GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Today the Calvin women's soccer team welcomed rival Hope College in a match to decide who would claim the top spot in the MIAA. 
 
In the first half, both teams battled for momentum as they traded possession and chances on goal frequently. However, it was the Knights who saw the first significant opportunity through when they earned a corner kick in the 20th minute. Senior midfielder Liz Williams (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) stepped up and delivered an arcing ball towards the back post. Despite the mass of bodies, senior Mia Judd (Grand Ledge, Mich./Lansing Christian) found an opening and fired a one-time shot right out the air to give Calvin a 1-0 lead.
 
Unfortunately for Calvin, Hope didn't wait long to retaliate as it netted a goal of its own just nine minutes later to tie things up at 1-1. Both teams had several more chances on goal during the half but some outstanding play by both goalkeepers kept the score deadlocked heading into halftime. 
 
Fifteen minutes into the second half the Knights found themselves knocking on the door once again when senior CeCe McCarthy (Ypsilanti, Mich./Father Gabriel Richard) showed off her speed and beat her defender down the right side of the field. She carried the ball towards the end line before sending a low cross back towards the center of the eighteen-yard box. A Hope defender tried to clear the ball, but junior Mikaela Waroway (Ann Arbor, Mich./Father Gabriel Richard) fired a shot past the Dutch goalkeeper to give the lead back to Calvin.
 
For the rest of the match Hope did everything it could to break through the Calvin defense, but the back line held strong and stuffed out any opportunity the Dutch tried to create. When the final whistle blew the Knights claimed the victory 2-0 and now sits alone atop the MIAA standings.
 
Calvin out shot Hope 13-9 with six of those shots being on goal. Senior goalkeeper goalkeeper Kalex Dodge (Leslie, Mich./Leslie) finished the evening with four saves.
 
After tonight the Knights improved to a 9-4 overall record and a 5-0 MIAA record while Hope fell to 9-3-2 overall and 4-1 in conference play. 
 
COACHES COMMENTS: "Really good game tonight," said head coach Emily Ottenhoff. "Hope is a very good team and we knew that coming in. They score goals at a high rate so I think I knew they would score goal however, I was proud of our teams efforts and how we adjusted throughout the game. Those were two different kinds of goals that we scored tonight so that was exciting to see. Defensively, we focused on bringing a better effort that we have in other games this season and I thought our entire back line was really great tonight. This is a big win tonight but we know we have another hard one coming on Saturday that we're looking forward to preparing for."
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Saturday, October 18th when they travel to take on the Britons of Albion College at 4PM.