The Calvin men's soccer team hosted the Bulldogs of Adrian on Wednesday afternoon. The Knights played the Bulldogs earlier this season at Adrian, with Calvin earning a 2-1 victory. Tuesday night, despite struggling early offensively, the Knights scored three goals in the final eight minutes of the half to set the tone as they claimed a 5-1 win. 

Calvin improves to 9-5-0 overall and 8-2-0 in the MIAA with the win, while Adrian drops to 5-7-4 overall and 3-5-2 in the league. The Knights are now back in sole possession of first place in the MIAA standings as Trine defeated Hope 2-0 on Wednesday, keeping Calvin three points ahead of Hope and Olivet. Calvin will host Olivet on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in a game with first place implications in the MIAA table. 

Junior Travis Vegter (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) scored Calvin's first goal in the 38th minute. A cross from senior Ben Honeycutt (Grandville/South Christian HS) as headed down at the back post by sophomore Taylor Pruis (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) to the center of goal, where Vegter came sliding in and finished for a 1-0 Knights lead. 

In the 41st minute, Pruis added the second goal of the game, heading in a corner kick from freshman Matthew Koster (Pittsburgh, PA/Eden Christian Academy). 

Calvin then caught the Bulldogs off guard for its third goal. With just 30 seconds left in the half, Pruis made a run down the sideline and found senior Adrien Mary in the box who finished for a 3-0 Knights advantage. 

Calvin held a 14-2 edge in shots in the opening half. 

Five minutes out of the break, freshman Stephan Hooker (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) found the back of the net for the Knights. Vegter found Hooker at the top of the box, and with a touch to his right, Hooker slipped a shot past the Adrian keeper into the net. 

The Knights added their final goal of the game in the 60th minute as Vegter headed in a free kick from sophomore Sam Hanover (Saint Johns/Saint Johns HS) for a 5-0 Calvin lead. 

Adrian got a goal back in the 68th minute as Nick Minshall finished off a ball from Pat Bradley, bringing the score to 5-1 where the game would end. 

The Knights outshot the Bulldogs 26-5 while holding an 8-3 corner kick edge. Junior Andrew Claucherty (Sterling Heights/Bisoph Foley HS) made three saves in net to earn the win. 

"We moved the ball well, and we created chances. When you create chances, it's just a matter of finishing," said head coach Ryan Souders. "By-in-large, every guy did their job. We ask guys to be ready, they came in and everyone contributed today, which is a really good thing." 

With his pair of goals, Vegter boosted his season goal total to 20 and his career total to 37. Vegter is now tied for fifth on the Calvin career list for goals and sixth on the career list in points (87).