GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 18th-ranked Calvin University women's soccer team opened the new Calvin Soccer Stadium with a 5-0 win over Saint Mary's College (Ind.) on Saturday.
 
Calvin (6-2-2, 2-0-0) opened the new stadium in front of more than 1,000 fans as part of Homecoming weekend and started the festivities early with three first half goals to set the tone.
 
Liz Williams (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) started the scoring in the third minute with her second goal of the season off an assist from Sophie Mueller (Musekgon, Mich./North Muskegon) to get the Knights on the board.
 
Shay Norden (Norton Shores, Mich./Mona Shores) added to the lead in the 28th minute with a long, left-footed strike off a Williams pass for her first career collegiate goal to put the Knights up 2-0, and Mia Judd (Grand Ledge, Mich./Lansing Christian) scored the third goal of the half off a set piece with assists from Mueller and Carley Curry (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) in the 36th minute to send Calvin into halftime with a 3-0 advantage.
 
Mueller added a score of her own in the 68th minute off another Williams assist, and the Knights closed the scoring thanks to a SMC (6-4-0, 1-1-0) own goal in the 74th minute to finish off the 5-0 win.
 
Calvin dominated on the scoreboard and the stat sheet, outshooting the Belles 19-5 overall and 7-2 in shots on goal. Williams and Mueller each finished with one goal and two assists, while Kalex Dodge (Jackson, Mich./Leslie) stopped both SMC shots on goal on the way to a shutout.
 
COACH'S COMMENT: "It's good to get our second win in conference," Calvin head women's soccer coach Emily Ottenhoff said. "I thought we started fast in terms of scoring goals, but a little slow in terms of moving the ball. I thought the second half was a little better in how we wanted to play and let the ball move a little more quickly, but sometimes that's how games go. Certainly happy to get the goals in the first half and it was fun to see a bunch of people get on the field and contribute for us."
 
"This stadium is incredible and we're just so thankful to everybody who helped make this happen for us," Ottenhoff said about the opening of the stadium. "We know we're probably undeserving of it, but just so thankful for it, and thank you is really all I have because there really are no other words to describe it."


 
NEXT UP: Calvin women's soccer will return to action on Tuesday, October 8, when it plays at Trine University at 7:00 PM.