Jake Lu Scores Twice as Grinnell College Shuts Out Cornell 3-0 in Men’s Soccer
GRINNELL, Iowa — Jake Lu scored two goals and added an assist as Grinnell College defeated Cornell College 3-0 in men’s soccer Saturday, October 31st, at Springer Field.
The Pioneers scored twice in the opening half and added another goal after halftime to secure the victory.
Grinnell improved to 12-4-1 overall and 6-3 in Midwest Conference play. Cornell dropped to 2-12-3 overall and 1-6-2 in conference competition.
Grinnell Takes Early Control
Grinnell opened the scoring just over 12 minutes into the match when Samuel Gojjam found the net at the 12:32 mark. Ian O’Loughlin and Lu were credited with assists on the play.
The goal was Gojjam’s tenth of the season.
Less than ten minutes later, Lu extended the lead to 2-0 with a goal at 21:43, assisted by Beacan Mottl.
The Pioneers maintained their two-goal advantage through halftime, outshooting Cornell 9-3 during the opening 45 minutes.
Grinnell also held a 6-0 advantage in corner kicks during the first half.
Lu Adds Second Goal After Halftime
Grinnell continued to control much of the action in the second half.
At the 66:47 mark, Lu scored his second goal of the afternoon, with Zander Salva and Gavin Egeland providing assists.
The goal gave the Pioneers a 3-0 advantage that held through the final whistle.
Lu finished with two goals on three shots and one assist. Gojjam added one goal, while O’Loughlin, Mottl, Salva, and Egeland each contributed an assist.
Oliver Klemm led Grinnell with five shot attempts.
Pioneers Control the Statistics
Grinnell finished with 15 shots compared to seven for Cornell and held an 11-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Pioneers also maintained 60 percent of the possession during the match.
Goalkeeper Jack Alexander played the first 76 minutes and 36 seconds without allowing a goal. Braydon Depew entered for the final 13 minutes and 24 seconds, recording three saves to preserve the shutout.
Cornell goalkeeper James Withers finished with three saves.
Cornell’s best scoring opportunities came late in the second half, but Depew stopped shots from Madiou Diallo, Kyriacos Photiou, and Tadhg Thompson.
The victory gave Grinnell its 12th win of the season, with the Pioneers finishing the match in front of 175 spectators at Springer Field.
