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Hope College

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#BeStrongBeTrue
The Hope College women's soccer team holds the MIAA Tournament championship trophy.
Lynne Powe
2
Winner Hope Hope (13-3-2, 7-0-1)
0
Calvin Calvin (15-2-1, 7-0-1)
Winner
Hope Hope
(13-3-2, 7-0-1)
2
Final
0
Calvin Calvin
(15-2-1, 7-0-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Hope Hope 1 1 2
Calvin Calvin 0 0 0

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Alan Babbitt

Women’s Soccer Blanks No. 9 Calvin a Second Time, Wins MIAA Tournament

The Flying Dutch also clinch NCAA Tournament berth with a 2-0 victory

For 180 minutes in The Rivalry this season, the Hope College women's soccer team proved unbreakable on defense.

A quick-strike offense for the final 90 minutes against Calvin University made the Flying Dutch MIAA Tournament champions again during a historic Saturday night in Grand Rapids.

Hope scored within the first five minutes of each half during the weekend rematch, propelling the second-seeded Flying Dutch to a 2-0 victory in the MIAA Tournament final at Knights Stadium. The Orange and Blue claimed their fourth MIAA Tournament championship and a return trip to the NCAA Division III Championships, matching teams from the 2021 fall season, 2017, and 2016.

The Flying Dutch (13-3-2) also ended several seasons of frustration, ending a 12-game winless streak against Calvin that included four ties and eight losses since 2018.

"It's huge," head coach Holly Van Noord said. "This is something we have been chasing for a long time, putting a lot of work into it. There has to be a whole team buy-in. To see it come to fruition, I'm really proud of everyone."

Coupled with the men's soccer 1-0 victory at Calvin earlier in the evening, the Flying Dutch swept MIAA Tournament crowns for the first time in school history. The Hope women also defeated Calvin for the first time in an MIAA final after going 0-6-1 in the event's history. The Flying Dutch will learn their postseason assignment on ncaa.com on Monday, Nov. 9, at 11:30 a.m. 

"It's a big win for Hope," senior goalkeeper Clara Feenstra said after her team handed the Knights their second loss in 18 games this season. "It's just been a lot of days and hours put into the point of getting here. Finishing it out not, 1-0, but 2-0, we just put the hammer down and made a statement."

The two teams played to a scoreless draw on October 17 at Hope's Van Andel Soccer Stadium and ended up sharing the MIAA regular-season championship. Calvin (15-2-1) claimed the top seed after winning the goal differential tiebreaker.

A 0-0 score in the rematch lasted for just five minutes.

Senior forward Halle Barnard (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford) delivered a perfect cross from the far side that rolled to the feet of junior forward Alexis Suptela about 10 yards in front of the net. Suptela (Palatine, Illinois / William Fremd) launched a right-footed shot into the wide-open right corner of the net. It was the junior's eighth goal of the season.

"It was the result of energy and excitement," Van Noord said on the first-half strike. "Calvin is an incredible program. We knew they were going to give their best. I'm very proud of the girls from the opening whistle to get after it."

Calvin rebounded to outshoot the Flying Dutch, 10-3, during the first half, but only put two on net. 

Then, 1:54 into the second half, senior midfielder Jenna Schreiber (Jenison, Michigan / Unity Christian) headed in a pass from MIAA Newcomer of the Year Jessica Reyes (Rochester Hills, Michigan / Oakland Christian) for a 2-0 lead. It was Schreiber's second goal of the season.

Feenstra (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) stopped all four shots she faced after halftime and finished with six saves. The shutout was her 10th of the season.

The victory was Hope's first in eight tries against Calvin in an MIAA Tournament championship game.

"The biggest thing is we played really well together," Van Noord said. "We were all on the same page. We trusted our teammates and leaned on each other. That's what it takes in tournament time."
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