MIAA Champions Put Nine on All-MIAA Men's Lacrosse Team

Hope has five first-team selections and four second-team honorees

Nine members of the MIAA-champion Hope College men's lacrosse team have claimed all-league honors from MIAA coaches, including five first-team selections.

Seniors Sam Bowen, Caden Brainard and Owen Mueller, junior John Foster, and sophomore Gibson Heethuis made the 13-member, All-MIAA First Team.

Senior Luke Wierengo, and juniors Jack Balmforth, Jackson Early and Will Jewell represented the Flying Dutchmen on the 13-member, All-MIAA Second Team.

All nine powered the Flying Dutchmen to a 6-0 league record and an MIAA-best plus-9.5 scoring margin.

Bowen (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Eastern HS) earned All-MIAA recognition at attacker for the third time after being a second-team honoree as a junior and a sophomore. The business major collected eight goals and six assists during six MIAA games. Bowen ranked in the Top 20 in the MIAA in both categories.

Brainard (Muskegon, Michigan / Reeths-Puffer) received All-MIAA accolades for the third time as a face-off get-off specialist and for the second consecutive season as a first-teamer. The mechanical engineering major topped the league among starters in faceoff percentage at .740 and ground balls per game with 54.

Mueller (Traverse City, Michigan / Saint Francis) is All-MIAA First Team at midfield in back-to-back seasons. The public accounting and business major totaled 10 ground balls, nine caused turnovers, two assists and one goal during six MIAA games.

Foster (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) claimed All-MIAA honors for the second time on defense after making the All-MIAA Second Team as a freshman. The exercise science major recorded a team-best 15 caused turnovers in six games and Hope's second-highest ground ball total in league play with 22 in six games. Foster also had one assist.

Heethuis (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) is All-MIAA for the second time as an attacker and a first-time, first-team recipient. In league play, Heethuis ranked fifth in assists with eight, and ninth in goals with six.

Balmforth (Livonia, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) earned All-MIAA honors for the second time as a goalie after being selected to the All-MIAA First Team as a sophomore. The business major topped the MIAA with a 6.59 goals-against average and placed third in save percentage at .600.

Early (East Lansing, Michigan / East Lansing) received All-MIAA recognition for the second time as a midfielder after being named a first-team selection as a sophomore. The public accounting major ranked third in the MIAA in goals with 17 in six league games.

Jewell (Northville, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) is All-MIAA for the first time on defense. The public accounting major tied for seventh in the league with 13 caused turnovers in six MIAA games.

Wierengo (Northville, Michigan / Northville) claimed All-MIAA accolades for the third time as a long-stick midfielder after receiving first-team honors as a junior and a sophomore. The business major tied for seventh in the MIAA in caused turnovers with 13, and 16th in ground balls with 17 in six league games. Four Hope men's lacrosse players pose for portraits.

Four Hope men's lacrosse players pose for portraits.

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Players Mentioned

#29 Jack Balmforth: G; 5' 11"; Junior; Business

#11 Sam Bowen: A; 5' 9"; Senior; Business

#3 Caden Brainard: FOGO; 5' 9"; Senior; Engineering

#31 Jackson Early: M; 6' 0"; Junior; Accounting - Public Acct

#22 John Foster: D; 6' 0"; Junior; Exercise Science

#12 Gibson Heethuis: A; 5' 11"; Sophomore; Biology

#14 Will Jewell: D; 6' 2"; Junior; Public Accounting

#45 Owen Mueller: M; 5' 10"; Senior; Accounting/Business Dbl Major

#7 Luke Wierengo: LSM; 6' 2"; Senior; Business

Players Mentioned

#29 Jack Balmforth
: 5' 11"; Junior; Business
: G

#11 Sam Bowen
: 5' 9"; Senior; Business
: A

#3 Caden Brainard
: 5' 9"; Senior; Engineering
: FOGO

#31 Jackson Early
: 6' 0"; Junior; Accounting - Public Acct
: M

#22 John Foster
: 6' 0"; Junior; Exercise Science
: D

#12 Gibson Heethuis
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; Biology
: A

#14 Will Jewell
: 6' 2"; Junior; Public Accounting
: D

#45 Owen Mueller
: 5' 10"; Senior; Accounting/Business Dbl Major
: M

#7 Luke Wierengo
: 6' 2"; Senior; Business
: LSM