Hornet Soccer on NPR

 Soccer Clinic Revisited

In the Fall the Hornets hosted children from the Peace House to campus.  The team put on a soccer clinic followed by a picnic.  It was recently mentioned on Michigan Public Radio on Monday, December 7th in a lead on a story about the Peace House.  If you didn't get a chance to hear it you can check it out by clicking on the link below.  
NPR LINK

For more details about this great event, check out the blog entry that describes the day with pictures and all! October 5th Blog Entry

GO HORNETS!!!

Thank Goodness!!!

 Thanks To Everyone That Helped Make 2009 a Success!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  Being a day dedicated to giving thanks there are a number of individuals and groups that Hornet women's soccer program would like to thank for making 2009 a season to remember.  First, school administrators, especially Coach Rob Passage, who endured some very wet days at our games and long days moving game locations when rain made our field unplayable.  Thank you to the facilities management crew at K that does their best to keep the field in top shape.  Thanks to Don, the college bus driver who always make sure we get where we are going in a safe and timely fashion.  Thanks to our training staff, Scott Michel and Megan Hass for doing an excellent jog keeping the girls healthy and prepping them for competition.  Thanks to Pat Marcinkowski and Elyse Dunsford in the admissions office.  They do a great job behind the scenes helping to coordinate recruiting visits 12 months of the year!  Thank you to Laura Passage, alumni liaison, communications director, and super fan.  Thanks you for massive support throughout the year from family and friends.  The hundreds of supporters at the MIAA final will not soon be forgotten!  Most importantly, THANK YOU to all the parents and grandparents who make the Kalamazoo College experience possibly for their student athlete.  Have a Great Thanksgiving!

GO HORNETS!!!

Team Banquet

 Henderson Castle, Site of the 2009 Women's Soccer Banquet

Team Awards 
MVP: Anja Burk
MIP: Zari Haggenmiller

Hornet Award: Katie Manstrom

2009 Team MVP, Senior Anja Burk

Anja Burk was voted team the Hornet's most valuable player for the 2009 season.  Burk's contributions throughout the season as well as her career are quite impressive.  This year she started all but one game for the Hornets and was an extremely consistent contributor both at practice and in games.  She was positionally sound and a superb 1v1 and team defender.  Outstanding ball winner, especially with her head Anja ranks among the top Hornet defenders of the past decade.  Selfless and quiet, she might not standout but her leadership and intelligence were a major reason for the success that the team experienced this past year!  Congratulations Anja.

2009 Hornet Most Improved Player; Freshmen Zari Haggenmiller

Zari Haggenmiller was recognized as the team's Most Improve Player for the 2009 season.  After splitting time between midfielder and goalkeeping positions in high school, Zari became a full-time goalkeeper upon her arrival at Kalamazoo College.  Working with goalkeeping coach Erin Carlson, Zari showed tremendous progress and improvement throughout the year.  Her dedication to the position and willingness to challenge herself and ask questions not only made her better but also her teammates.  With continued hard work, Zari has just scratched the surface of her potential.  Congratulations Zari!

Hornet Award Winner, Senior Katie Manstrom

Senior Katie Manstrom was awarded the Hornet Award for her efforts during the 2009 season.  The Hornet Award is given to the player who best embodies what it is to be a Kalamazoo College Hornet.  Throughout the season Katie faced a number of challenges and did a great job leading through example in practice and at games.  She was a superb captain and the little things which she did both on and off the field that go unnoticed were a big reason for the Hornet's 2009 success.  Thanks for all your contributions and congratulations Katie!

SEASON RECAP

The 2009 Hornets would arrive on campus in mid August.  With a roster of 9 returning players from a year ago, 2 seniors stepping back onto the field after six months abroad, and 11 first year players the preseason was full of unknowns.  The season would officially kick-off at the Ohio Northern Invitational.  Friday of Labor Day weekend the Hornets would open against Ohio Northern and Otterbein College.  Both perennial contenders at the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference the Hornets would fall to ONU 4-1 and Otterbein 3-0.  In both games Kalamazoo had spells of strong possession but struggled to find an offensive identity.  The teams next match would pit them against Huntington College in Indiana.  Trailing twice in the match, senior Katie Manstrom scored off a scrappy goal off a Hornet corner kick with just over 15 minutes to play.  In the second overtime C.J. McCarthy would record her first goal of the year and give the Hornets there first win of the year.

With a record of 1-2, Kalamazoo would host their first home games of the year.  A Saturday morning match against Carroll University from Wisconsin.  Carroll, the defending champion of the Midwest Conference tournament would record a goal 7 minutes into the contest.  However, the Hornets improved as the game progressed and Hornet forward, Jackie Short would score her first goal of the season in the 36 minute.  Despite several quality opportunities for both teams in overtime the game would end in a 1-1 draw.  The next weekend Kalamazoo would host to perennially strong programs in the University of Chicago and the College of Wooster.  Chicago would arrive in Kalamazoo sporting a record of 4-1 and top 15 national ranking while the Fighting Scots were unbeaten (6-0-1).  Against Chicago the Maroons carried play early and were kept in the game with very strong play from freshmen goalkeeper Courtney McCoy who would record 10 saves on the day.  The team's confidence grew as the game progressed and two minutes before halftime, Jackie Short would take advantage of a loose ball in Chicago's box and stake K to a 1-0 lead.  After halftime the Hornets would continue to play hard and had several chances to take a 2-0 lead.  However, with less than 10 minutes to play Chicago would find the equalizer and record the game winning goal with less than 5 minutes to play in the second overtime.  A tough loss for K but the Hornets had several excellent segments of play.  The next day, against Wooster, K came out firing and Hornet C.J. McCarthy scored less than 2 minutes into the contest.  A defensive hiccup at right before half allowed Wooster to take a 2-1 lead at the break.  In the second half, sophomore Julia Schroeder would equalize.  Despite hitting the crossbar in overtime Kalamazoo could not quite solve the Wooster goalkeeper and would tie for the second time in three games.  The non-conference schedule would be complete following a strong win against against Marygrove College (3-0) and tough loss to nationally ranked Denison University (4-0).

