LANSING, MI – Lansing Common FC’s second exhibition match of the season was a dominant 6-0 victory over Ypsilanti Athletic FC on Sunday, May 10, at Eastern Stadium. LCFC’s next match will begin their sixth-straight campaign in the Midwest Premier League.
The Robins saw goals from forward Xtreme Hauk (19’, 44’), midfielders Jayson Janofski (8’) and Jack Heald (22’), and defenders Damian Addai (49’) and Ameer Shetiah (57’) in a commanding offensive performance.
Janofski wasted little time in setting the tone for the match when he found the back of the net in the 8th minute. A Lansing corner kick was headed out of Ypsilanti’s box and then volleyed by Janofski from 18 yards out. It was his second goal in as many games and Lansing’s first of the match to give the Robins an early spark.
Hauk doubled the lead in the 19th minute with a 22-yard strike from just outside the box. The Robins struck again three minutes later when Heald redirected a long-range shot by Shetiah to extend the advantage to 3-0.
Hauk chested in a cross from Janofski in the 31st minute to score his second goal of the evening and send Lansing Common into the locker room with a 4-0 lead and full control of the match.
“Our message at halftime was that we’re trying to establish what our standards are. Don’t play to the level of the opponent, raise your level. And I thought we did a very good job of that,” said LCFC Head Coach Brent Sorg.
Despite defeating Ypsilanti Athletic 7-0 in a similar matchup last season, Lansing approached the exhibition game with the same intensity and focus they would in a regular season contest.
The Robins continued their aggressive play after the break. Second-year player Addai scored his first goal for the club moments into the second half to continue Lansing’s dominant attack.
In the 57th minute, Shetiah lined up to take a free kick near the top of Ypsilanti’s box. The ball bounced off a defender, back to the feet of Shetiah, and he would capitalize on his opportunity to score the final goal of the match.
“I think the motivation, really, is that the league kicks off next Saturday, and that’s going to be a huge task for us,” Sorg concluded.
The Robins return to Eastern Stadium next Saturday, May 16, when they begin Midwest Premier League play against 1927SC at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are just $5 online or $7 at the gate.
