He fired in a career-high 27 points, including a perfect 7-of-7 from 3-point range, and grabbed seven boards in just 23 minutes of action as Calvin routed Ripon, Wis., 87-62, in the championship game. He scored 22 of his points, including six 3-pointers, in the first half. Brink, who is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in his career, shot 59 percent from the field (13 of 22) and 75 percent from 3-point range (9 of 12) for the tournament.

Brink was named to the all-tournament team at the Elmhurst Blue Jay Classic. Earlier this year, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Tournament Thanksgiving weekend.

Calvin returns to action on Thursday in a key MIAA opener as the Knights (9-2) host an Adrian College team that is 11-0 and ranked 12th nationally. Thursday’s game at Van Noord Arena is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.

ELMHURST, ILL. – The Calvin men’s basketball team captured the Elmhurst Bluejay Classic championship with a 87-62 win over Ripon College, Wis. late Saturday afternoon.  Senior Tom Snikkers (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) and sophomore Jordan Brink (Dyer, Ind./Illiana Christian) were named to the all-tournament team.

The game was close for the first 15 minutes.  A free throw from Ripon senior forward Andy Popp (Brillion, Wis./Brillion HS) tied the game at 26 apiece with 5:30 to play in the first half.

Then Calvin made its run.  The Knights went on a 25-3 run to end the first half, and led 51-29 at the break. 

Brink had 22 points at halftime including 8-9 from the floor and a perfect 6-6 from beyond the arc.  11 of his 22 points came during the Knights’ run.  Snikkers had 14 at the break; two coming from a dunk in transition.

“We were firing on all cylinders at the end of the first half,” said head coach Kevin Vande Streek after the match.  “We needed to keep up the intensity and not let up in the second half.

Calvin could not do so early-on in the second half.  Ripon hit three straight three=pointers, cutting Calvin’s lead to 11 points with 11:21 to play.

The Red Hawks could get no closer.  The Knights pushed the lead back to 20 four minutes later, and coasted for their ninth victory of the season. 

Brink and Snikkers led Calvin scoring 27 and 21 points respectively.  Senior Matt De Boer (Hudsonville/Covenant Christian) scored 12 points in 15 minutes. 

“Ripon made its run, but we fought it off,” Vande Streek said.  “Jordan [Brink] and Tom [Snikkers] were great in all facets of the game.”

Calvin shot a season-high 63.2 percent from beyond the arc in the contest.  The Knights’ defense held Ripon to a mere 29.7 percent shooting from the field.

Ripon senior forward Taylor Koth (Cedarburg, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) led the Red Hawks with 18 points in defeat.

Calvin finishes the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 9-2 record.  The Knights open up MIAA play with a game against the undefeated and nationally ranked Adrian Bulldogs on Thursday, Jan. 3 at Calvin’s Van Noord Arena.  The game is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.

The Knights used strong post play to claim the win as senior Julia Hilbrands notched a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench while senior Carissa Verkaik had 18 points and 8 boards while battling foul trouble.

Calvin led 46-27 at halftime and led by 21 points at 65-43 with 3:52 to play before Concordia used a late scoring spurt to make the final margin of victory 13 points.

Calvin shot 71 percent from the floor in the first half and held a 44-38 rebounding advantage.

“I was pleased with our effort today,” said Calvin women’s basketball coach John Ross.  “Julia Hilbrands had her best game of the year and it was good to see her get going. We’ll need her production as we get back into league play next week.”

Calvin will return to action on January 5 when it travels to Trine for a 3 p.m. MIAA contest.

ELMHURST, ILL. – The Calvin College men’s basketball team traveled to the west suburbs of Chicago Friday morning for the Bluejay Classic hosted by Elmhurst College.  In December of 2010, Calvin split a pair of games at the same tournament.  This time around, the Knights were determined not to fall in the first game.  Calvin defeated Wabash College, Ind. 83-56. 

