ANGOLA, Ind. – Calvin football took Trine University to the wire before falling 35-30 Saturday afternoon at Shive Field.

Calvin was within a score at 28-21 and later 28-24 in the fourth quarter. Trine was able to get a defensive stop in the closing minutes and convert a key insurance touchdown. Calvin scored a touchdown inside the final minute of play to creep to within five points but the host Thunder recovered an onsides kick to seal the victory.

Calvin (2-5 overall, 0-4 MIAA) scored first, taking the opening drive 70 yards in nine plays capped off by a 31-yard touchdown toss from graduate student quarterback Chase Bradman (East Kentwood, Mich./Christian HS) to freshman Seth Ritsema (Grand Rapids, Mich./South Christian HS). The point-after by freshman Sal Ruffino (Shelby, Twp./Eisenhower HS) gave the Knights a 7-0 lead.

Trine answered with a pair of second quarter touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead. Calvin responded with a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive culminated by a one-yard touchdown run by sophomore Ronin Russell-Dixon (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Catholic Central HS). The point-after by Ruffino tied the score 14-14.

Trine (4-3 overall, 2-2 MIAA) regained the lead at 21-14 on a touchdown with 4:51 left in the second quarter.

An interception by junior Jair Nowlin (Sugarhill, GA/Lanier HS) gave Calvin a late first half scoring opportunity with Nowlin returning the interception to the Trine 30-yard line. Trine was able to push the Knights back near midfield in the closing seconds however to hold a 21-14 halftime edge.
Trine grabbed a 28-14 lead on a third quarter touchdown pass.

The Knights refused to fold.

Bradman engineered a 7-play, 76-yard drive with the key play coming on a 39-yard throw to freshman Luke Michmerhuizen (Holland, Mich./Holland Chrisitan HS) that put the Knights in scoring position. Freshman Jackson Cook (Whitehall, Mich./Whitehall HS) completed the drive with a two-yard touchdown run off tackle to make it a 28-21 game.

Calvin threatened to tie the game in the fourth as the Knights had a first and goal on the Trine two-yard line but was forced to settle for a Ruffino field goal that made it 28-24.

Calvin's defense rose on the ensuing Trine drive, stuffing the Thunder on a fourth-and-one situation near midfield. The turnover on downs gave Calvin the ball on the Trine 47-yard line with 6:18 to play. The Knights moved the ball down to the Thunder 38 but had the drive extinguished on an interception.

After a Trine punt, Calvin regained the ball deep in its own territory with 2:04 left. The Knights turned the ball over on downs and Trine used the short field to cash in on a short touchdown run to take a 35-24 lead with 1:34 left. Calvin proceeded to move 72 yards in less than a minute, eventually scoring on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Bradman to Michmerhuizen. Calvin's two-point conversion attempt was denied by the Trine defense.

Trine then recovered an onsides kick by Calvin with 41 seconds left to close out the contest.

Bradman was 20 of 44 through the air for 294 yards and two touchdown passes. Michmerhuizen had six catches for a career-high 145 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Jude Klunder (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) had six catches for 48 yards. Ritsema had three catches, 44 yards and a touchdown. Freshmen Paul Bouma IV (Grandville, Mich./Calvin Christian HS) and Seth Anderson (Belmont, Mich./Rockford HS) had two catches apiece.

Graduate student Jaier Harden (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Innovation Central HS) had 57 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Cook had 31 yards on 10 carries.

Defensively, Calvin was paced by the tackling tandem of freshmen Trevor Martens (Hudsonville, Mich./Jenison HS) and Carson Schnurstein (Portage, Mich./Portage Central HS). Martens collected a career-high 12 tackles including a pair of tackles for loss. Schnurstein was close behind with a career-high 11 tackles after racking up 10 tackles the week before. Junior Paul VanderPloeg (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian HS) had seven tackles. Freshman Gage Jones (Ludington, Mich./Ludington HS and senior Isaac Northouse (Caledonia, Mich./South Christian HS) had six tackles apiece.

The final team stats were tight with Calvin gaining 317 yards of total offense to Trine's 327. Trine was penalized 13 times for 117 yards while Calvin was penalized 10 times for 75 yards.


COACHES COMMENT: "Hats off to Trine and its program," said Calvin head football coach Trent Figg. "They are a very good team that played well today. I told our players after the game that I have never been more proud of a team's effort and fight. These kids fight and battle and believe in each other, unlike any group I have been around. To go on the road to Trine and have a chance to win the game on the last drive speaks volumes to our players and coaches. They work every day to get themselves prepared, and I am so thankful for every player and coach in our program. Did we make our share of mistakes today? Absolutely we did, and we have to take ownership and get those mistakes fixed. I felt an energy from our team today that was at a different level. We have great days ahead. There's a lot to learn from this one and I am confident our guys will continue to learn, grow and get themselves prepare for another battle next week."

NEXT UP: Calvin will travel to Olivet next Saturday for a 1 p.m. MIAA contest at the Cutler Athletic Complex.