CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 30, 2011
Women's Basketball Holds on for 69-60 Win at Albion;
Men's Soccer Semifinal Game Previewed on d3soccer.com;
First Day Diary Entry from Calvin Men's Soccer Correspondent Andrew Knot
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 69, Albion 60
ALBION - Fourth-ranked Calvin survived a frigid second half shooting
performance to claim a 69-60 victory at Albion Wednesday night in the MIAA
opener for both teams.
Wednesday's game was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Calvin bolted out
to a 17-point lead and threatened to blow the game wide open. Calvin (6-0
overall, 1-0 MIAA shot 50 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes but
allowed Albion to score the final five points of the half to give the host
Britons (1-4 overall, 0-1 MIAA) a boost of momentum.
Albion began to chip away at the Calvin lead as the Knights were just 10 of 33
(.303) from the field in the second half while Albion shot over 40 percent in
the second half. Albion cut the Calvin lead to three points at 57-54 with six
minutes remaining but Calvin junior Kelsey Irwin was able to swish a
three-pointer in transition to boost the Knights into a 60-54 advantage.
Albion closed again with five points at 65-60 but a bucket inside by junior
Julia Hilbrands and free throws from senior Jill Thomas allowed the Knights to
keep Albion at bay.
Hillbrands had a huge game for Calvin off the bench with 17 points and eight
rebounds, connecting on 8 of 9 attempts from the field. Junior Carissa Verkaik
notched her 30th career double-double with 16 points, 13 rebounds and four
blocked shots while Thomas had 12 points. Irwin added nine off the bench on
3-of-7 shooting from three-point range.
Nicole Dennis led Albion with 18 points off the bench while Patty Rewa had 12
points and 11 boards for the Britons.
Calvin shot 40 percent overall from the field and 52.6 percent (10 of 19) from
the free throw line.
Calvin returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Adrian at 1 p.m. in the home
opener for the Knights.
MEN'S SOCCER
An extensive preview of the upcoming NCAA III Men’s Soccer semifinal match
between Calvin and Oneonta State is now available on the d3soccer.com website
at: http://d3soccer.com/ncaatournament/2011/men/mens-semifinal-2-preview
The preview is written by d3soccer.com writer Christian Shirk and offers
analysis of both teams and insights on which team might hold the edge in
Friday’s 9 p.m. (EST) matchup. Shirk also provides a preview of the other
men’s semifinal between Ohio Wesleyan and Montclair State at:
http://d3soccer.com/ncaatournament/2011/men/mens-semifinal-1-preview
MORE MEN'S SOCCER
(Calvin Sports Information Student Assistant Andrew Knot is traveling with the
Calvin men's soccer team this weekend and filed this first day report)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - After two early morning flights, the Knights have arrived
safely in San Antonio. We had a 7:00am flight out of Grand Rapids this
morning, and connected to a flight to San Antonio immediately after landing in
the Detroit Metro Airport.
Since landing in San Antonio, we have enjoyed sunny, mid-sixties weather, and
some of the local attractions, as well as our hotel, the Hyatt Regency, located
in the heart of the city.
We were free during lunch today and some of the squad took advantage of the
free time by strolling San Antonio’s famed River Walk and exploring the
historic site of The Alamo.
“The River Walk and the different culture down here is really great, especially
this time of year when it’s all lit up,” said senior Tyler Vegter.
This afternoon, the team practiced on the campus of nearby Trinity University.
“It was good to be back on the field,” said sophomore Ben Honeycutt. “We’re
excited to be playing in and adjusting to a new situation.
This evening, we enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant and some more free time
to experience the city. After dinner, some players took the time to reflect on
the experience as a whole.
“Traveling with like,” said sophomore Lawrence Murray.
Vegter called the 2011 squad the closest-knit team he’s been on at Calvin.
“We got along well all year, and with each new experience we grow closer,” he
added.
The Knights remain grateful for all the thoughts, prayers, and support as they
make their way through the NCAA tournament.
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As they prepare to square off against Oneonta State in the National Semi-Final
on Friday, the Knights are counting on previous postseason experience to give
them an edge.
Eleven of the twenty five 2011 Knights were on the 2009 squad that advanced to
the National Championship, marking the furthest a Calvin soccer squad has
advanced in the NCAA Tournament. But that year, the Knights’ met a Messiah
squad in the National Final that had something they lacked: experience.
“I remember the first time her two years ago. I was in awe of the whole
process and maybe a bit intimidated when I stepped on the field the first time,”
said Senior Tyler Vegter.
But this year, it’s the Knights who enter the Final Four with experience in
their favor. Calvin not only advanced to the National Final in 2009, they also
posted a run to the Elite 8 last year. Because of that, the upperclassmen feel
that they can pass on some of the knowledge they gained to their younger
counterparts.
“Since we have that experience, we can show the younger guys our comfort level
on this stage. Hopefully that will translate to our play,” said Vegter.
And the younger players are eager to listen.
Sophomore Lawrence Murray, himself an integral part of the 2010 tournament run,
said it’s great to have players who have experienced the Final Four before.
“It’s a huge advantage,” he said. “It just teaches us that much more that
every minute counts.”
The Knights will put their experience to the test Friday at 8:00pm CST against
Oneonta State.
Received on Wed Nov 30 22:05:42 2011
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