The last time Calvin had faced Wabash was the 1996-97 season opener.  Ironically, Kevin Vande Streek coached his first game as Calvin’s head coach against the Little Giants of Wabash.  Calvin fell 83-79 in that contest.  The first couple minutes of the game on Dec. 28 looked to yield the same result.

Wabash hit three of its first four three-point field coach attempts.  Freshmen Kasey Oetting (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia) drilled two of them from NBA-range to give the Little Giants a 13-4 lead four minutes into the contest.

That nine point lead was Wabash’s biggest of the game.  A layup from Calvin senior forward Tom Snikkers (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) three minutes later gave the Knights a lead they would not relinquish. 

Wabash hung around and trailed by just four, 41-37 at the half.  Calvin junior center Tyler Kruis (Grandville/Calvin Christian0 led all scorers with 11 points at the half. 

Calvin went on a 21-3 run to start the second half.  Sophomore guard Jordan Brink (Dyer, Ind./Illiana Christian), who was held scoreless in the first half, had six of his eight points in this run. 

“We really challenged the guys at halftime to lock up on defense in the second half,” Vande Streek said after the match.  “They kept the intensity up, and played great team defense.”

Kruis led the Knights with 15 points and nine rebounds.  Senior guard Bryan Powell (Wyoming/Wyoming Park) chipped in 12 points.  Four Knights finished with eight points.

A trio of Little Giant freshman finished in double-digits in defeat.  Oetting, Ross Sponsler (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute North Vigo) and Daniel Purvlicis (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville HS) finished with 16, 13 and 11 points respectively.

Calvin shot 41.9 percent from the field in the game as well as hitting 24 of 33 attempts from the charity stripe.

“We were very balanced on offense,” said Vande Streek.  “It was good to see everyone contribute and put the ball in the basket.”

Calvin will move on to the Bluejay Classic final against Ripon College, Wis.  The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. EST start on Saturday. 

Calvin led 41-16 at halftime, limiting the host Tigers to just six first half field goals while forcing 22 turnovers.

Calvin kept the pressure on in the second half to close out the win as Colorado College shot just 16.7 percent over the final 20 minutes of play.

Calvin used its inside game to its advantage as seniors Carissa Verkaik and Julia Hilbrands scored 10 points apiece. Sophomores Breanna Verkaik and Abby VanderWoude along with senior Ally Wolffis had eight points apiece. Senior Kelsey Irwin added a pair of triples to build her career total to 149.

“It was a good win,” said Calvin women’s basketball coach John Ross. “Everyone got a chance to play and I thought we adjusted to the altitude well.”

Calvin returns to action on Saturday when it faces Concordia (Wisc.) at 6 p.m. (EST) at Colorado College.

OLIVET - The third-ranked Calvin women’s basketball team put on a dominating first half performance - en route to an 84-47 victory over an on-the-rise Olivet squad Saturday afternoon at the Cutler Events Center.

Calvin (8-1 overall, 4-0 MIAA) led 45-14 at halftime and never looked back in cruising to the win. The 14 points allowed marked Calvin’s best defensive performance in a half this year and marked the fourth time this season that the Knights have held the opposition under 20 points in the first half.

On the offensive end. Calvin shot 48.7 percent from the floor through the first half of play led by senior Carissa Verkaik (Holland/Holland Christian HS) who tallied 19 first half points including 12 of Calvin’s first 21. A preseason All-America selection, Carissa Verkaik finished the game with 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots, connecting on 9-of-18 from the floor and 3-of-5 from three-point range. Senior Julia Hilbrands (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) came off the bench to drop in 10 points and grab six rebounds while sophomore Maria DeKuiper (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian HS) had nine points in a reserve role.

Calvin had 13 of its 14 players enter the scoring column as the Knights shot 51.4 percent overall including (7 of 16) 43.6 percent from three-point range. Meanwhile Olivet (7-3 overall, 3-2 MIAA) shot just 30.6 percent from the floor including just 22.7 percent in the first half. Sydney Radde led Olivet with 13 points while Chelsea Ciba had 12.

