MIAA MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

The Calvin-Hope men's soccer rivalry is set to renew Saturday at Calvin Soccer Stadium as the teams meet in the championship final of the MIAA Tournament presented by Collegiate Credit Union. Match time for Saturday's championship final is 5 p.m.

Tickets to the match will be available through purchase online at: Calvin-Hope Men's Soccer Tickets. (Separate tickets will be needed for admission to the Calvin-Hope women's soccer match later Saturday night). MIAA Students will receive one complimentary ticket to the contest upon presentation of school ID. 

HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW: The match will be live-streamed through Calvin's YouTube channel at: Calvin-Hope Live Stream. It will also feature live stats at: Calvin-Hope Live Stats Scoreboard.

ABOUT THE SERIES – Friday is the 118^th meeting between the two teams in a series that sees Calvin leading 66-30-15. Calvin has scored 217 goals to Hope's 126 during that span. The Knights have won seven of the last nine meetings and are 21-1-5 against Hope over the last 27 meetings. Hope's last win over Calvin was in 2013, a 3-1 win at Hope. Hope's last win at Calvin was in 2010, a 2-1 win at Zuidema Field.

First Round Rewind – Calvin secured a dramatic last-second 3-2 win at Hope's Van Andel Stadium on October 16 with junior Jake Ziolo scoring the winner in the final second of play. Calvin took a 1-0 first half lead on a goal by senior Chase Alexandre but Hope countered with a pair of goals off set pieces in the second half with Jack Lowman scoring off a corner kick play and Josh Weigel converting a double header off a long throw-in into the Calvin box. Senior Zac Brooks tied the game on a rebound shot with 8:08 left in regulation with Ziolo then coming up with the game-winner in the final second off a curling shot from the right side of the 18-yard box.

LAST YEAR – The teams met twice in 2025 with the teams battling to a 1-1 draw in the regular season meeting at Hope's Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Calvin then won the second meeting, claiming a 2-0 triumph in the MIAA Tournament Championship final at Van Andel Stadium in November with Toby Siemoni scoring both goals for the Knights.  

MIAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY – Calvin is making its 13^th appearance in the MIAA Tournament final. The Knights 9-0-3 in MIAA Tournament Championship games, falling in penalties to Hope in 2013 but defeating Kalamazoo in penalties in 2014 and Hope in penalties in 2019. Calvin is making its fifth straight appearance in the MIAA Tournament Championship final. Calvin is 23-3-3 all-time in the MIAA Tournament. Hope is making its sixth appearance in the MIAA Tournament Championship final and is 1-2-2 in the tournament final. Hope won a penalty kick shootout against Calvin in 2013 and fell in penalties in the finals to Calvin in 2019. Hope is making its second straight appearance in the MIAA Tournament Championship final. The Flying Dutch are 11-8-2 all-time in MIAA Tournament play.

ABOUT CALVIN – Calvin comes into the match with a 15-1-2 overall record. Calvin captured the MIAA regular season title with a 6-0-1 league record.The Knights are ranked 15^th in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll and sit 19^th in the Division III NPI ratings. The Knights advanced to the MIAA Tournament final with a 3-0 semifinal win over Kalamazoo. Calvin enters the weekend with the top scoring offense in Division III men's soccer (4.00 gpg). The Knights have featured a balanced scoring attack with 15 different individuals netting at least two goals this season. Junior forward Colin Nieuwenhuis leads Calvin in scoring with 12 goals, eight assists and 32 points. Senior Matt Torrell is next with 10 goals, two assist and 22 points. Senior Chase Alexandre has nine goals, two assists and 20 points. Senior Hans Pruis has four goals, five assists and 13 points. Sophomore Will Lanham has four goals, four assists and 12 points with senior Zac Brooks contributing four goals, three assists and 11 points. Calvin's goalkeeping has been led by junior John Hargett. Hargett is 15-1-2 in goal. He has a 0.77 goals-against-average seven shutouts and 32 saves.

All-MIAA HONOR ROLL – Calvin had nine of its players earn All-MIAA accolades. Nieuwenhuis leads the list as he was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Player this fall. He was named to the All-MIAA First Team and was joined on the first team by Calvin teammates Matt Torrell, Chase Alexandre, Jake Ziolo, Will Hornbaker and Mats Bramer. Hans Pruis, Zac Brooks and sophomore Pol Sabe were named to the All-MIAA Second Team.

THE CALVIN COACH – Calvin is led by head men's soccer coach Ryan Souders who is in his 15^th season at the helm of the Knights. Souders is a 2007 graduate of Wheaton College. At Wheaton he was the starting goalkeeper on a Thunder side that reached the Division III National Championship final in 2006. He is 266-41-18. In 15 years at Calvin, he has led the Knights to 13 MIAA regular season championships 11 MIAA Tournament titles and 12 trips to the NCAA III Tournament. He led Calvin to the national championship final in 2016 and 2018 and to NCAA III Final Fours in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

ABOUT HOPE – Hope comes into the match with a 12-2-4 overall record. Hope took third in the MIAA regular season standings with a 4-1-2 regular season record. The Flying Dutch defeated Alma 7-0 in a first round MIAA Tournament game October 31. Hope advanced to the MIAA Tournament final by winning a penalty kick shootout (5-4) at Albion Tuesday night in the semifinals after the match finished in a 3-3 tie. The Flying Dutchmen are ranked 54^th in the Division III NPI ratings. Senior forward Seth Walters leads Hope in scoring with 15 goals, seven assists and 37 points. Junior forward Jackson Mindling is next with 15 goals, four assists and 34 points. Junior forward Ryker Corstange has 10 goals, five assists and 35 points. Senior midfielder Micah Wieland has four goals, three assists and 11 points.  Senior goalkeeper Cooper Hutt has been the lead goalkeeper for Hope this fall. Hutt is 12-2-4 with 44 saves and a 0.698 goals-against-average.
ALL-MIAA FOR HOPE – Hope has five All-MIAA honorees this year. Jackson Mindling, Seth Walters, Josh Weigel and Benjamin Smitley were named to the All-MIAA First Team. Evan Tsandes was named to the All-MIAA Second Team. Weigel also received the MIAA's Dr. Marvin A. Zuidema Award, given to a senior selected for contributions to team play, leadership qualities, demonstration of ethical virtues, and excellence in athletics and academics.

THE HOPE COACH – Hope is led by fifth-year head coach David Blahnik. He is 56-20-18 in five years as head coach. He previously served as head coach at Olivet Nazarene University, guiding the school to five NAIA national tournament appearances. He is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene where he was an all-conference soccer player, graduating in 2006.