One day after upending Midwest Collegiate Conference foe Viterbo University in overtime, the Saints hit the road at 8 a.m. this morning for the four-and-a-half hour intrastate trek.
Despite the shortened day of rest, Ashford was undeterred by a Yellowjackets squad that was hoisting up the NAIA national championship trophy just three years ago and gritted out what is arguably the biggest win in the program's history.
"Graceland (University) was everything we thought they were going to be," AU Head Coach Richard Markham said. "They are by far the best team on our schedule and there's no doubt they will be in the top 25 at the end of the year. But I'm so proud of our team. This is the signature win that we were looking for to verify our record."
Freshman midfielders Geraldo Garza of Rockford, Ill., and sophomore Rafael Machado of Sao Paulo, Brazil, scored less than three minutes apart in the first half. They both moved into a tie with senior Eddie Garza, Geraldo's older brother, for the team lead in goals with five.
At the 18:58 mark in the first half, Markham reported that Garza drilled a shot with the outside part of the foot into the top left-hand corner of the net. Machado followed with what proved to be his second game winner in as many days in the 21st minute.
And just like yesterday's win over Viterbo when Garza and Machado both scored their fourth goals of the fall, the duo followed the same script.
"I thought when we scored those first two goals early on, it was going to be our day," Markham said. "I don't think Graceland underestimated us, but they just didn't really know what to expect. I think they were kind of shocked at that point."
Ashford's stalwart defense preserved the upset, highlighted by a one-on-save from AU junior goalkeeper Nick Roman of Belvidere, Ill., after a Graceland forward broke through the box with about five minutes remaining.
While Ashford was outshot 25-11, the Saints made their shots count, recording seven shots on goal versus the Yellowjackets' six. Roman recorded five saves for his eighth win of the year in net while fending off Graceland's arsenal of 18 shots in a second-half flurry.
Graceland, ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation this year, suffered its third straight loss after facing a pair of top-20 opponents (Park University, Kansas Wesleyan University) last week before meeting Ashford.
Next up on the schedule for Ashford is a key matchup to open the month of October when the Saints travel to Des Moines to face defending MCC champion Grand View University (5-4, 1-0 MCC).
"At the beginning of the year, we weren't looking for national attention, but now -- people can start talking about Ashford," Markham added. "Today's win really put a stamp on what we've been trying to do here."
