CSR (Mark Recker Picks Up Win #100 as Calvin Women's Soccer Coach)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR OCT. 10, 2007

Women’s Soccer Coach Mark Recker Picks Up Victory #100 In Win At Alma

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Calvin 2, Alma 0
(written by Bruce VanBaren ’09)

ALMA -- Calvin used first-half goals by freshmen Carly Prins (Hudsonville/
Unity Christian) and Stephanie Malburg (Grand Rapids/ Forest Hills Northern) to
reach a record milestone this afternoon as a 2-0 win at Alma was Mark
Recker’s 100th victory as Calvin’s head coach. Recker is the first coach
in Calvin women’s soccer history to reach the milestone and the second in
MIAA women’s soccer history as Albion head coach Lisa Roscheck achieved the
feat last year.

In seven years as Calvin’s head coach, Recker has compiled a won-loss record
of 100-27-9 for a winning percentage of .757.

More importantly Wednesday’s outcome marked the team’s seventh-straight
win, moving the Knights to 4-0-0 in the league and allowing Calvin to keep pace
with Hope College (4-1-0) for first place in the MIAA standings as each team
has 12 points.

“No [I didn’t know about it],” said a somewhat embarrassed Recker with a
smile to Sports Information Office Director Jeff Febus who broadcasted the
game. “I don’t pay attention to numbers. You know that.”
But Recker did realize how special his 100th win was.

“I just feel that the success that is being honored today is really a
tribute to the players first and then to the [assistant coaches],” he said.
He gave special praise to assistant coach Jong Il-Kim who he said, “has
allowed me to process my thoughts in order to make good decisions.”

Recker said the milestone is extremely special because it came at Calvin where
he was a four year varsity player. As a player on the Calvin men’s soccer
team from 1976-to-1979, Recker was a four-time All-MIAA selection and a
three-time MIAA MVP. He still holds the MIAA career record for assists (31) in
conference games.

“It’s very special for me because as a coach at Calvin that I think is a
great fit because of faith-based issues,” Recker said. “I love the Lord
and I love to see the game played well. I love to see it as a praise offering.
We talk a lot about how God has given [the players] all these gifts and he is
celebrating every time [they] go on the field to demonstrate the joy [they]
have in the talent the Lord has given [them].”

Recker said the win is also a tribute to his father who believed a long time
ago that his son would get a position at Calvin.

“Basically, the Lord opened up all the right avenues. The staff took a
chance on what was a soccer player, questioning whether or not he was a soccer
coach yet. [My father] didn’t tell me until I was hired, but he had been
praying that I would get the position and that [my] gift of soccer wouldn’t
go unused in the balance of [my life]. ”

In addition, Recker had words of thanks for his former Calvin men’s soccer
coach Marv Zuidema who won more than 340 games in a 36-year career of his own.
“I had many one-on-one discussions with Coach Zuidema on long bus rides,
talking about soccer and life in general,” said Recker. “He has given me a
lot of direction in my life and in my coaching career and I wish to thank him
for that today.”

For Recker, Wednesday’s game was also his 18th straight conference win
dating back to October of 2005.
Calvin’s scoring on Wednesday began in the 19th minute when Prins beat a
pair of defenders and tucked a shot under the cross bar that deflected just
over the end line for her team-high ninth goal of the season, putting the
Knights up 1-0.

Calvin extended that lead just before the half when sophomore Emily Ottenhoff
(Palos Heights, IL/ Chicago Christian) headed a perfect feed to Malburg, who
beat the goal keeper on a breakaway to put Calvin up 2-0.
Alma saved its best scoring chance for just before the half, but an open
header sailed over the goal.
Calvin came out in a defensive mode the second half as Alma pressured the
Knights. Despite a lack of offensive pressure throughout the second half, in
which Alma out shot the Knights 6-2, Calvin hung on for a 2-0 win and out shot
the Scots 13-6.

Goal keeper Alyssa Bergsma and Kayla Sulzer split halves in the net for the
shutout, the team’s sixth of the season.

The Knights are in action on Saturday when they host St. Mary’s at noon.

OTHER MIAA RESULTS ON 10-10-07
Hope 1, Olivet 0 (OT)

MIAA WOMEN’S SOCCER STANDINGS THROUGH 10-10-07
Calvin 4-0-0
Hope 4-1-0
Kalamazoo 3-1-0
Saint Mary’s 2-1-2
Albion 2-1-1
Adrian 2-3-0
Alma 2-4-0
Olivet 0-4-1
Tri-State 0-4-0

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Wed Oct 10 22:24:31 2007