by Alan Babbitt
MATCHUP
Hope (12-1) vs. Benedictine, Ill. (13-2), NCAA Division III Tournament first round
WHERE
Bloomington, Illinois, hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University
WHEN
4 p.m. Central, Friday, May 14
SERIES HISTORY
Hope leads, 2-0. The Flying Dutchmen won regular-season meetings in 2018, 15-6 at Van Andel Soccer Stadium, and in 2017, 13-11, at Benedictine.
NEWS AND NOTES
Benedictine qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament by winning the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament for the first time with a 10-8 victory against Aurora (Ill.) in the finals on May 1. Benedictine also was the regular-season champion. Hope advanced for the second time by winning the MIAA Tournament for the second consecutive time with a 19-13 victory at Albion on May 7.
In their first postseason appearance, the Flying Dutchmen lost to John Carroll (Ohio) in a 2019 first-round match, 7-6, in overtime in Rochester, N.Y.
The Hope-Benedictine winner moves to face either Illinois Wesleyan or the University Northwestern (Minnesota) in the second round on Saturday, May 15 at 2 p.m. Central.
Hope and Benedictine have one common opponent this season: Alma. Benedictine defeated Alma, 15-11, in the season opener on February 19. Hope topped Alma, 20-7, on March 12.
Junior attacker Jack Radzville co-headlined the 2021 All-MIAA Teams as the Most Valuable Offensive Athlete that included eight teammates: attacker Luke Elder, midfielder Zach Wiggins, face-off specialist Cole Scheffler, long pole Brayden Blackburn, short pole Liam Cunningham, defender Andrew Conlon on the first team, and attacker Michael Mann and defender Tucker Martinez on the second team.
Senior attacker Colin Domek co-headlined the 2021 All-NACC Teams that included six teammates: defender Daniel Misheck, midfielder Mateo Salceda, and attacker Thomas Tillett on the first team, and long-stick Trey Mobley, attacker Nic Perkins, and midfielder Scott Ransom,on the second team.
Jack Radzville leads Hope with 90 points. He has registered career-highs in goals with 49 and assists with 41.
Luke Elder tops the Flying Dutchmen with a career-high 54 goals. It is the second-highest total in team history.
Hope is averaging 18.46 goals per game while allowing an MIAA-low 7.95 per game. Benedictine is scoring 14.0 goals per game while yielding 9.2.
