OCT. 31, 2026, MARYSVILLE, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College men's soccer team's season came to an end Saturday with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Schoolcraft College in the NJCAA Region XII Tournament semifinals at Morton Park in Marysville, Michigan.
The loss snapped a four-match unbeaten streak for the Raiders, who finished the season with an 8-5-3 overall record and a second-place finish in the MCCAA West standings with a 6-3-1 conference mark.
Schoolcraft (12-3-2) avenged an earlier 2-1 loss to the Raiders on Oct. 16, scoring twice in the opening 11 minutes to take control of the match. The Ocelots found the back of the net just 4:05 into the contest and added another goal at the 10:18 mark to quickly build a 2-0 advantage.
GRCC responded with a goal in the 36th minute when freshman Luca Enrico scored his first career goal. Enrico connected from approximately 18 yards out, with David Pontarelli providing the assist to cut the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime.
The Raiders' defense settled in after the early goals, shutting out Schoolcraft for the remainder of the match and giving the offense an opportunity to find an equalizer. However, the Ocelots held on to advance to the regional championship.
The match was closely contested statistically, with Schoolcraft holding a slim 17-16 advantage in shots. GRCC generated more corner opportunities, leading 8-6.
Freshman goalkeeper Ramon Lujano-Salto continued his impressive season with six saves. The multiple-time MCCAA Goalkeeper of the Week finished the year with 71 saves across 17 matches, establishing himself as one of the conference's top goalkeepers.
The season marks an impressive accomplishment for the Raiders, who competed for the conference championship and qualified for the Region XII Tournament under first-year head coach Alex Mendoza.
"I'm incredibly proud of this group and everything they've accomplished this season," Mendoza said. "From the beginning, these guys bought into what we wanted to build, worked hard for each other and continued to improve throughout the year. Finishing second in the conference and earning a spot in the regional semifinals speaks to their commitment and the culture they've established. It's disappointing that our season ends here, but I'm proud of the effort, resilience and character these players showed all year. We have a lot to build on moving forward."
The Raiders will now await the announcement of postseason awards, which are expected to be released in the coming days.
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