Calvin held a 42-31 rebounding edge and forced the Comets into 24 turnovers.

“Our team was ready to play right from the outset and that was important because Olivet is much improved this year,” said Calvin women’s basketball coach John Ross who is now 215-49 in 10 years at the helm of the Knights. “Olivet has size with a couple of transfer players and they are very athletic. We knew we had to be ready to play at a high level and I thought our players did that, particularly on defense.”

Calvin will now prepare for a tournament at Colorado College on December 28 and 29 in Colorado Springs. Calvin will face host Colorado College on December 28 at 6 p.m. (MT) and then meet Concordia (Wisc) on December 29 at 3 p.m. (MT). The Knights then swing back into conference play on January 5 when it travels to Trine for a 3 p.m. contest.

In his 17 seasons at the helm of the Calvin College ACHA hockey team, Head Coach Mike Petrusma has built an impressive resumé.

Under Petrusma’s direction, the Knights have amassed an overall record of 337-117-7, appeared in the Final Four in 1993, 2003, 2004, and 2006, winning the National Championship in 2004. Petrusma was named the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference Coach of the Year in 2006, but, despite his established success, hadn’t received much national recognition – until this year.

Petrusma, along with senior goaltender Trevor Boardway, were recently selected to be part of the 2012 ACHA Division III National Selects Team. The National Selects Team, which consists of three coaches and 24 players from around the country, will travel to Europe for ten days over Christmas break and play six games against semi-professional and professional teams.

“It was definitely an honor for the ACHA to call and ask me to participate,” said Petrusma. “Not everybody gets to do this, and it just goes to show over 17 years of coaching at Calvin how many good teams and how many good players we’ve had over that span of time. As a coach, you’re only as good as your players are, and people have recognized that we’ve had one of the more successful programs in the ACHA.”

Petrusma, who was chosen as an assistant coach, may get a chance at being the head coach in a few years.

“The way the ACHA likes to do this process is you go as an assistant coach in the hopes that two years from now you’re selected as the head coach,” commented Petrusma. “(This opportunity) is a direct result of the types of players we’ve had.”

One play that has made Calvin so successful is Boardway, who has been a three-year starter for the Knights in net.

Boardway was originally drawn to Calvin because of hockey, but says that Calvin has impacted him in more ways that just on-ice.

Boardway hails from Stellarton, Nova Scotia, and says that hockey helped him make the transition from living and going to school in Canada to attending Calvin in Grand Rapids.

Said Boardway: “It kind of took a little bit of time to get adapted, but once I did, I realized that (coming to Calvin) was a life-changing experience for me and it really helped me develop as a person.”

Because hockey is a two-semester sport, players do not often get the opportunity to travel off-campus. This opportunity came at just the right time for Boardway.

“It’s a dream come true. (Making the Selects team) has been a personal goal for me, and now I’ve reached that goal because I’ve been selected to go. The fact that I’m able to go to Europe while being able to play hockey is awesome. It’s the trip of a lifetime.”

The senior netminder says that he was surprised that he received the selection to the team because he hadn’t had the exposure of many other goalkeepers around the country.

“I was kind of surprised at the time because I didn’t have as much national exposure as goalies that made the national tournament. I kind of put it on the back burner that I was going to make the team,” said Boardway. “Turns out with all the hard work we’ve all put in, with the recognition I was getting from the league by receiving awards the past two years, it really helped me by because I was getting recognized by the coaching staff for being the top member of my team.”

According to Petrusma, Boardway’s selection to the team is well deserved.

“Trevor has been outstanding for us, from the first day he stepped on campus,” said Petrusma. “Trevor is one of the best goalies we’ve had during my tenure. He has been the consummate team player and is known as one of the best goalies in the country. The opportunity for him to go to Europe and showcase his talents over there is a terrific opportunity for him. I’m really proud of Trevor and all the hard work he has put in since he came to Calvin. It has really paid off.”

