HOLLAND -- The sportsmanship displayed by members of the Hope College women's soccer team during the 2012 seasonis being recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
HOLLAND -- The sportsmanship displayed by members of the Hope College women's soccer team during the 2012 seasonis being recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
The team, coached by Leigh Sears, is one of only 15 NCAA programs,
comprised of both men's and women's teams in every division, to be
presented the NSCAA's Gold Team Ethics Award for completing the entire
season without receiving either a yellow or red card. The NCAA
soccer program for men and women in all Divisions consists of 1,799
teams.
According to the NSCAA, the program recognizes teams that exhibit fair
play, sporting behavior and adherence to the rules of the game as
reflected by the number of yellow caution or red ejection cards they
are shown by referees throughout the season.
This marks the third time over the past five years that the Flying
Dutch have gone through an entire season without receiving a yellow or
red card.
The Flying Dutch posted a 14-6-2 record this past season finishing in
a tie for second place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic
Association (MIAA) and advancing to the championship game of the
conference tournament.