CSR (Women's Soccer Shuts Out Aquinas in Season Opener)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 1, 2009

Women’s Soccer Shuts Out Aquinas in Season Opener

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Calvin 4, Aquinas 0
(written by Calvin Sports Information Student Assistant Derek Neice)

GRAND RAPIDS -- The Knights of Calvin started the season off with a bang
Tuesday afternoon in their opening match, putting the home team and cross-town
rival Aquinas away with a comfortable 4-0 victory. Senior Natalie Veurink
(Spring Lake, MI) had a hat-trick all in the first half of play to put Calvin
in the lead, and Sophomore Kelsey McCallops (Hudson, OH) added in another goal
to cement the victory in the second half.

Coming off of a successful season last year that carried the team to a MIAA
Championship and a bid in the national tournament, returning players performed
exactly how their experience in this league would indicate. Coach Mark Recker
had much to say about how well he thinks his team can perform this season.

“With those who return to lead the team this season, the nucleus is strong,
and with the work they put in, the finished product should perform very well.
And with the addition of various freshmen, it is an interesting proposition of
integrating numbers and seeing what works.”

Veurink scored her three goals in about a seven minute span of time, the best
of which came on her third shot and goal when Veurink chipped in a twenty yard
shot over the goalie off of a nice pass from freshman teammate Liz Cancel
(Fraser, MI). Coach Recker was pleased with the performance of his senior
striker.

“She has grown a lot every year that she’s been on the team, always hungry
to be the go-to player. She has definitely worked to be that player.”

The hat-trick was the first of Veurink’s collegiate career and boosted her
career goal total to 24, moving her into 13th place on the Calvin career list
for goals.

Senior midfielder Emily Ottenhoff (Palos Heights, IL) and freshman midfielder
Francesca Smith (Bloomington, IN) assisted Veurink on the first two goals, and
Calvin led the game 3-0 at the break, out shooting the Saints 6-2 for the first
half. Senior goalkeeper Kayla Sulzer (St. Charles, MO) kept a clean slate with
saves on both of the Aquinas shots.

Kelsey McCallops added an insurance goal twenty minutes into the second half
from the sharp passing of freshmen midfielders Kellie Honderd (Hudsonville, MI)
and Francesca Smith. With seven freshmen (making up a third of the team) ready
to contribute, Coach Recker was especially pleased with the play of the newest
members on his team, especially that of Francesca Smith, who finished with two
assists.

“Coming in and playing as a freshman brings a blend of uncertainty in
learning new positions and roles, sometimes with the tendency to be tentative
rather than aggressive. But these girls are definitely pushing themselves.
Francesca is showing great capacity so far in the midfield.”

Calvin out shot the Saints in the game 12-8, and along with superb play from
the defensive back line, Kayla Sulzer preserved the shutout for the Knights.
Along with Veurink’s three shots, junior Carly Prins (Hudsonville, MI) had
four shots, while Emily Ottenhoff, Kellie Honderd, Liz Cancel, and freshman
Sarah Bowden (Uxbridge, MA) finished with one apiece.

Calvin improved to 1-0 on the year with the win and will be traveling to Ohio
Northern University in Ada, Ohio, for a tournament on the 4th and 5th before
hosting Madonna College on September 9th in the Knight’s home opener.

NOTES:…Calvin will open the Ohio Northern Tournament on Friday against
seventh-ranked Otterbein…Calvin is currently ranked 17th nationally…Friday’s
game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. …Calvin will then face host Ohio
Northern on Saturday at 4:00 p.m…..Wednesday’s shutout was the second shutout
of Sulzer’s career in goal.
Received on Tue Sep 1 21:28:38 2009