Kalamazoo would enter league play with an overall record of 2-4-2 and goal of improving on the previous year's 7th place league finish.  The Hornets would open at Trine and with a solid 5-0.  In the game all the points would be generated by freshmen.  Maya Smolcic 2 goals, 1 assist C.J. McCarthy, 2 goals, Jackie Short 1 goal, 1 assist, and Megan Burns 1 assist.  It was the first win in a league opener for K in 9 years.  With a 1-0 league record the Hornets would travel to play an very strong Adrian College program which had not given up a goal in their 5 previous matches.  Julia Schroeder lashed a shot into the goal in the 22nd minute and that would be all that the Hornets would need for a 2-0 conference record.  The story of the day would be Kalamazoo's defense.  Already playing numbers down the Hornets sustained a couple more injuries in the game and played the majority of the match with a back line of sophomore Rachel Pitzer, sophomore Maggie Rogers, sophomore Jenn Gateley, and junior Eva Schmidt.  Rachel and Maggie who are used to minutes in the midfield, stepped up to the challenge in the back and were two key players on the day.  Returning home Kalamazoo's next game would be a game played in the driving rain against the Britons of Albion College.  Albion would strike first in the 56th minute, as the game wore on the Hornet's resolve was as constant as the rain and C.J. McCarthy would score in the 86th minute tying the game at one.  Once again the Hornets would find the post but not the net in overtime as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.  With a league record of 2-0-1 Kalamazoo traveled to Grand Rapids to take on 3 time defending conference champion Calvin College.  Calvin jumped on the Hornets early with two early goal but the Hornets fought back and Jackie Short would score making the score at halftime 2-1.  In the second half K would have some strong opportunities but would fall to the Knights.  A trip to Holland was next up to face Hope College.  In Hope's new stadium both teams played a fair and even first half.  In the second half the Hornets would have the stronger run of play including having a ball that had beaten the Hope keeper cleared off the line with less than 15 minutes to play in regulation.  In the second half and overtime Kalamazoo out shot the Dutch 15-1 and with less than one minute left in the second overtime, junior midfielder Hilary Marusak would win a Hope goal kick, Jackie Short was able to gain control of the ball and put a shot just out of the reach of the Hope keeper.  What resulted was a 1-0 win for Kalamazoo and the programs first win over Hope in 8 years!  With a league record of 3-1-1 Kalamazoo would welcome Olivet College for a homecoming match.  The flu also hit the team pretty hard leading up to the game and K would be without 5 regulars at game time.  No worries, a number of K's reserve players would step up and play key roles.  It would begin as freshmen Natalie Reszka would record the first goal of the game on a penalty kick.  Her classmate C.J. McCarthy would score the game's second goal and junior Jackie Jessup would score on her first touch of the game giving K a 3-0 halftime lead.  Olivet would score first in the second half before sophomore Rachel Pitzer would put K up 4-1 with a late goal off a corner kick.  After several days off to recover from illness the Hornets would return against St. Mary's at a neutral site.  With over an inch of rain in the day prior to the contest the game was moved to the turf field at Vicksburg High School.  St. Mary's would prove to be as formidable as the wind and rain that day.  They would open the scoring at the 20 minute mark.  Struggling to find consistency and rhythm, freshmen Stephanie Verbeek crossed in a ball which fellow freshmen Emily Gray was able to direct into the goal.  1-1 at halftime, the Hornets would come out buzzing in the second half.  Jackie Short would convert two breakaways less than two minutes apart giving K all they would need to secure a 3-2 win.  With the victory Kalamazoo headed into the final day of the season trailing league leading Calvin and with a win coupled with a Calvin loss had an outside shot at their first MIAA championship in a decade.  An afternoon showdown with Alma College would be the Hornet's final regular season league contest.  Stephanie Verbeek would score the first goal of the game with a great breakaway goal less than a minute before halftime.  Kalamazoo would have several chances to finish off the Scots and not converting would prove costly.  Alma would score an unassisted goal in the 79 minute and then win the game in the 2nd overtime with a superb header goal.  With the loss Kalamazoo would end the regular season with a league record of 5-2-1 tied for 3rd in the league and enter the conference tournament as the 4th seed. 

Kalamazoo would open the league tournament against Hope.  After beating them in Holland earlier in the season, the Dutch were primed for a rematch.  Katie Manstrom would intercept a ball in the midfield and played Jackie Short forward who would put the ball past the Hope keeper and put K up 1-0 five minutes into the game.  The Hornets would weather several late chances by the Dutch to advance to the conference tournament semi final in Grand Rapids against regular season champion Calvin.  In a hard fought match Kalamazoo played very strong and organized on defense and neither team was able to capitalize offensively after scoreless regulation and two overtimes the Hornets and Knights had a penalty shootout to determine who would advance to the conference final.  Kalamazoo would convert 3 of their 5 shots and defeat Calvin 3-1 in the penalty kick shootout.  The conference final would pit Kalamazoo against Albion, teams that had battled to a 1-1 draw throughout the year.  A tightly contested match neither team would create strong scoring chances in the first half and Albion would hold and edge in the shot department.  In the second half the Hornets would play stronger as the match wore on and had several close calls including a point blank save by the Albion keeper and a defender clearing a Kalamazoo shot off the line.  After 110 scoreless minutes the game would again move to a penalty kick shootout and Albion would claim the conference tournament title and automatic bid to the national tournament with a 5-4 win in the penalty kick shootout.

The Hornets would conclude the season with an overall record of 8-6-5.  It was a very successful year that included wins over several programs the Hornets had not beaten in years as well as an incredible nine overtime games.  All of the team's non-conference would come to teams that would end of qualifying for the national tournament and out of the team's 19 games, 9 were played against national tournament qualifiers, making the schedule one of the top ten toughest in the country.  Although it did not end the way the team wanted it to, the progress that the team and program made throughout the year was a major step in the right direction to getting Kalamazoo College Soccer competitive at not only a conference level but also a regional and national level. 
 




All-League Awards:
1st Team: Maya Smolcic
2nd Team: Anja Burk
2nd Team: Jackie Short
2nd Team: C.J. McCarthy

Maya Smolcic, Anja Burk, C.J. McCarthy and Jackie Short received All-MIAA honors for the 2009 season. Smolcic, a freshman from Troy (Troy HS), was named to the All-MIAA First Team. In conference play the midfielder recorded two goals and three assists. Burk, McCarthy and Short all earned All-MIAA Second Team honors. Burk, a senior defender from Saline (Saline HS), was one of the Hornets' top defenders throughout the year, playing every minute of the conference tournament in which the Kalamazoo defense posted three consecutive shutouts. She was also named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for week seven of league play. McCarthy, a freshman from Ada (Forest Hills Eastern), was one of the team’s top offensive performers. The forward was Kalamazoo's second-leading scorer posting seven goals and two assists for 16 total points. In league play McCarthy was fifth in total points (9) and fourth in the league in goals (4). She was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week for week 10 of league play. Short, the Hornets' leading scorer and a freshman from Troy (Athens HS), was recognized with second team honors for being the league’s second-leading scorer with five goals and third in total points (10). The 2009 Kalamazoo College women’s soccer team finished in a tie for third place during the MIAA regular season (5-2-1), and fell to Albion in a shootout in the conference tournament final. The Hornets posted a final overall record of 8-6-5 (courtesy Kalamazoo College Sports Information).

Albion 0 Kalamazoo 0 (Albion 5 Kzoo 4)

After scoreless regulation and overtime the Hornets were stung by Albion in the shootout by a score of 5:4.  The shootout loss bring to end a tremendous season by the Kalamazoo Women who finish with an overall record of 8-6-5.  The team made extraordinary progress since the beginning of the season and will celebrate the success of the team tomorrow at the program's banquet.

