LocalSportsJournal.com
GRANT — Hart’s boys soccer team bounced back from Monday’s 3-2 loss to Manistee with a convincing 8-1 victory over Grant on the road Wednesday night in non-conference action.
Adan Cruz buried a shot in the left side of the goal off a cut-back pass from Bryce Jorissen to open the scoring for the Pirates, but the Tigers answered when they were awarded a penalty kick off of a handball call against Hart.
Despite getting both hands to the ball, Hart keeper Kyan Clark was unable to to turn the ball out and Grant tied the game, 1-1. It was the last time the Tigers seriously threatened the Pirate goal.
The Pirates rebounded strongly afterward, taking the lead for good when Carter Ramseyer used his body to turn a hard hit pass to Chico Salgado, who beat the Tiger keeper one-on-one.
Hart then used throw-in specialist Tony Rayo to launch a ball down the line to Guillermo Ortega, who hit a banger into the top right corner of the net.
Freshman Adrian Belmares finished out the scoring for the first half when a ball dropped to him and he cut a defender and fire a shot past the keeper to make it 4-1 at the break.
“We changed shape in the second half, looking to up the Grant defense and have more ball possession out on the wings,” said Hart head coach Joe Gilbert
Although the Pirates dominated possession and created down the wings, their first goal of the second half came from a defensive clearance from Julio Sarabia which found Cruz open in space to break through on net to score his second goal of the game, and ninth of the season.
Hart’s next three goals came from all scrambles in front of the Grant net where Isaiah Carreon, Belmares and JJ Bizon all found the back of the net.
Tyler Larios-Mendez collected one assist on a slot pass to Carreon at the back post.
Hart improved to 4-4-1 on the season and is next scheduled to return to the pitch next Monday at home against Oakridge in a West Michigan Conference game.
Grant fell to 5-5-0 and next plays at Ravenna in another non-conference contest Friday night.
