GRINNELL, Iowa – The Grinnell College men's soccer team combined huge offensive and defensive performances to a 5-0 blanking of Crown College Friday at Springer Field.
 
Antonio Dimarco '18 scored four goals, just two shy of the school record, and Artis Curiskis '18 added three assists, which ranks second in program history.
 
The Pioneers dominated possession, outshooting the visitors by a 26-2 count. Dimarco had eight of those shots, Nicholas Brule '17 added five and Curiskis tallied three.
 
Keeper Major May '17 weaved a shutout and made a save.
 
Grinnell shot out to a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute on a goal by Dimarco. Curiskis began the play by stealing the ball and dribbling before sending a pass between two Crown defenders to Dimarco, who dribbled past the last defender and sent a shot past the diving Crown keeper.
 
It was still 1-0 at halftime before the Pioneers tacked on four goals in the second half. Forty-three seconds into the second half, David Leitson '16 scored on an assist by Dimarco. On the play, Dimarco worked the ball through a pack of Crown defenders and tapped it to Leitson, who came up the right side and sent it into the net.
 
Dimarco added a goal in the 61st minute on assists from Evan Sorenson '19 and Timothy Dooley '17. Dooley dribbled up the right side of the field and passed it to Sorenson in the corner, who worked toward the goal. He passed it by a Crown defender to Dimarco in the box, who kicked it into the left side of the goal.
 
Dimarco added two more goals in the 83rd and 85th minutes on assists by Curiskis. On the first, Curiskis dribbled into the box and sent a pass to the left to Dimarco, who kicked over the Crown keeper, off the crossbar and into the net.
 
On the second goal, Curiskis passed to Dimarco who dribbled into the left corner of the box and chipped the ball high over the keeper who had come out to challenge.
 
Grinnell is now 1-1, while Crown dipped to 0-1.
 
The Pioneers take part in the annual Alumni Game at 2 p.m. Sunday at Springer Field.