Tournament Final

What: MIAA Tournament Championship Match

Kalamazoo College (8-6-4) v Albion College (9-4-5)

When: 12:00pm Saturday, November 7th

Where: Clark W. Mackenzie Field Kalamazoo College

GO HORNETS!!!

Semifinal Upsets Create Historical MIAA Final

Up until this year, no team seeded lower than third had advanced to play in the championship game of the MIAA women's soccer tournament. On Saturday, two teams seeded lower than third will battle for the tournament championship and an NCAA Division III Tournament berth, as fourth-seeded Kalamazoo (8-6-4) hosts sixth-seeded Albion (9-4-5) at noon. In Tuesdays's semifinals, the Hornets stunned top-seeded Calvin in a shootout, 3-1, after the two teams played to a scoreless tie through two overtimes. Meanwhile, the Britons eliminated second-seed Adrian, 1-0, in overtime.
The preceding was taken from the conference's website, (always important to cite the appropriate sources, www.miaa.org)

Thursday training consisted of a variety of activities.  The warm-up focused on headers and once the team was able to get a stretch they played a 2v2 heading game in which Senior's Katie Manstrom and Anja Burk would be declared champions after three rounds of play.  Then 10 minutes rehearsing a number of set pieces.  After the set pieces the team moved on to a 4v4+3 ball winning activity.  This progressed into 15 minutes of 10v10 with a focus on finding the midfielders feet.  Practice would end with five minutes of breakaway fitness and PKs.  Less than 48hrs until Saturday's kick-off.  Coach Roschek (A K grad) from Albion was on campus for conference business even had a chance to walk the field and proclaimed, "It's in great shape!"

GO HORNETS!!!

Key Components

 Seniors, Katie Manstrom, Anja Burk, and Paige Howell

Lost in the shuffle of the last couple of games, some great results the Hornets have not seen in several years was that 3 very important players were honored a week ago before the final regularly scheduled home game.  These three individuals have meant quite a bit to the Kalamazoo College Women's Soccer program over the past three years.

The Kalamazoo College, class of 2010 arrived on campus in the August of 2006 and joined a women’s soccer program that was struggling to find leadership and consistency. In the four years previous to their careers the Kalamazoo College women’s soccer team had not recorded better than a 5th place finish in the MIAA. During their four years here they have helped restored a respect for the women’s soccer program here at K. Their class accomplishments include helping earn the program’s 300th win, two league finishes of third place or better in the past three years and an opportunity to record the program’s best league finish in the past eight years this season. There is no question that after their last practices have passed and final minutes wind down in their careers that the class of 2010 has been a key component to constructing a foundation of leadership and consistency that has allowed the Hornets to be successful this year as well as in the seasons to come. Let’s take a minute now to meet these outstanding individuals.

 #8, A Senior Captain from Huntington Woods, MI: Paige Howell
Primarily an outside midfielder Paige has played three years for the Hornets. Her junior season she spent studying abroad and playing soccer in Ecuador. Her career statistics included 6 goals and 8 assists for a total of 20pts. Paige is best known for her tireless work attacking down the wing, serving in dangerous balls, and also making those long recovery runs on defense. She is the type of player that never wants to come off the field and has to be dragged off. Her leadership has also been important to the success of the current team in that she is always looking to make herself and her teammates better. She is player that has a great passion for the game of soccer whether it cheering on her beloved Liverpool or dueling it out at practice. In the spring Howell will graduate with a biology major and concentration in environmental science.

#13, A Senior Captain from Kalamazoo, MI: Katie Manstrom

A local product from Kalamazoo Central High School, Manstrom is a four year starter in the midfield for the orange and black. She has played minutes as both a center mid and outside mid. Katie possesses strong ball control and vision, often serving as a catalyst for initiating the Hornet attack out of the midfield. During her career she has scored 11 goals and been credited with 9 assists for a total of 31 points. As well as Katie’s work on the field she has also made numerous contributions to the program in a number of other ways. Coordinating off season playing opportunities, working soccer camp, helping out in the office, Kaite has been committed to not only making herself better but also providing the best experience for her teammates. Growing up in Kalamazoo she has also helped get local support most likely accounting for the greatest number of fans at home games over the past four years. Manstrom is a senior psychology major.

#23, A Senior from Saline, MI: Anja Burk

Burk has been one of the most consistent defenders to have played for the Hornets in the past decade. A three year starter, Anja spent her junior year studying abroad in France. She has seen time as an outside back and center back. Known for her durability she has only missed one game in her career. Possessing a very quiet personality Anja is fierce competitor who rarely makes it easy for the opponent or her teammates at practice. On the field she is rarely out of position and also possesses one of the best headers on the team. As a defender she has not accumulated any offensive statistics at this time but was recently named MIAA player of the week for her defensive performance against Hope and Olivet. Burk has also taken her relentless work ethic to the classroom and will graduate in the spring with a major in Biology.
The Hornet soccer program is grateful for the contributions of these three superb young women and wishes them continued success this year and also with all their challenges and endeavors after graduation. Thank You and Good Luck, Kalamazoo Class of 2010!

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo 0 Calvin 0 (Kzoo 3: Calvin 1)

 Sophomore Julia Schroeder recorded the game clinching penalty

After playing 110 minutes of scoreless soccer Kalamazoo and Calvin would use a shootout to determine which team would advance to the MIAA championship game.  In a trip to Calvin earlier this year Kalamazoo struggled early on giving up two goals in their first 10 minutes of play before getting a goal from Jackie Short and testing the Knights several times in the second half.  This chapter of the match-up would begin a little bit differently.  The Hornets would be able to find some possession and attack at the beginning of the first half but Calvin would prove to be a very formidable opponent as always, creating several decent scoring opportunities as the half would progress.  The teams would enter halftime scoreless.  In the second half Calvin would continue to control play but the Hornet backline of Eva Schmidt, Anja Burk, Chelsea Smith, and Rachel Pitzer and keeper Courtney McCoy would hold tough.  The best chance for either team would take place with seven minutes to play.  A Calvin corner kick played into the box would bounce around before it was corralled by one of the Knights who took a shot.  Schmidt, stationed on the near post would clear the ball off of the goal line, the initial clearance was played back into the box and fired once again at Schmidt who would make the save again and clear the ball out of danger.  Regulation would end scoreless as would 2 ten minute overtime sessions which meant the game ended in a tie and a winner would be determined via penalty kick shootout.  Winning the toss Kalamazoo decided to shoot first.  Senior, Paige Howell would finish the first kick, staking the Hornets to a 1-0 lead.  Calvin senior center midfielder would knot the shootout at 1 as she finished her opportunity.  Freshmen Emily Gray would take the next penalty and it was saved by Calvin keeper Kayla Sulzer.  With a chance to take the lead, Carly Prins stepped up to the spot for Calvin but would be denied by Kalamazoo keeper Courtney McCoy.  Freshmen Jackie Short then finished her opportunity to put the Hornets up 2-1.  Kellie Hondred's attempt would be save by McCoy giving Hornet Hilary Marusak an opportunity to give K a two goal cushion.  However, Calvin keeper Kayla Sulzer had other thoughts saving Marusak's shot.  Alison Boender would then step up for the Knights but she would but her attempt just high of the goal.  Leading 2-1 Kalamazoo's Julia Schroeder would step up to the spot and calmly placed her penalty past Sulzer cliniching Kzoo's advancement to the final.  The game will go down as a tie but Kalamazoo has earned the right to play for the conference tournament championship Saturday in Kalamazoo.

