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Amelia Streberger holds a soccer ball on her hip.
Pictured, Amelia Streberger
0
Kalamazoo KZOO (13-5-1, 6-2-0)
1
Winner Hope HOPE (12-3-2, 7-0-1)
Kalamazoo KZOO
(13-5-1, 6-2-0)
0
Final
1
Hope HOPE
(12-3-2, 7-0-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Kalamazoo KZOO 0 0 0 0
Hope HOPE 0 0 1 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Alan Babbitt

Women's Soccer Edges Kalamazoo Quickly in OT, Earns MIAA Tournament Title Game Berth

Hope College midfielder Amelia Streberger nimbly darted around a defender and charged toward the back line at Van Andel Soccer Stadium, eyeing a cross to an open teammate.

The ball never made it to Alexis Suptela, but seconds later, the Flying Dutch erupted into celebration. The pass deflected off the Kalamazoo College defender and bounced inside the left post for an own goal that lifted Hope to a 1-0 overtime victory in the MIAA Tournament semifinals.

Streberger's heroics 59 seconds into the first 10-minute overtime period propelled second-seeded Hope into the finals for the 13th time on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at top-seeded Calvin University. 

Head coach Holly Van Noord praised Streberger's hustle and assertiveness once overtime kicked off.

"We talked about how this is a tournament game, and we're going to have to dig extra deep," Van Noord said. "I thought Amelia did exactly that at the whistle. It was fun to see her go after it and score."

Hope (12-3-2) advanced to play at top-seeded Calvin University on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. The Flying Dutch are seeking their fourth MIAA Tournament crown and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championships. Hope played Calvin to a scoreless draw on October 17 at Van Andel Soccer Stadium.

After the two teams played 90 minutes of regulation without a goal, Streberger (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan / Grosse Pointe North) pounced quickly on a failed clearing attempt.

Taking a pass from freshman Rowan Klein (Clarkston, Michigan / Oakland Christian) just outside the far side of the penalty area, Streberger snapped the ball quickly right to left to run past her defender. 

A few feet from the end line and 10 yards from the far goalpost, Streberger slotted a soft, arching shot back toward the goal. The ball bounced off a defender, redirected in between the Kalamazoo goalie and the far post.

Streberger said she did what she trained to do.

"My main goal as a target player is to feed my outside players. My mindset when I got the ball was to go forward with it and look for a player open in the box," Streberger said. "I was looking for my teammate Alexis, who was wide open in the box. I knew she was going to put it away. I was so happy it went in. It was a team effort."

It took everyone to defeat Kalamazoo for the second time in a week. Hope topped the Hornets. 2-0, in the regular-season finale on October 28 at Van Andel Soccer Stadium.

The Hornets (13-5-1) yielded two first-half goals in that contest, but proved far stingier in the rematch. The Flying Dutch outshot Kalamazoo, 15-3, but could put one past goalie Jess Forbis until overtime. Forbis finished with seven saves, including five after halftime.

Hope needed to withstand a few quality chances from the Hornets. Senior goalkeeper Clara Feenstra (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) delivered the most notable save in the 63rd minute, punching over the crossbar a Kalamazoo free kick from 30 yards out following a Flying Dutch foul.

Feenstra, an All-MIAA First Team selection, recorded three saves for the Flying Dutch's ninth shutout of the season.

Streberger heaped praise on Feenstra for keeping a clean sheet and giving her an opportunity to generate the game-deciding play.

"Clara is one of our biggest leaders. From the back of the field, her communication helps us so much," Streberger said. "Playing with her, you feel safe because you know she has your back."
 
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