Men’s Soccer Defeats Oneonta State 4-2 in NCAA III Semifinals
Sunday, December 04, 2011
(Photo by Bill Sanderson)
The Calvin men’s soccer team will face the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan in the national championship final Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. (EST) in San Antonio, Texas. Calvin punched its second berth in the national championship final in the last three years with a 4-2 semifinal win over Oneonta State of New York Friday night. Earlier in the evening, Ohio Wesleyan blanked Montclair State 4-0. In its win over Oneonta State, Calvin conceded the first goal of the match in just the seventh minute of play but then scored three unanswered goals in the first half to take a 3-1 halftime lead. First half Calvin goals came from senior Brad Heethuis, freshman Travis Vegter and senior Brad Wassink. In the second half, Travis Vegter ripped in his second goal of the game to give Calvin a 4-1 lead. Oneonta State then scored a goal in the final 10 minutes of the match to close out the scoring. Calvin (19-5-2) will be facing Ohio Wesleyan for the sixth time in NCAA III Tournament play. Ohio Wesleyan has won three of the prior five NCAA III Tournament matchups but Calvin won the last meeting in NCAA III Tournament play, winning 2-1 in a second round match in 2005.
Calvin Stretch Internet Audio Broadcast Link
d3soccer.com Semifinal Coverage
Postmatch Audio Interviews with Chris Hughes, Travis Vegter and Brad Heethuis
Calvin-Oneonta State Box Score
Calvin Men’s Soccer Falls to Ohio Wesleyan 2-1 in NCAA III Championship Final
Saturday, December 03, 2011
(Photo by Emily Daum)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - For the second time in three years, Calvin’s bid for a national championship in men’s soccer came up just short. On Saturday night, Calvin fell to Ohio Wesleyan 2-1 in the national championship final. The game came two years after Calvin had dropped a 2-0 decision to Messiah College in the 2009 national final. Ohio Wesleyan (23-2-0) grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of late first half goals scored less than two minutes apart. Calvin came back to slice the deficit in half as freshman Travis Vegter ripped in a shot off a pass from sophomore Zach Willis five minutes into the second half. Calvin continued to pressure for the tying goal, outshooting Ohio Wesleyan 11-7 over the final 45 minutes but the Knights could not equalize. Calvin closes out the year with an overall record of 19-6-2, matching the Calvin single-season record for victories. The goal by Travis Vegter was his third of the NCAA III Final Four. He was later named to the all-tournament team along with teammates Lawrence Murray and Dan Nederhoed.
Day Two San Antonio Diary For Calvin Men’s Soccer Team
Friday, December 02, 2011
By Sports Information Student Assistant Andrew Knot/Photos Courtesy of NCAA Photos
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Team breakfast in the hotel kicked off a loaded day for the squad. After breakfast, the squad traveled in team vans to Blossom Soccer Complex to get to know the facility. While there, they relived previous tournament goals, took pictures, and enjoyed the sunny, 70-degree weather. After the stadium walk-through, the team practiced at another local soccer complex. The training session, filled with fast-paced possession drills, marked the last of the 2011 season for the Knights. Following the practice, the team had a chance to participate in a divison-wide partnership between the schools and the Special Olympics. The team broke into groups and led dribbling and shooting drills with the Special Olympians, who were eager to interact with college athletes
Final Four Interviews with Chris Hughes, Brad Wassink and Miles Colago