With the result, Kalamazoo will host the #6 seed Albion College Britons in the final of the MIAA tournament to determine which team will received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA III women's soccer tournament.  Kick-off is slated for 12:00pm on Saturday.  It is the first conference final appearance in 10 years for the Hornets which also matches the last time that they qualified for the national tournament.  An outstanding team effort, the Hornets really put in the work defensively on Tuesday and will look to continue their post season run for a couple more games.

GO HORNETS!!!

Pattern Destruction

With daylight savings time in full effect the Hornets would have to maximize their practice time.  Darkness settles in around 5:45pm really forcing the team and coaches to be very efficient while on the training ground.  Knowing that a positive result tomorrow will depend on a stout defense the team focused on defending this afternoon.  The progression began with simple 1v1 defending, moving to a 5v5 setting and ending with 9v7 to goal.  Coaching points related to positioning of the first defender and the ideal spots for supporting and balancing teammates.  The session would end with 7v7 to goal and some practice PKs.  The MIAA conference tournament semifinal between the Hornets and Knights will kick-off tomorrow at 3pm in Grand Rapids.  If you cannot make it to the game be sure to follow along on the web with Live Stats or listen to the internet Broadcast. 

GO HORNETS!!!

Burk Awarded Academic All-District

 Senior Defender Anja Burk

Hornet senior defender Anja Burk was recently chosen to receive ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors for the 2009 season. Burk, a senior defender from Saline (Saline HS), was selected to the Academic All-District IV Second Team. A biology major with a 3.94 GPA, Burk is a key starter on a defense that has a 1.46 goals against average. She was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for week seven this season.  The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American/All-District program is coordinated and voted upon by members of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). To be nominated, a player must be a starter or significant reserve with a minimum 3.3 GPA.  Athletes awarded Academic All-District First Team will be eligible to be chosen for Academic All-American.
 

Well Done Anja!!!

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo 1 Hope 0

Fr. Jackie Short and Sr. Katie Manstrom celebrate Short's Goal 

Halloween, no better day to wear Orange and Black.  Kalamazoo and Hope College would face-off for the second time this season.  The opening round of the MIAA tournament would see the #4 seed Hornets host the #5 seed Dutch with the winner advancing to play #1 seed Calvin in the MIAA semifinals.  In the previous meeting this season Kalamazoo would beat the Dutch on a goal in the last minute of overtime from Freshmen Jackie Short.  Short would again record the only goal of the game but wasted little time in registering the tally.  In the 5th minute of play senior midfielder Katie Manstrom intercepted a Hope pass in midfield and played a ball behind the Hope backline which Jackie Short was able to control and calmly put behind the Hope goalkeeper.  The majority of play would be at midfield with neither team seeing any great goalscoring chances in the remainder of the first half.  In the second half both teams would not be able to convert a couple of quality opportunities and the Hornets would prevail 1-0.  The loss ends Hope's season  with a record of 8-9-1 (4-4-1) and Kalamazoo moves to 8-6-3 (6-2-1).  Kalamazoo will play again on Tuesday, November 3rd in the MIAA tournament semifinals at Calvin College.  Kick-off is set for 3pm.

GO HORNETS!!!

Soccer or Football?

Tomorrow's first round MIAA tournament game between Kalamazoo and Hope is scheduled to kick-off at 12pm.  With Kalamazoo receiving close to 2 inches of rain the game has been moved to Kalamazoo's football field.  The football field drains much better than the soccer field and should be in fine condition by kick-off tomorrow.

Training on Friday had nothing to do with staying dry.  In involved moving the goals from the soccer field to the new location.  Once the goals were in place there was lots of finishing and adapting to the slick and soggy conditions.  If you can't make it out to the match tomorrow be sure to follow along with the Live Stats or Listen to the online radio broadcast.

GO HORNETS!!!

Carved Up

Carving Pumpkins at Practice?  After suffering the tough loss the day before the Hornets looked to rebound at training on Thursday.  A beautiful day in Kalamazoo, sunny and 60s the Hornets had a warm-up and short 25 minute 11v11 team scrimmage.  After about 45 minutes of soccer the team headed back down to the fieldhouse.  Down at Calder the Hornets had pumpkins waiting for them and the next hour was spent drinking cider, eating donuts, and carving pumpkins.

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo 1 Alma 2 2OT

Hornet Goalscorer, Freshmen Stephanie Verbeek

In the regular season finale the Kalamazoo would face the Alma College Scots at Mackenzie Field in Kalamazoo.  With a win Kalamazoo would clinch it's best MIAA finish in eight years (2nd place or better) and with a win Alma would tie Kalamazoo for third and be awarded the third seed in the conference tournament as they would hold the head to head tiebreaker.  Early on the Scots would control the play and had several quality opportunities off corner kicks including a ball off the post.  Kalamazoo would slowly work itself into the game and freshmen Jackie Short was able to find space between the Alma defense twice have breakaways stopped by Katie Weicksel, the Alma keeper.  With just 1:20 left in the first half Hornet freshmen Stephanie Verbeek was able to run onto a pass from defender Megan Burns.  Verbeek would out race the last defender touch it to the side of the keeper and calmly place the ball into the back of the net.  On the strength of Verbeek's tally (her first college goal) Kalamazoo would enter halftime leading 1-0.  The Hornets would have several strong spells of possession in the 2nd half.  Jackie Short would again find space behind the Alma defense early in the half only to be denied once again by the Scot keeper.  Alma would begin a strong final push in the final twenty minutes of the second half and was able to find the equalizer in the the 78th minute.  Alma attacker Alli Meurer was able to strip Kalamazoo defender Anja Burk of the ball and in a foot race to goal took a shot which Kalamazoo keeper Courtney McCoy was able to get a piece of but not enough.  The game would remain tied through regulation and the first overtime with neither team creating a quality scoring opportunity.  In the 106th minute Alma would end the game.  Off of a throw in, Meurer was able to control the ball and crossed it into the path of an on running Elaine Cunningham who was able to head the ball home and award the 2-1 win to Alma.  With the win Alma and Kalamazoo tie for third place in the MIAA with the regular season complete.  Alma stands at 9-7-2 (5-2-1) and Kalamazoo sends the regular season at 7-6-3 (5-2-1).  Alma will be the three seed in the tournament and Kalamazoo is the fourth seed, both teams will host opening round games on Saturday, October 31st.

