Soccer stands high in MIAA

Last Saturday, the men’s and women’s soccer teams both played tough games, securing wins on all sides. The men’s team played Wesley College, fighting hard after no goals in the first half on either side, while the women’s team shut out Olivet College at home for the victory. The men’s team ended the game with a score of 3-1 to Hope, giving them a strong MIAA season record of 9-0. They move from non-league to MIAA play today against Calvin College. The team’s new head coach, Dave Brandt, has proven his worth over the past few weeks as the team remains undefeated through the season. The Flying Dutchmen are coming into the MIAA season with the best record since 1996, when they started 15-0-1.

The women’s team shut out Olivet with a final score of 2-0, with head coach Leigh Sears commenting, “It’s just so frustrating. We hit the crossbar so many times.” Despite the struggle, Hope’s win marks their sixth shutout of the season for the nationally ranked team. Sophomore Maria Egloff scored the first goal of the game, with senior Hilary Curry following with the last goal in the second half of the game. Sophomore Jordanne Ellingboe, the goalie, made a crucial save in the game to secure the shutout. This game marks the 19th shutout in her career, moving her to second place in the history of Hope goalies for career shutouts, with the record held by Holly Nestle (2003-06) with a career high of 41 shutouts. The Flying Dutch’s season record moved up to 8-0-1, 2-0 in the MIAA. They also play Calvin this week on Saturday at home. Come out and support the team!