The Lancers lead the Eastern Division with a 3-0 record after their 12-6 win. (Photo courtesy of the Lancers)
MUSKEGON, Mich. — So far so very, very good for the Rochester Lancers.
The Lancers continued their perfect start to the Major Arena Soccer League 2 season with a 12-6 victory over the Muskegon Risers at LC Walker Arena Friday night.
Luis Hidalgo and Jake Schindler recorded hat-tricks in the first away win for Rochester (3-0), which scored seven consecutive goals to turn a one-goal deficit into a road rout.
The Lancers continued to lead the Eastern Division in their first year back in indoor soccer as they will try to make it four in a row at the Detroit Waza Flo Saturday at 5:50 p.m.
While the Lancers enjoyed a substantial margin of victory, the game did not start out that way. The visitors took the lead on Hidalgo’s first goal off a Boomer Stiegleman assist at 2:37 of the opening period past goalkeeper Josh Rumenapp before Tj Ifaturoti equalized with 38 seconds remaining.
Michael Cunningham tallied the first of his two goals 2:40 into the second quarter but the Risers (1-4) struck twice within a 41-second span behind Joe Broekhuizen and Cameron Cavanagh, who beat keeper Mark Sotile to grab a 3-2 halftime edge (11:00 and 11:41, respectively).
The Lancers came out for the second half and dominated huge swathes of the game, striking seven successive times to turn the match on its head as Schindler and Hidalgo led the way with two goals apiece.
Schinlder knotted things up at 3-3 at 3:27 of the third quarter before Austin Gerber gave the visitors a 4-3 advantage they relinquished at 7:07.
The surge continued as Stiegleman gave Rochester some breathing room at 5-3 at 10:31 of the period. Hidalgo scored off a Cunningham assist only 26 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Lancers then took control of the game, striking twice within 23 seconds by Schindler (2:25) and Hidalgo (2:48) for an 8-3 lead.
August Finn, off a Devonte Black assist, closed out the seven-goal spurt at 4:13.
The Risers finally got back on track by connecting for the next three goals — by Ifaturoti, Cavanagh and Stuart Collins — to pull within 9-6.
Schindler, Gerber and Finn, however, scored consecutive goals over a span of slightly less than three minutes for the final score.
Rochester outshot Muskegon, 21-13, including 7-0 in the third quarter.
After this trip, the Lancers return home for games the first weekend of February. They host the Chicago Mustangs Friday, Feb. 1 and the Cincinnati Swerve Saturday, Feb. 2. Both games kick off at 7 p.m.