Tons of Touches

Practice on Tuesday included a session with lots of touches.  The warm-up consisted of groups of four passing, dribbling, and then juggling.  Once the team was loosened up they moved on to a back heel passing  leading into a shot.  "The Two Person Whirl" as it is known.  Over time the team has gotten progressively better at this exercise but for starters, figuring out how to correctly place your feet often results in a couple players losing balance and everyone having a giggle, including the player that is no longer on their feet.  After some quality repetitions the team worked on set pieces for 10 minutes before going to goal.  The activities to goal included 1v1s, 2v2s, and 3v3s.  Training would conclude with 10v10 in which both teams displayed a very quick speed of play.  A strong session heading in tomorrow MIAA regular season finale. 

Tomorrow the 3 Hornet Seniors will be honored in a short ceremony prior to kick-off.  Paige Howell, Katie Manstrom, and Anja Burk have dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort to the program.  Hopefully you'll be able to honor them with your attendance at tomorrow's match.  If not be sure to keep up on the game by following the Live Stats or listening to the Radio Broadcast.  Kick-off is set for 4pm.

GO HORNETS!!!

Seedings At Stake

After the dust has settled from a weekend of MIAA play it is clear that the Hornets have clinched at least of share of third place and a home playoff match in the MIAA tournament. On Wednesday, they will face a tough Alma College team  in a match that carries strong implications with regard to seedings in the conference tournament for both teams.  The Hornets also have a shot at the programs best regular season finish in over 8 years.  

Congratulations to Freshmen Attacker Emily Gray, a freshman from Clarkston (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep HS), was selected as the MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. Gray came off the bench to provide a spark for the Hornets in their 3-2 come-from-behind win over Saint Mary’s. Along with her strong ball winning in the midfield, Gray scored the tying goal and set up the eventual game-winning tally with a through ball to an attacking teammate behind the Saint Mary’s backline. She is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in her career.

Emily battles two Olivet defenders, earlier this year.

Training for the afternoon included 5v2, followed by three team keep away, 6v6 to goal and a touch of fitness.  Focus within the activities included playing balls into feet and improving communication, especially from players distributing the ball.  The team has made some huge improvements from Day 1 and the key to continuing to improve will be refining those little things over the next couple of days.

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo Takes Notice

On Sunday the local newspaper in Kalamazoo (The Kalamazoo Gazette) ran a story on the Hornet Soccer team.  The article included a summary of the season up to this point, the importance of upcoming matches, and quotes from some of the players.  Kalamazoo is a strong soccer community and hopefully the latest press will let other people know that the Hornets play some pretty darn good soccer.  Check out the link below to read the online version of the article. WELL DONE K!!!

Kzoo Gazette Article

Also, Happy Birthday to Hornet Forward, Junior Jackie Jessup.

Jackie is on the left, celebrating her goal against Olivet that she scored on her first touch of the game!

GO HORNETS!!!

Kalamazoo 3 St. Mary's 2

Freshmen Jackie Short recorded 2 goals against St. Mary's

On a chilly and wet October Saturday the Hornets and St. Mary's College Belles would meet on the turf field at Vicksburg H.S. as the field conditions at MacKenzie field in Kalamazoo could be described as just a little bit wet after over 1.5 inches of rain Thursday and Friday.  The game would kick-off with neither team really having a chance to assert itself.  Lots of passes that would run out and erratic touches would rule the first 15 minutes as both teams worked to get a feel for the field and their opponent.  St. Mary's would open the scoring after a diagonal ball was played from Belle midfielder Katelyn Tondo-Steele found her attacking teammate Ashley Morfin who slotted the ball past Kalamazoo keeper Courtney McCoy for a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.  Kalamazoo would still begin to find a little offensive momentum after conceding the first goal of the game.  Senior Paige Howell would have an outstanding opportunity as she cut in from the left wing and sent a right footed shot just wide of the goal from about 20 yards out.  In the 32nd minute Kalamazoo earned a corner kick served in from the left side the ball passed through the box untouched and came out on the left side.  Freshmen midfielder Stephanie Verbeek was able to track the ball down and cross it into the box.  The ball would elude the St. Mary's keeper, Adele Bruggeman and Kalamazoo freshmen Emily Gray was able to put the ball into the open net first time evening the score at one a piece in the 33rd minute.  It was Gray's first college goal.  K would continue to apply pressure and just a couple minutes before half Howell would once again cut in from the left wing and play a ball across the box to a wide open Verbeek who played the ball just wide of an open net.  The teams would enter the break tied.  Near the ten minute mark of the second half the Hornets began an offensive flurry.  In the 54th minute Maya Smolcic received a ball in Kalamazoo's defensive half and made a great 40yd run into open space.  Smolcic was able to unbalance the St. Mary's defensive line and played a superb through ball into the run teammate Jackie Short.  Short, all alone with the keeper calmly slotted the ball into the goal giving Kalamazoo a 2-1 lead.  Just over two minutes later the Hornets would strike again.  On a play very similar to the previous goal, freshmen Emily Gray found the ball at her feet and split the Belle defense with a ball to Short who once again beat the keeper in a 1v1 situation and with the goal Kalamazoo had a 3-1 advantage.  K would continue to pressure over the next couple of minutes including 2 outstanding shots from Smolcic that just missed, one going high and the other wide.  St. Mary's would not go away and taking full advantage of loose balls in the midfield, Belle midfielder Katy Durkin was able to get behind the Hornet backline in the 80th minute and beat McCoy to make the score 3-2.  In the final minutes of the game McCoy would have to make a tough save and Bruggeman would do the same for St. Mary's.  The final score would be Kalamazoo College 3  St. Mary's 2.  McCoy was credited with six saves for the Hornets and with the win Kalamazoo moves to 7-5-3 (5-1-1) while St. Mary's is 4-13-1 (1-6).  Kalamazoo returns to field on Wednesday the 28th in a key MIAA match v Alma College.  Kick-off is scheduled for 4pm.  A big thanks to Mike Roy, the athletic director at Vicksburg H.S. for allowing us to use their fine facility today.  It is an outstanding facility and he was a tremendous host.  Hopefully one day in the not too distant future the college will be able to boast of a comparable facility.


GO HORNETS!!!

Back To It

 Freshmen GK, Courtney McCoy

Freshmen GK, Zari Haggenmiller

Goalkeeper, the last line of defense and the first line of attack.  Certainly a position that requires a specialization unlike any other on the field.  They have to be good with their hands but also sound with their feet.  The keepers at K are also expected to put in a little bit more time than the field players as they meet with the goalkeeper trainer, Coach Erin Carlson, twice a week, a half hour before the rest of the team reports to practice.  During this time Courtney and Zari work with Erin on the finer points of the position.  From agility and footwork, to stopping shots and handling high balls, the goalkeepers work long and hard to be ready for that split second when they are called into action.  There is no question K is lucky to have both of them between the pipes each day at training and ready to control the box when called upon to play in the game. 

