CKSR (Volleyball Sweeps Kalamazoo/Women's Soccer Defeats Illinois Wesleyan/Men's Soccer Clipped by Dominican)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR SEPT. 7, 2012

Volleyball Sweeps Kalamazoo;
Women's Soccer Defeats Illinois Wesleyan;
Men's Soccer Clipped by Dominican

VOLLEYBALL
(written by Mitch Blankespoor)

The Calvin College women’s volleyball team traveled to Anderson Athletic
Complex to face the Hornets of Kalamazoo College on Friday. The Knights
improved to 6-0 (2-0 MIAA) defeating the Hornets in straight sets by scores of
25-9, 25-18, 25-11.
 
Lizzie Kamp (Orland Park, IL/Chicago Christian HS) led the Knights with 11
kills. Junior Megan Rietema (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) finished
with four kills while dishing out 20 assists. Senior Kelly Gordon-Hiskes
(Caledonia/South Christian HS) led the Knights with 15 digs.
 
The Knights pulled out to a 12-4 lead in both the first and final sets. The
Hornets showed some fight in the second set. Kalamazoo held with Calvin
through the first half of the set.
 
Kelsey Hill led the Hornets in defeat with eight kills. Setter Alex Gothard
dished out 14 assists.
 
“It was nice to see the intensity and tempo stay at the same level no matter
who I put on the court,” Knights head coach Amber Warners said. “I thought
Megan [Rietema] was spot on tonight. She ran our offense to perfection.”
 
The Knights return to action tomorrow when they play host to the Comets of
Olivet College.

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Calvin 2, Illinois Wesleyan 1
(Written by Mark DeHaan)

Playing in the first game of a doubleheader at Grand Rapids Christian High
School's Eagle Stadium, against the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan, the Calvin
Knights were victorious, winning by a 2-1 score.
 
In the 17th minute, senior Francesca Smith drew first blood for Calvin. A free
kick from freshman Sydney Kinney was sent into the box where fellow freshman
Taylor TenHarmsel flicked it on to Smith. Smith, at the corner of the six-yard
box, then one-touched the ball just inside the far post for her first goal of
the season to give the Knights the 1-0 lead.

Calvin held that lead through halftime. After the break, Illinois Wesleyan
began to put pressure on the Knights. Just about ten minutes in, Titans junior
Hannah Ketterling got open at the top of box for a shot.

That shot went straight at Calvin keeper Ashton Hearn, however, and the
Knights avoided the threat.
In the 79th minute, Calvin added to its lead as a Liz Cancel pass found
TenHarmsel running free toward net. With the keeper charging out of her goal,
TenHarmsel chipped the ball over the goalie and into the back of the net to
extend Calvin's lead to 2-0.

With five minutes remaining, Illinois Wesleyan looked to draw within a goal
when it was granted a penalty kick. Taking the kick was Titans senior Emily
Hinchman, who led IWU with 14 goals last season. Hinchman proceeded to put the
ball wide of the net, keeping Calvin's lead at 2-0.

But, the Titans did score two minutes later as junior forward Tillie Bill put
her foot on the ball at the top of the box and chipped it over Calvin's keeper
Hearn. The goal by Illinois Wesleyan cut Calvin's lead to 2-1.

Illinois Wesleyan continued to pressure, but the Knights held on to the lead
for the final three minutes as they secured their first win of the season.

Keeper Ashton Hearn made five saves for the Knights. On the offensive end,
Calvin had just four shots all game, and the only two the Knights put on net
went for goals.

“(The team) has come a long way in two or three days,” said head coach Mark
Recker. “When you have players who think the game while they're on the field
rather than just react to the moment, that's the key. If we put ourselves in
positions to make those decisions, we won't need as many opportunities to
produce.”

Now 1-1, Calvin looks forward to next Thursday when it will open up the
conference portion of its schedule as it hosts Trine, with the opening kick at
4:00 pm.

MEN’S SOCCER
Dominican 2, Calvin 1

In a matchup of nationally-ranked teams, Calvin dropped a hard-fought 2-1
decision to Dominican University Friday night at Grand Rapids Christian High
School’s Eagle Stadium. The game was part of a Friday first round slate of
games in the Cal Bergsma Memorial Tournament. The other first round game took
place in Holland with Hope defeating Aurora University 2-1.

Calvin entered Friday’s contest ranked 18th nationally while Dominican came in
ranked 16th. The game marked the fourth straight year the two teams had met as
Calvin defeated Dominican 1-0 in the NCAA III Semifinals in 20009, advanced
past Dominican by way of a penalty kick shootout in a second round NCAA III
Tournament game in 2010 and then fell in a regular season game at Dominican in
2011 3-0.

In Friday’s contest, Calvin held the upper hand during large portions of the
game as the Knights outshot the Stars 14-6 but Dominican proved to be
opportunistic while Calvin was not.

The visiting Stars grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute as Ryan Ybarra curled
a free kick around a Calvin wall from 25 yards out just inside the near post.

Calvin threatened to tie the game late in the first half but Dominican
goalkeeper Max Gutbrodt denied Joe Broekhuizen’s free kick with a leaping save
at the far post and moments later, the Stars were saved by the woodwork as
Calvin sophomore Reed Bowden ripped a volley that smashed the crossbar and came
back into play.

In the second half, Dominican pounced a Calvin defensive miscue and was
rewarded with a penalty kick after a Dominican player was taken down in the
penalty box. Andy Lynch made no mistake on the spot kick, ripping in a shot to
the right corner to give the Stars a 2-0 advantage.

Calvin cut the gap in half with a goal by junior Ben Honeycutt with just over
six minutes remaining with senior Nick Holtrop drawing an assist on the play.
The Knights were able to manage only one shot the rest of the way however as
Dominican held on for the win.

The Knights return to action on Saturday with a second round Cal Bergsma
Memorial Tournament game against Aurora at 5:00 p.m. at Calvin’s Zuidema Field.
Received on Fri Sep 7 23:43:42 2012