Box Score By John Leerar
The Calvin men's soccer team captured its third MIAA Tournament title in the last four years, defeating the visiting Alma Scots 3-0 Saturday afternoon at Zuidema Field.
With the win, Calvin receives an automatic bid to the NCAA III Tournament which opens play next week. Calvin will be making its 14
th appearance in NCAA III Tournament play including its eighth appearance in the last nine years.
Ranked No. 1 in the latest NSCAA Division III, Calvin is now 20-0-1, reaching the 20-win plateau for the first time in school history.
In Saturday's contest, Alma looked to be in control for the first few minutes of the game, keeping the ball in the Knight's side of the field and firing off a shot on a breakaway that sailed just wide.
The momentum shifted in the fifth minute when a beautiful cross from senior
Taylor Pruis (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) found the foot of junior
Stephan Hooker (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) for the first goal of the game.
Calvin kept the pressure up, peppering the Alma goal with 5 more shots over the next 15 minutes.
That pressure paid off when in the 19
th minute senior
Nick Groenewold (Oak Brook, Ill/Timothy Christian) floated a ball into the box and senior
Sam Hanover (St. Johns/St. Johns) deflected it to Pruis who hammered it home to give the Knights a 2-0 advantage.
Calvin tried to press the advantage in the remaining minutes of the first half but was unable to find the back of the net again before the halftime buzzer.
The second half started out with momentum on the side of the Knights. In the 51st minute, sophomore Mitch Stark (South Lyon/South Lyon) dribbled past multiple Alma defenders in the box and rifled a shot past the Alma keeper to make it 3-0 Knights.
Both Alma and Calvin had chances in the rest of the half, but when the final whistle sounded the Knights were victorious by a score of 3-0.
"We were led by our seniors," said Calvin men's soccer coach Ryan Souders. "They've been here before and they played really well. I credit Alma. What a year they have had. They did not make it easy for us."
According to Souders, the goal by Hooker in the opening five minutes of the game was pivotal. "That goal was huge," said Souders. "We say that goals change games, both offensively and defensively. Playing with the lead right away was a huge advantage for us."
Calvin outshot Alma 27-10 and held the advantage in corner kicks as well, 14-3.
Senior keeper Niko Giantsopoulos (Markham, Ontario/St. Augustine Catholic) earned his 20th victory and 16th clean sheet for the Knights, tallying three saves.
