to 2-3-3, while Simpson fell to 4-4-0.
Grinnell started strong with two first-half goals. Samuel Gojjam opened the scoring at 11:31 with his third goal of the season, followed by a goal from Dylan Maddux in the 21st minute, assisted by Billy Cherres and Soma Suzuki, giving the Pioneers a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Simpson responded early in the second half with Ronaldo Ordaz-Zambrano finding the net in the 46th minute, narrowing the gap to 2-1. However, Grinnell’s Ian O’Loughlin scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 56th minute, extending Grinnell’s lead to 3-1.
Simpson continued to press, and Mitchell Dickson pulled one back for the Storm in the 82nd minute, making it 3-2. Despite a strong offensive push from Simpson in the final minutes, Grinnell’s defense, led by goalkeeper Jayson Kunkel with six saves, held firm to secure the victory.
The Pioneers totaled 12 shots, with seven on target, while Simpson outshot Grinnell with 22 shots, eight of which were on goal. Grinnell also tallied four corner kicks compared to Simpson’s five. Both teams battled evenly in possession, with Simpson holding a slight edge.
