Box Score By Mark DeHaan
HOLLAND - The Calvin men's soccer team met Ohio Wesleyan University for the second time this season on Saturday evening, this time with the two teams' postseason fate on the line. The Knights and Battling Bishops met in the first game of the season, with Calvin earning a 2-1 overtime victory.
This time around, it was Ohio Wesleyan claiming the win, defeating the Knights 4-2 in penalty kicks after the teams played to a 1-1 tie over 110 minutes of play.
The Knights dictated the tempo of the game early.
Senior Sean Broekhuizen (Grand Rapids/South Christian HS) had a header attempt on goal in the 17th minute that was just wide.
In the 20th minute, junior Taylor Pruis (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) earned a PK as he was taken down inside the penalty box. Stepping up to the spot, junior Nick Groenewold (Oak Brook, IL/Timothy Christian HS) converted the kick as Calvin took a 1-0 lead.
The Knights took the goal advantage into the break, but was outshot by Ohio Wesleyan 6-5 in the opening period.
For the majority of the second half, it was the Battling Bishops applying pressure and threatening the Knights defense.
Junior goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos (Markham, ON/St. Augustine Catholic HS) made saves in the 51st and 72nd minutes to keep the Battling Bishops off the board.
But, in the 81st minute, another penalty kick was awarded, this time to Ohio Wesleyan. Taking the kick was senior Colton Bloecher, and found the back of the net to knot the game at 1-1.
The final nine minutes then ticked off with neither team gaining an advantage, and for the second time this weekend, both teams headed to extra time.
The first overtime was played largely in favor of Calvin. In the 98th minute, senior Travis Vegter (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) had a turning chip shot toward goal that was off the crossbar.
Broekhuizen then had an opportunity in the box a minute later, but could not make full contact as the ball was cleared away.
In the second overtime, the Knights saw their best chance to advance in the 101st minute. Vegter made a run along the end line, beating an Ohio Wesleyan defender and sending the ball into the box to Taylor Pruis. Rising above his defender, Pruis was able to get his head on the ball but the ensuing shot was again off the crossbar, denying a Calvin victory.
The second overtime then ended without any more attempts on goal, and the game headed to a penalty kick shootout.
While Calvin claimed its previous two games by winning in penalty kick shootouts, the Knights could not do so a third straight time. The first two PK attempts were not converted by Calvin while Ohio Wesleyan made four of five to advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Battling Bishops outshot Calvin 16-15 over 110 minutes. Ohio Wesleyan keeper Colin Beemiller stopped four shots while Giantsopoulos made nine saves for the Knights.
"Calvin came out strong. They deserved the lead, and I told my guys to keep fighting. That's all you can do in the tournament is keep fighting," said OWU head coach Jay Martin. "That was great NCAA Tournament soccer. This was a great game, (Calvin) is a very good team, and they had a tremendous year."
"There is a lot of emotion in times like this. Obviously we're disappointed, and we feel like we could have gotten the win," said Calvin head coach Ryan Souders. "We had our chances, and a lot of the year we've been getting the breaks and finishing the chances, but tonight, they just didn't go our way."
The loss ends the careers of six Calvin Knights: Reed Bowden (Uxbridge, MA/Whitinsville Christian HS), Sean Broekhuizen, Andrew Claucherty (Sterling Heights/Bishop Foley HS), Matt DeKryger (Fremont/Western Michigan Christian HS), Adrien Mary (Margate, England/Rain Forest International School), and Travis Vegter.
When asked what the senior class has meant over the past four years to the program, and for the three seasons he has been head coach, Souders simply replied "I can't. A 30-second answer won't do justice to our senior class, and I won't be able to make it through the interview, to be quite honest. It's just a very special group."