The focus of training today was on transition.  After a quick dribbling warm-up and a game of ball tag the Hornets broke up into two teams.  Midfielders would connect three passes near midfield and then look to play a target player near goal.  After playing the target player the three midfielders would break out and against one marking defender, a recovering defender, and the GK the attackers would look to score.  It took a couple trial runs before the team began to get the hang of it and then the balls began to hit the net.  The activity progressed to adding in another target player and another defender.  Then 5v5 at midfield and once a team connected three passes they could break out playing the targets again.  With lots of repetition of transition the practice would end with a 10v10 almost full field scrimmage. A number of Hornets that have been out with injuries or illness returned to the field and it appears that a full strength team is a very strong possibility for the match on Saturday.  Until then the team will be sure to stay dry, stay warm, and most importantly, stay healthy.

GO HORNETS!!!

Autumn Afternoon

 Kalamazoo Landmark Passed on Today's Jog

This afternoon the Hornets and coach decided to run away from campus.  A hilly four mile jog was the order of the day on a cloudy but delightfully warm fall afternoon.  The team jog started south of campus down Oakland Dr. passing through WMU's east campus then past Oakland Dr. favorites, Oakwood Bistro, Treat Street, and the always popular Water Street Coffee Joint.  Then it was east down Whites Rd. to Westnedge Ave, past the Kalamazoo Country Club.  North on Westnedge and back to campus the runners would scale Westnedge Hill before going past Martinis, The Crow's Nest, and Old Kalamazoo Central High School.  The last several blocks went through the South Street Historic District before returning to campus for the evening.  All in all it was a change from playing soccer and reminds us why running around and chasing a soccer ball is so much better than just running.

GO HORNETS!!!

Awesome Job Anja!

Senior Anja Burk, MIAA Defensive Player of the Week

Senior, Anja Burk was named MIAA defensive player of the week, recognizing her play in the two league games last week.  She, anchored the Kalamazoo defense with her strong 1v1 defending and consistent ball winning in leading the Hornets to MIAA wins over Hope, 1-0, and Olivet, 4-1. Burk’s play along the backline has helped Kalamazoo hold MIAA opponents to just four goals in six league games this season. She is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in her career.  Job Well Done.  Anja, is the third player of the week this season for Kalamazoo, joining Chelsea Smith (Week #3) and Julia Schroeder (Week #5).

Still numbers down at practice the Hornets focused on technical work before playing small sided games to complete the training session.  Getting healthy and staying healthy will be key for K as they will not take the field in a contest again until Saturday.

GO HORNETS!!!

Happy Hornet Homecoming

Kalamazoo 4  Olivet 1

Sophomore Rachel Pitzer (18) and Freshmen  Natalie Reszka (24) both recorded goals on the day 

The Hornets celebrated Homecoming in Kalamazoo with a strong 4-1 defeat of the Olivet College Comets.  In front a numerous alumni, family, and friends Kalamazoo would bring strong energy right from the kick-off.  Sophomore Rachel Pitzer was able to get free down the right wing less than 5 minutes into the contest and served a strong cross in which skipped through the box to an on rushing Paige Howell who hit the ball first time with her left foot just wide of the target.  C.J. McCarthy would get the next best scoring opportunity for Kalamazoo on another ball crossed in that dropped inside the six.  A quick toe poke of the ball was unable to propel it past the Comet keeper.  Olivet would then be whistled for a hand ball in the penalty box in the 30th minute of the match.  Freshmen Natalie Reszka took the penalty kick and calmly placed the ball into the lower right corner of the goal, staking the Hornets to a 1-0 lead.  It was Natalie's first goal of the year as well as the first points of her collegiate career.  The team would not wait long to score again.  In the 32 minute, freshmen attacker Emily Gray found a loose ball just below the center circle in Olivet's defense half.  She played the ball down the right wing to a streaking C.J. McCarthy.  Olivet's goaltender was in a race against McCarthy to get to the ball which would end up just outside of the penalty box.  C.J. was able to cut the ball back, beating the keeper who had left the box and then bent a tremendous shot into the gaping goal to put Kalamazoo up 2-0.  It was McCarthy's seventh goal of the season and Gray's first college point on the assist.  The first two Kalamazoo goals were scored less than two minutes apart.   Kalamazoo would strike again before halftime.  McCarthy played a loose ball that was bouncing on the right side of the box across the goal.  Out of the air, junior Jackie Jessup who had just subbed on touched the ball first time into the right side of the Olivet net.  It's was Jessup's first touch of the game and first goal of the year.  At halftime, Kalamazoo would lead 3-0.  The second half would prove to be a little more choppy and neither team was able to find a true rhythm of play.  Olivet would take advantage of a loose ball in the 61st minute as Comet Ashley Buyce was able to shoot a ball past Kalamazoo goalkeeper Courtney McCoy, off the far post and in.  Despite struggling offensively, the Hornets would still threaten a couple more times.  The first being in the 82nd minute off a Kalamazoo corner kick.  Senior defender Anja Burk, had moved up the field on the set pieced, gained possession of a loose ball off the corner and from the top of the box she took a shot that went pretty high in the air.  As it began dropping it appeared that it was going to fall in behind Leanne Scudder, the Olivet keeper.  However, a last second tip by Scudder kept the ball out but Kalamazoo was awarded another corner.  This time the ball would drop into the 6yd box and after bouncing around several times.  Sophomore Rachel Pitzer was able to direct the ball into the back of net.  This goal would come in the 81st minute of the contest and conclude the scoring for the day.  Scudder would record 2 saves for Olivet while McCoy and Haggnemiller combined for 5 total saves.  With the win Kalamazoo moves to 6-5-3 and 4-1-1 in the MIAA and Olivet falls to 4-9-1 and 0-4-0 in the conference.  Kalamazoo is in sole possession of second place with 13 points behind league leading Calvin who has 15.  The Hornets have a bye this week before returning to the field when they host St. Mary's College next Saturday at 12pm.  Missing several key players due to an illness the Homecoming victory was a true team effort with a number of players stepping up for the Hornets.  Individuals who have not played a tremendous amount of minutes were able to show fans what the coaches see everyday at practice.  To those unable to suit up we wish them a quick recovery and a week without a game should serve them well.  Also, a big thanks to all the fans an alums that were able to make it out to the game and participated in the post game picnic.  It was truly a GREAT day to be a HORNET!

GO HORNETS!!!

Tennis Anyone???

A day after their third MIAA win of the season a limited number of Hornets made it out to good old Mackenzie for practice.  The training schedule for the day included a warm-up focusing on technical skill, followed by a soccer tennis tournament.  A popular practice activity whenever the Hornets get a chance to play, today's matches were of the singles variety.  Traditionally the team plays doubles.  In the championship match, senior Paige Howell (pictured below) edged junior Hilary Marusak.  After tennis the day would end with several games of 3v3+1.  Friday, everyone will be back out at training as the Hornets will turn their focus to Saturday's home match.

