GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Today the Calvin women's soccer team opened its postseason campaign as it welcomed the Hornets of Kalamazoo to Zuidema Field for the MIAA Tournament semifinal match. 
 
The rest the Knights earned being the top seed in the tournament seemed to pay off as they got things rolling early. Eleven minutes into the match graduate student Liz Williams (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) found the ball at her feet in the middle of the field as she battled with a Hornets defender. After creating a bit of space, she turned and slipped a sneaky pass to a cutting Mikaela Waroway (Ann Arbor, Mich./Father Gabriel Richard) near the top of the eighteen-yard box. Waroway took one touch to gather possession before firing a rocket into the top left-hand corner to give Calvin an early 1-0 lead.
 
For the rest of the half both teams battled for momentum as they exchanged offensive chances and fouls. However, after the first forty-five minutes ran off the clock the Knights still had the lone goal and went into halftime with the lead. Calvin out shot Kalamazoo in the first half 6-3 with three of the shots being credited as on goal.
 
In the second half Calvin had an early opportunity when they earned a corner kick in the fiftieth minute. Williams stepped up to deliver a perfect ball into the box where senior CeCe McCarthy (Ypsilanti, Mich./Father Gabriel Richard) was waiting to put a head on it and send it past the Hornets goalkeeper to extend the Calvin lead.
 
The Knights kept their foot on the gas when Williams fired from long range just three minutes later to notch a goal of her own and make the score 3-0. Later in the half, the Hornets were given a sliver of hope when a shot from a Kalamazoo attacker hit off the post before ricocheting off goalkeeper Kalex Dodge (Leslie, Mich./Leslie) in what would be recorded as an own goal.
 
Fortunately for the Knights, that would be the only chance Kalamazoo would get for the rest of the match and the Knights to walk away with the 3-1 victory. Defensively, Calvin held the Hornets to just three shots on goal while out shooting the Hornets 13-7 on the other end of the field.
 
Before the match seven members of the Calvin women's soccer team were recognized with All-MIAA honors. Judd was named the MIAA Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row while also claiming a spot on the All-MIAA First Team. McCarthy, Waroway, and Williams joined Judd on the First Team while Dodge, Nichols, and junior Peyton Pratt (Middleville, Mich./Thornapple Kellogg) all received All-MIAA Second Team honors.
 
COACHES COMMENTS: "Great to get a result tonight against a tough Kalamazoo team," said head coach Emily Ottenhoff. "It wasn't always our prettiest soccer but credit our group for finding a way to win. It's always a privilege to play in post season and we're excited for another opportunity to compete for a tournament championship."
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Saturday, November 8th when they host Hope in the MIAA Championship at 1 PM.