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A ten-day layoff for the Calvin women’s basketball team ended on Saturday as the Knights played host to the Belles of Saint Mary’s. Calvin struggled early, but four first half three-pointers from senior Kelsey Irwin (Fraser, Fraser HS) jump started the Knights’ offense en route to a 77-56 victory.

The teams played strong defense in the opening minutes of the game, with the score 7-6 in Calvin’s favor five minutes in.

Saint Mary’s then took the lead on a jumper by senior Ariana Paul (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso HS) at 8-7. A couple of missed shots by the Knights and some strong rebounding by the Belles saw Saint Mary’s begin to pull away.

Over the next seven minutes, the Belles opened up a 20-13 lead. Keeping Calvin close was Irwin, who sat at fourth on the career three-pointers made list coming into the contest. Irwin moved into third on that list in the first half, hitting four triples to give Calvin a 21-20 lead with just over five minutes remaining.

The Knights continued to build momentum and pull away throughout the remainder of the first half, extending their lead to 35-26 as the halftime buzzer sounded.

Irwin and sophomore Kayla Engelhard (Unionville/Saginaw Valley Lutheran) each had 12 points at the half for the Knights, while senior Carissa Verkaik (Holland/Holland Christian) added eight points and six rebounds.

Out of the break, Calvin began to spread the ball around, receiving contributions from a wide range of players in the second half.

One of those contributors was senior Heather DeKleine (Hudsonville/Unity Christian), who midway through the second half went three-for-three from behind the three-point arc. DeKleine’s three-pointers pushed the Calvin lead to 63-43 with 8:27 remaining in the game.

Calvin’s largest lead of the game came four minutes later on a layup by freshman Kally Verkaik (Holland/Holland Christian) as the Knights opened up a 73-48 advantage.

The Knights coasted the remainder of the way, providing all the players with playing time as they earned the 77-56 victory.

Carissa Verkaik led Calvin with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Engelhard added 14 points while Irwin chipped in 12. Irwin moves into third on the career three-pointers made list with 145 for her career. The Belles were led in defeat by junior Shanlynn Bias (Griffin, Ind./Griffin HS) who scored 14 points. Paul added 12 points for Saint Mary’s.

“We were a little flat on the defensive end, but you have to give Saint Mary’s a lot of credit,” said head coach John Ross after the game. “They’re playing a lot of freshman, but they’re really physical. Playing on the road (at Olivet next week), we’re going to have to be ready. They’re undefeated in the conference so it is going to be a battle.”

The Knights are now 3-0 in the MIAA and 7-1 overall, while Saint Mary’s drops to 1-4 in league play and 3-7 overall. Calvin’s next game is Saturday, December 22 against the Comets of Olivet. Olivet is currently tied with Calvin and Hope atop the MIAA at 3-0 in league play.

A midfielder, Holtrop collected four goals, seven assists and 15 points in helping lead Calvin to an unprecedented sixth consecutive MIAA regular season title this fall along with an MIAA Tournament title and a sixth straight trip to the NCAA III Tournament.

Earlier this fall, Holtrop was named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player. He also landed a spot on the All-MIAA first team for the second straight year and then garnered a spot on the Division III All-Central Region team as voted upon by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Over the course of his four-year career at Calvin, Holtrop was credited with 11 goals and 18 assists while serving as a center midfielder.

It marks the third consecutive year that a member of the Calvin men’s soccer team has picked up D3soccer.com All-America accolades as Miles Colago was so honored in both 2010 and 2011.

The College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Division 3 Swimming and Diving Team Rankings are voted on by six CSCAA member coaches. The rankings will be released three times during 2012-13 season.

The Calvin women’s team is now ranked in two national polls as it is also ranked 16th in the most recent Collegeswimming.com Top 25 poll.