Nick Van Heest, Sports Writer
The Taylor men's soccer team has been firing on all cylinders lately, blowing by Grace 5-0 in the first round of the Crossroads League Tournament Oct. 27. Neither team found the net in the first half, but the sixth-seeded Trojans erupted for five unanswered goals after the break to end third-seeded Grace's season.
The Trojans opened the scoring just 17 seconds into the second half after some neat combination play on the outside left by sophomore midfielder Devin Moore and sophomore forwards Danny Cawley and Tim Miller. Moore broke free toward the end line and whipped in a cross, which was headed home by un-guarded senior forward Jordan Grant.
"We were able to knock one in early off of some really good hustle," said Head Coach Gary Ross. "(After we scored) you could see their body language change a little bit, and it gave us momentum going forward."
Moore doubled Taylor's lead in the 57th minute, connecting on a cross from sophomore forward Giovanny Guthro. The ball came out toward the top of the box, where Moore met it in stride and drilled it into the upper left corner on the half volley.
It only took the Trojans three more minutes to make the score 3-0, as junior defender Kevin Miller volleyed Cawley's inch-perfect cross into the upper 90.
"Danny made a great move to beat a defender and played a perfect ball to the near post," Kevin Miller said. "All I had to do was redirect it into the corner."
Three became four in the 70th minute as Guthro intercepted a pass, dribbled past a defender and slotted the ball far post past the onrushing keeper.
Moore completed the scoring with his second of the afternoon in the 80th minute, winning the ball in midfield and continuing his run to knock in Cawley's pass.
"These were as pretty goals as we've scored all year long, all five were clinical," Ross said. "A lot of it was hard work, guys winning balls in midfield and continuing runs."
Taylor boasted an 11-2 advantage in shots on goal, as the Trojan defense delivered their third shutout in the previous four games.
"In preparation for Grace, we worked on dropping as a unit on defense and also on clearing the ball out of the back up to our forwards," Kevin Miller said. "I think we executed those two things very well, and it resulted not only in a shutout, but it helped spark our attack."
After a rough patch in the middle of the season where the Trojans lost six of seven games, the team has now won five of their last six.
"Our confidence is building as we're getting healthier," Ross said. "(Sophomore forward) Tim Daniels came back and played 40 quality minutes, and anytime you get an All-American back after having been out seven games is a fun boost. Even when we were losing, we didn't turn on each other or give up, but we kept fighting."
On Nov. 10, the Trojans will travel to Michigan to face second-seeded Spring Arbor in the Crossroads League Tournament semifinals.
"Defeating Spring Arbor is going to take the same work rate that we have been producing the past five or six games," Kevin Miller said. "If we can dictate the pace of the game and make them adapt to our style of play, I think the game is there for the taking."
Ross shared Miller's optimism.
"I think we have as good a chance as any team in the tournament to get to nationals," Ross said. "These guys have the experience of getting there last year, and we're just gonna have to work really hard to get there again."
