Grinnell Men’s Soccer Falls to Lake Forest in Conference Matchup

On November 8, the Grinnell Pioneers men’s soccer team took to the field against the Lake Forest Foresters at Mohr Field, hoping to clinch a victory in front of a crowd of 147. Despite a promising start with an early lead, the Pioneers ultimately fell 4-1 in a hard-fought contest.

Grinnell opened the scoring just 11 minutes into the game, with defender Jack Pennachio netting an unassisted goal, marking his second of the season. This early momentum seemed to set the tone for the Pioneers, but it was short-lived. Only a few minutes later, Lake Forest’s Peter Cirbo leveled the score, capitalizing on a penalty kick at the 13:24 mark.

As the first half progressed, Lake Forest managed to pull ahead. Finn Gruver scored at the 29:24 mark, giving the Foresters a 2-1 lead that they carried into halftime. Grinnell struggled to regain control in the second half, managing only two shots, compared to the Foresters’ seven.

The second half saw Lake Forest extend their lead with two more goals. Gio Diaz found the net at 69:46, assisted by Arsene Uwamba, and Sam Satisky capped off the scoring in the 84th minute with an assist from Ollie Francis and Cirbo.

In terms of offensive pressure, the Foresters outshot Grinnell 14-11 and controlled 59% of the possession. Grinnell goalkeeper Jayson Kunkel made five saves but faced a challenging onslaught from the Forester offense. His counterpart, Andrew Swacha, also tallied five saves, proving crucial in preserving Lake Forest’s lead.

The loss brings Grinnell’s record to 8-6-5 for the season.