GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Calvin advanced to the finals of the MIAA Tournament presented by Collegiate Credit Union with a 3-0 semifinal win over Trine University Wednesday night at Calvin Soccer Stadium.
Calvin will host rival Hope in the MIAA Tournament Championship final against Hope at approximately 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. The contest will be the finale of a three-part rivalry Saturday with Calvin hosting Hope in football at 1 p.m. at Knight Stadium with Calvin hosting Hope in the MIAA Tournament Final in men's soccer at 5 p.m. with the women's Calvin-Hope MIAA Tournament soccer match set to follow.
Calvin used a pair of first half goals from junior
Vivian Nagelkirk (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian HS) to take control of Wednesday's semifinal match.
Nagelkirk opened the scoring in the 11
th minute of play, slotting home a shot from the right wing off a perfectly placed crossing pass from junior
Ellery Boeving (Howell, Mich./Howell HS).
Nagelkirk then scored an unassisted goalozo in the 21st minute, moving up the right wing and launching a low, skimming shot from just inside the 18-yard box that beat the Trine goalkeeper and tucked just inside the far post for a 2-0 Calvin lead.
Trine's goalkeeper was issued a red card for intentionally handling the ball outside the box to deny a Calvin fast-break scoring opportunity in the 44
th minute.
With a player advantage, Calvin was able to control possession and broke through for a clinching goal in the 66
th minute as junior
Olivia Rawls (Geneva, Ill./Geneva HS) got loose for a poke-in goal in the six-yard box after strong build-up play from Nagelirk and sophomore
Lexi Glowicki (Rochester, Mich./Lutheran North HS) created the opportunity.
Calvin cruised from that point on to post its 12
th consecutive shutout.
Junior
Aubree Lee (Lowell, Mich./Lowell HS) and freshman
McKenna Hoebeke (Freeport, Mich./Thornapple Kellogg HS) combined for the shutout in goal with Lee recording one save.
Calvin finished with a 20-2 shots at goal advantage and held a 6-0 edge in corner kicks.
COACHES COMMENT: "This was a really good win for our group tonight to secure a spot in the conference tournament championship," said Calvin head women's soccer coach
Emily Ottenhoff. "I thought we came focused and with an edge from the start. We put a lot of pressure moments on Trine and executed when those moments presented themselves. We look forward to playing in front of our fans again on Saturday at Calvin Soccer Stadium."
NEXT UP: Calvin will host rival Hope at 7:30 p.m. in the MIAA Tournament Championship game. It will mark the fourth consecutive meeting between the two rivals in the MIAA Tournament final.
