GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – For nearly one half of play, Calvin was able to keep up with perennial MIAA power Albion but a late second half dip led to a big Briton surge as the Knights dropped a 22-9 decision Saturday afternoon at Eagles Stadium.

Saturday's game marked the MIAA opener for both teams.

Calvin fought Albion (8-3, 1-0 MIAA) to a 4-4 tie through one quarter of play and led 6-5 on early second quarter goals from sophomore Cole McKenney (Mission Viejo, Calif. Trabuco Hills) and senior Chase Sparling (Novi, Mich./Novi HS).

Albion scored the final four goals of the second quarter to lead 9-6 at halftime. The visiting Britons then scored the first 10 goals of the second half to put the game away.

Calvin (5-7 overall, 0-1 MIAA) went toe-to-toe with the Britons in the first quarter, leading 1-0 on an early man-up goal by senior Robert Miner (Littleton, Co./Columbine HS) and later 4-3 on a nifty finish in front of the Albion cage by senior Josh Newhouse (Grand Junction, Colo. Palisade) off a feed from sophomore Christian Coler (Ionia, N.Y. Honeyoye Falls-Lima). Albion tied the game 4-4 in the final 57 seconds of the first quarter but the Knights answered with the early second quarter goals from McKenney and Sparling.

Albion then began to clamp down on defense and began to dominate faceoffs, scoring the final five goals of the second quarter and winning four straight faceoffs to regain the momentum.

Albion was 24 of 35 on faceoffs and finished with a 57-34 shots at goal advantage including 33-17 in the second half.

Sparling had two goals, two assists and three ground balls in defeat for the Knights. Sophomore Thomas Smith (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich./Grosse Pointe South HS) had two goals and one assist. Cole McKenney had a goal and an assist as did senior Ethan Curtis (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern HS), Miner and Newhouse. Sophomore Jacob Bledsoe (Mission Viejo, Calif. J. Serra Catholic) had a goal while Coler had two assists.

Freshman Nate Hanson (Naperville, Ill. Naperville North) had nine ground balls while sophomore Corgan Schaumburg (Rockton, Ill. Hononegah) had 17 saves in goal to go with four ground balls.

NEXT UP: Calvin will travel to Trine next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference contest.