Soccer Tennis Champ, For The Day

GO HORNETS!!!

KALAMAZOO 1 HOPE 0 2OT

With less than 90 seconds to play against Hope College on Wednesday afternoon it appeared that the teams would settle for a 0-0 draw.  Well, Hornets Hilary Marusak and Jackie Short had different thoughts.  From a Hope goal kick Hilary won the ball which Jackie was able to control.  With the ball at her feet Jackie was able to create a little bit of room for herself and from about 23yds out hit ball that would end up behind the Hope keeper and the result was that Kalamazoo College 1 Hope College 0.  A feat that the Hornets had not accomplished in 8 years!!!  On a chilly October afternoon in Holland both teams battled it out in a fierce match.  Both teams would create opportunities in the first half but nothing outstanding.  In the second half K would begin to generate a couple great opportunities and would out shoot the Dutch 10-1 in that stanza.  The best chance of the half was generated when freshmen C.J. McCarthy near the endline on the right side of the penalty area played a ball back to the top of the box to an on running Maya Smolcic.  Maya hit the ball first time and had the Hope keeper beat only to have it cleared off the line by a Flying Dutch defender.  Regulation would end 0-0.  In the first overtime Kalamazoo had the best opportunities to score off three consecutive corner kicks.  The last of which sophomore defender Rachel Pitzer just missed.  In the second overtime Kalamazoo would really dictate the pace of the play and Hope struggled to get out of their own half.  K would create several opportunities which were either wide of the goal frame or blocked by the defenders.  With about two minutes to play Jackie Short was working to get past a Hope defender inside the left side of the box and played a shot which the keeper was able to make a save on.  However, the Hornets never quit and a little bit over a minute later the ball was in the net and Kalamazoo was victorious.  With the win Kalamazoo moves to third in the MIAA with a conference record of 3-1-1 and an overall record of 5-5-3.  Hope falls to 2-2-1 in the conference and 5-7-1 overall.  It's also important to recognize the corp of Hornet defenders who really limited Hope's offensive opportunitites.  Senior Anja Burk, Junior Chelsea Smith, Junior Eva Schmidt, Sophomore Rachel Pitzer, Sophomore Maggie Rogers, Freshmen Megan Burns, and Freshmen Courtney McCoy all helped Kalamazoo record their third shutout in conference play.  Kalamazoo returns to the field on Saturday as they play Olivet College in a Homecoming game scheduled for kick-off at 12pm here in Kalamazoo.

GO HORNETS!!!

Autumn in Kzoo

The Quad on a Fine Fall Day 

The quad, the center of campus.  As much fun as it is to keep you updated on all things soccer it's easy to forget about some of the other great things about K-College.  The beautiful campus for example.  We'll definitely keep posting some pictures as the seasons change.  

This afternoon Coach Wells took the reins and led the Hornets through a training session that involved attacking movements and as always he pushed the players to think a little bit.  Since K-College students always are ready to over think and over analyze things he sometimes gets more than he bargains for.  Working with intelligent players a benefit of coaching at K.  Tomorrow the Hornets will turn their focus towards another league match with the goal of trying to gain 3 more points in the standings.  Kick-off is slated for 4pm tomorrow afternoon at Hope College.  Any and all support would be most appreciated.  At this moment we don't know if live stats will be available.  If they are we'll be sure to post a link here.  Time to study up, homework that is!

GO HORNETS!!! 

with a Diving Catch

The focus of practice today was playing balls over distance.  It involved lots of ball striking reps and hopefully it will translate into match play.  The warm-up for today's training involved an activity with three players and one ball.  Players on the outside would throw the ball in to their teammate who would return it first time.  The player on the outside would then play it over distance to their teammate who was approximately 35-40yds away.  Once the girls had a chance to get warmed up it was turned into a contest where the player receiving the long ball had to catch it with their hands in order for the team to earn a point.  Yes, they were allowed to use their hands.  Some outstanding diving efforts to score and a couple silly drops makes the team VERY grateful that Zari and Courtney take care of the goalkeeping and ball handling duties on a regular basis.  After the warm-up another long ball competition was played that pitted freshmen against upperclassmen.  Two round were contested and resulted in each team with a victory.  Next up was a game involving services and clearances.  The freshmen would earn the win here as well as in the final scrimmage,  in which they prevailed 1-0.  They were give a scare late when junior forward Jackie Jessup railed a shot off the post with just under a minute to play.  A productive and competitive day of training would end with a touch of fitness. 

GO HORNETS!!!

Hornets Fall 2-1

Hornet Goalscorer, Freshmen Jackie Short

 

On an outstanding fall afternoon the three time conference champion gave the Hornets a little bit of a lesson on how to start a game.  Calvin College would dictate play early and was rewarded with their effort when Elaine Schnabel put a ball from Carly Prins behind the Kzoo keeper Courtney McCoy in only the 6th minute of the game.  Three minutes later the Knights would strike again as Francesca Smith pounced on a loose ball at the top of the box and drove another goal in far post.  Despite trailing by two mark the Hornets would continue to fight and in the 26th minutes Jackie Short ran onto a through ball from midfielder Maya Smolcic and placed a beautiful shot over the Calvin keeper to make the score 2-1.  The goal was the first that Calvin had conceded in league play this season.  The remainder of the first half would see both teams have opportunities but neither could convert.  After the break Calvin's best chances would come out of spells of possession while K's best looks at goal would be on the counterattack.  At the conclusion of 90 minutes of play, the score would stand Calvin College 2 Kalamazoo College 1.  The Hornets will take advantage of a day off tomorrow and return to the practice field on Monday with plenty of work to be done.  They will look to gain some more points as the race to clinch a spot in the MIAA tournament continues at Hope College on Wednesday, October 14th.

Wet and Rainy

The cleats are stuffed with newsprint and the gear is air drying. For the second day in a row Mother Nature decided to take a very active role in practice. At practice the team has trained team defending and the execution of set pieces. Despite the elements the team maintained positive energy, strong focus, and look forward to another opportunity tomorrow to add to their conference point total. Going into the match tomorrow the Hornets have 7 points, it is as many points as the team had at the conclusion of last year's conference play. While this is a nice accomplishment there is still quite a bit of work to get done. Kick-off is scheduled for 12pm tomorrow at Calvin College and it looks like it will be a fine autumn afternoon for a soccer match. If you can't make it to the match be sure to follow along the live stats on the web or listen to the audio broadcast. Live Stats and Audio Broadcast.

GO HORNETS!!!

GO HORNETS!!! GO Karts?

