CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR NOV. 4, 2008
Women's Soccer Advances to MIAA Tourney Finals With Win Over Adrian;
Volleyball Tops Kalamazoo - To Face Alma in MIAA Tourney Semis
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Calvin 4, Adrian 0
(by Bruce VanBaren)
GRAND RAPIDS -- Carly Prins scored twice as Calvin beat Adrian 4-0 Tuesday to
advance to the MIAA tournament championship game. The MIAA-leading Knights
picked up six points in the tournament semi-final game and host Alma in
Saturday’s championship game.
“I think the way we’ve been playing these last couple games we’re
ready,” Prins said. “We’re definitely looking to redeem ourselves.”
The Knights (16-2-1, 10-0-0 MIAA) need a win or a tie to clinch their fourth
straight MIAA championship and fourth consecutive NCAA tournament berth. Calvin
has a 35 game undefeated streak in league play dating back to the 2005 season,
with the Knights posting a 34-0-1 record during that streak.
“There is a sharpness that is required of us, but we do have some room for
error,” coach Mark Recker said. “The team is a hungry group and they
aren’t satisfied with where they finished last year.”
Calvin clinched the league title with a 1-1 tie against Albion in last year's
MIAA tournament final, ultimately losing the tournament title in a shootout.
Prins (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) sidestepped a defender at the 18-yard line
and two-hopped a well-placed shot past Adrian goalkeeper Steffeny Burns in the
10th minute. Burns recorded seven saves. With Calvin leading 2-0, Prins added
her second goal in the 59th minute, heading in a well-placed corner kick from
Mindy Capisciolto (Hudsonville/Unity Christian).
“It felt really good, things just clicked (today),” Prins said. “I
haven’t scored in awhile so it felt really good to finally connect on some
goals.”
Adrian came into the game with the second ranked defense in the MIAA. The
Bulldogs struggled to gain any offensive momentum. Calvin outshot Adrian 18-1.
The Bulldogs’ first shot didn’t come until midway through the second half.
“We really worked in practice (preparing) for a team that really packs it in
and plays tight defense and I think that really helped,” Prins said.
Elaine Schnabel put Calvin in front 2-0 in the 35th minute, ricocheting a shot
off of an Adrian defender and past Burns. Schnabel had three points in the
game, also assisting Prins’ first goal. Kelsey McCallops (Hudson, OH/Western
Reserve Academy) scored her first goal of the year in the 73rd minute. Allison
Boender (Grandville/Calvin Christian) assisted with a cross from the far side.
Calvin’s defense picked up its 13th shutout of the season, nine of which
came in league play. The Knights’ defense has allowed only one goal in league
play this year. Alyssa Bergsma faced no shots and Kayla Sulzer made only one
save for the Knights. It was a spectacular save to rob Adrian’s Lindsay
Chitwood of a breakaway goal in the 65th minute to preserve the shut out.
“(The defense) does a great job,” Prins said. “They’re solid back
there. They don’t let anyone past them and they find our feet and give us
great balls to work the offense.”
The Knights are ranked fourth in the latest NSCAA/adidas National Rankings
behind Williams (14-0-1), Messiah College (17-0-2) and Lynchburg (17-0-3). Its
only two losses came in overtime against three-time defending national champion
Wheaton College and Washington University (St. Louis).
“What I try to have my players focus in on is that you don’t get to the
national tournament without going one game at a time,” Recker said.
“It’s the same with the MIAA opponent. You can’t look behind any
opponent and must respect everyone.”
Alma beat Hope 2-1 in overtime Tuesday at Buys Athletic Field. Alma (12-6-1,
7-2-1 MIAA) has 26 points heading into Saturday’s final, while Calvin has 33
points. Alma is the three seed in the league tournament and can gain the
automatic berth and league title with a win. Calvin will host the Scots
Saturday at noon at Zuidema Field.
VOLLEYBALL
Calvin 3, Kalamazoo 0
By Chaz Amidon
GRAND RAPIDS – Calvin began its quest to claim its fifth consecutive MIAA
Tournament title on Tuesday, using a balanced scoring attack to sweep Kalamazoo
in the first round, 25-17, 25-19, 25-18.
Rebecca Kamp bolstered the Knights’ offense with nine kills and Jessica
Garlick added six as Calvin notched its 15th straight victory, dating back to
Oct. 1.
“Overall, we’re just meshing as a team,” said Rachel DeYoung, who
tallied five kills. “Our blocking is making it easier for our defense –
we’re just doing an all-around great job.”
Without libero Kelsey Sears, who sat out with a minor injury, the Knights
surpassed a resilient Hornets’ squad that refused to back down, despite the
fact that Calvin jumped out to a 3-0 lead in every set.
The Knights defeated Kalamazoo in the opening match of the Midwest Challenge
last Friday – a three-set victory with scores of 25-13, 25-13, 25-13 – and
came up with a convincing win over the Hornets in the MIAA regular season
opener back on Sept. 3.
“I think we were just a little bit nervous from the get-go,” said freshman
Kelly Peterson, who filled the libero position on Tuesday. “Probably just
(tournament) play. I think we could have pushed harder but we still played
well.”
Sara Kramer, the MIAA Player of the Week following a 46-kill outing at the
Midwest Invitational, poured in an additional five kills while Erin VanderPlas
totaled four.
Lauren DeGroot distributed 27 assists and recorded seven digs to uphold a
balanced defensive effort for a Calvin team that had only one receiving error
against Heidelberg last Saturday. Stacie Lippert chipped eight digs, Katie
Corbett had seven and Peterson finished with six in her debut as libero.
“Everything’s hit at you a lot faster, it seems like,” said Peterson.
“Libero is a lot different from middle-back. Basically, Coach (Amber
Warners) just told me to play with the same intensity.”
With the win, the Knights are now 9-0 in the first round of the MIAA
Tournament since its inception during the 1999 season. They are 23-3 all-time
in MIAA postseason play, and have claimed six out of a possible nine conference
crowns, including the past four.
The Knights (26-4, 15-2) will now face the No. 3 seed, Alma, in the conference
semifinal at Hope’s DeVos Fieldhouse, game time 5:30 p.m. Adrian will match
up against the Flying Dutch in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m.
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Tue Nov 4 22:26:01 2008
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Tue Nov 04 2008 - 22:26:01 EST