Calvin men’s soccer scores a win over Hope, 2-0

Junior+Bobby+McCaw.+Photo+courtesy+Calvin+Sports+Information.

Junior Bobby McCaw. Photo courtesy Calvin Sports Information.

Nearly 2,000 students, players, coaches and fans from Calvin and Hope gathered at Zuidema field last Saturday night for the first men’s varsity soccer game of the season.

This game was the soccer team’s first “Saturday Night Lights.” At the 102nd meeting of the rival teams, Calvin pulled off the win. Junior Bobby McCaw scored both of Calvin’s goals with assists from sophomores Hunter Olsen and Dillon Weldy.

The first goal was scored early in the game, only five minutes in, when McCaw capitalized on an opportunity created by a corner kick kicked by Olsen.

Calvin spent the majority of the time on the opposing side of the field with 19 attempted shots on goal opposed to Hope’s six attempts.

Hope goalkeeper Stephen Wilbur made six saves on Saturday, while Calvin goalkeeper Van Ryn made two saves. This was his fourth game this season in which no goals were scored while he stood as goalkeeper.

Well into the second half, Hope came in strong with a header by Isaac Braak, but senior goalkeeper, Nate Van Ryn, blocked the ball in front of the net.

In the last two minutes of the game, McCaw scored a second time, the ball connected from a pass by Weldy.

“I thought our defense was great,” Calvin men’s head coach, Ryan Souders, remarked, “bend but don’t break. Hope came with a lot of firepower and a lot of athleticism. Massive credit to our back four and Nate for bending, and ultimately, not breaking.”

Junior goalkeeper Luke Schepers described the atmosphere as “electric” and as “the perfect way to start our switch to Saturday night games” after previously playing games in the afternoon.

This was Calvin’s sixth overall win of the season advancing their record to 6-0-0. The Dutchmen recorded another loss, standing at 2-4-0.

Luke Schepers (#35) described the atmosphere as “electric” and as “the perfect way to start our switch to Saturday night games”