A Couple Hornets Buzz By

Wednesday afternoon the Hornets took a slight break from training and their studies as they met off campus. Airway Lanes in Portage was their destination and the afternoon included Go Karts, Mini Golf, Laser Tag, Laser Maze, Bumper Cars and Pizza. No question, the Tasmanian Devil Go Kart was the fastest car at the track. After a day of rest and recovery the girls will be back to business tomorrow afternoon.

While pictures from yesterday's match are not posted the blog does have a couple pictures every Mom will appreciate. Thanks to all those supporters who braved the elements and made it out to Kalamazoo to support the Hornets yesterday afternoon.

Well Done Chelsea!

Great Job Maya!

Be sure to try and make our next home match, October 17th at 12pm against Olivet College (Homecoming) to see if these jerseys are still white.

GO HORNETS!!!

Draw

1-1

C.J. McCarthy, Wednesday's Goalscorer

In less than ideal conditions the Hornets faced off against the Britons of Albion College on Tuesday afternoon. With constant rain over the weekend and throughout the afternoon it was a game of ball winning and slip sliding that saw both teams have strong runs of play. After a 0-0 first half Kalamazoo would get an excellent opportunity to score 5 minutes into the second session. On a counterattack Katie Manstrom found some room at the top of the box and took a nice right footed shot. On a ball that looked destined for the back of the net Albion keeper Caitlin Bowman was able to get a hand to it and deflect it off the cross bar. Shortly thereafter Albion would strike first as the put a ball into the box from the left wing, Albion's Rachel Kain was somehow able to win the ball out from underneath the legs of junior defender Eva Schmidt 11 minutes into the second half. Neither team really was able to gain control of the ball or the game. Kalamazoo began pressing a little bit more and more as the minutes ticked down playing with a sense of urgency. In the 85th minute, freshmen C.J. McCarthy took a pass from Maya Smolcic created space between herself and the defender on the left side of the box and put a ball over the Briton keeper and into the back of the net. A frantic five minutes was played by both teams before the game moved into overtime. In the first overtime Kalamazoo's Julia Schroeder hit the left post with a shot out of a scrum off of a corner kick. Carrying play for the majority of the first overtime Kalamazoo had four shots on goal including a near miss by Jackie Short. The second overtime would even out and after 110 minutes the field was a bit of a mess and both teams would leave with a point. Both Kalamazoo keeper Courtney McCoy and Albion keeper Caitlin Bowman recorded 7 saves on the afternoon. Albion now stands at 5-2-4 and 1-1-1 in the MIAA while Kalamazoo is 4-4-3 overall and currently in second place in the MIAA with a record of 2-0-1. The Hornets return to the field on Saturday when they travel to Calvin College. For now it looks like the players will need a recovery day, the field will need some TLC and uniforms may never be white again.

GO HORNETS!

Happy B-Day Hilary

1) Happy 20th B-Day to junior Hilary Marusak

2) Congratulations to Julia Schroeder for being named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week. http://www.miaa.org/wso/

3) A video interview w/Coach Goyings is posted on the web. See what Coach has to say about the team and their goals for the MIAA season. Believe it or not it's not Coach's first YouTube clip.



4) Tomorrow the Hornets are set to battle the Britons of Albion College. Kalamazoo enters the contest with a record of 4-4-2 (2-0) and Albion comes in with a mark of 5-2-3 (1-1), having opened conference play against the 1st and 2nd place teams from one year ago. Scheduled for a 4pm Kick-off, the two evenly matched squads should provide some great entertainment as neither team plans to allow their opponent anything easy. If you can't make it to Kalamazoo be sure to follow the LiveStats on the web.

GO HORNETS!!!

Soccer...Hot Dogs...Ice Cream!!!

"Just Like That, Now Don't Move!"

Earlier this season the Hornet soccer players got together after practice and put on a soccer clinic for the children of faculty and staff here at the college as well as a group of kids from Kalamazoo east side neighborhood. These kids are frequent visitors to the Peace House.

The Peace House is the vision of four alumni. Jen DeWaele, Mike DeWaele, Jerry Mechtenberg-Berrigan, and Molly Mechtenberg-Berrigan. The good friends are all members of the class of 1997 and have been working at creating to create a two-house learning- and-play-centric community that is very grassroots. As well as renovating the two houses that sit side by side the property also includes gardens, a incredible playground, and green space. In the areas where these additions sit was most recently an abandoned lot and too say that it was overgrown was just a little bit of an understatement. A year ago the women's soccer team helped clear brush (the day of the chainsaw) and applied close to 15 gallons of primer to interior walls of one of the houses. If you ever get a chance to stop by the Peace House, it's a trip you won't regret. The address of the Peace House is 313 and 321 Phelps Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048.

The players were responsible for the soccer activities and the coaching staff and training staff (Thanks Again Trainer Megan!) were responsible for preparing the picnic. The decimation of 80 hot dogs and 2 gallons of ice cream was one impressive feat! Special thanks go out to Rob Passage for helping transport the kids and Laura Furge for helping fill lemonade cups and serving as the clinic photographer. Included below are a couple pictures from the day.

Pre-Game Pep Talk

"Don't All Gang Up On Me"

"You're It"

"Why is the ball almost as big as my leg?"

TeamWork!

A number of players stepped up in a total team effort on Saturday for as the Hornets gained a 1-0 victory at Adrian College on a cool and blustery afternoon. The game opened with neither team really finding a rhythm and adapting to the conditions. In the 18th minute of play two Hornet defenders both challenged for a an air ball and incidentally ran into one another. What resulted was two K players having to leave the field as both sustained nasty cuts to the head. Right back Megan Burns and centerback Anja Burk (two pretty tough players) both left the field for medical attention. Already playing without junior Chelsea Smith (scheduled to return Tuesday) the two players leaving the field were replaced on the backline by sophomore midfielders Rachel Pitzer and Maggie Rogers. The rest of the Hornets stepped up their game and 4 minutes later, sophomore Julia Schroeder (pictured above) found some room down the left wing and left a rocket fly from 25 yds out. Hornets 1 Bulldogs 0. It was the first goal Adrian has conceded in their past five contests. In the second half the Bulldogs continued to pressure the Kalamazoo defense but the Hornets proved to be up to the challenge including several "almost" goals on the counterattack from Kalamazoo attackers Emily Gray and Maya Smolcic. A total team effort on the day would result in the Hornets posting their second MIAA win in as many tries and moving their overall record to 4-4-2. It is the first time in 8 years that the Hornets have opened the MIAA season with consecutive wins.

Health Update: So, due to popular demand. It's important to know that senior Anja Burk is doing well after her on field collision with Megan Burns. If you were at the game, you know Megan made a second half return after being cleared by the training staff on site. Anja was not as lucky. A three hour trip to the ER and 12 stitches later she was on her way back to Kalamazoo. A shot of her trophy gash is below. Yes, if you can tell, she is trying not to smile in the picture, but just could not hold back. Certainly, "Anja Tough" will be a phrase all future Hornets will need to become familiar with. Hurry Back!!!

Looking Tough and Trying Not To Smile

GO HORNETS!!!