2012 Season in Review

Men's lacrosse was a club sport in 2012

Ryan Holmes and Will Franken

Two Players Honored for Academics (7/16/12)
Two members of the Hope lacrosse squad have been named Academic Scholars by the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). Honored were recent graduate Ryan Holmes of Ann Arbor (Pioneer HS) and sophomore Will Franken of Holland (West Ottawa HS).

Ryan Holmes and Josh Kamstra

Two Players Receive All-American Honorable Mention Recognition
Two Hope players have been afforded All-American honorable mention recognition by the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. Honored in Division II were senior defenseman Ryan Holmes of Ann Arbor (Piopneer HS) and junior midfielder Josh Kamstra of Zeeland (Zeeland East HS). Each was earlier honored as an all-conference player by the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA). Hope lacrosse concluded its club affiliation this season. Lacrosse for men and women will become NCAA-affiliated sports in 2012-13.

All-Conference Honors Are Announced
Five Hope players have been named to the all-conference team of the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA). Honored are sophomore Will Franken (attackman) of Holland (West Ottawa HS), senior Ryan Holmes (defenseman) of Ann Arbor (Pioneer HS) junior Josh Kamstra (midfielder) of Zeeland (Zeeland East HS), sophomore Niko Pagkanlungan (midfielder) of Naples, Fla. (Barron Collier HS), sophomore Michael Schofield (midfielder) of Mendham (Mendham HS) and freshman Ben Weber (goalie) of Ann Arbor (Pioneer HS).

Will Franken finished the year as the leading scorer in the CCLA and second nationally with 40 goals and a like number of assists over 15 games.

Buzzer-Beater Ends Flying Dutchmen Season (4/28/12)
The Flying Dutchmen fell 12-11 on a buzzer-beater to host Indiana Tech in the quarterfinals of the CCLA playoffs. Tied at 11-11, the Warriors scored with one second left on the clock to advance in the CCLA Playoffs. The loss caps a fine 11-4 season for Hope.

Flying Dutchmen Defeat Rival Calvin (4/24/12)
It was a beautiful evening for Senior Night in VanAndel Stadium as the Hope College Flying Dutchmen beat Calvin 15-4 in the last home game of the season. Jake Kamstra, Will Franken, Niko Pagkanlungan, Chris Scheldt, Nick Raycraft, Pete Stuckey, Ryan VanderPloeg, and Josh Kamstra all scored for Hope. Seniors Ryan Holmes, Noah Busman, Chris Scheldt, and Keegan Aguilera were honored before the game.

Flying Dutchmen Post Road Victory(4/20/12)
The Judson Eagles scored first, but Hope came roaring back with 13 unanswered goals to take a 21-4 victory on the campus of Judson University. Will Franken led the way for the Dutchmen with a 12-point effort on six goals and six assists. Ryan VanderPloeg had a goal from his LSM position and he also scooped seven ground balls in front of a friendly crowd that included the majority of his family from nearby Mundelein. All of the Dutchmen saw action in the contest.

Flying Dutchmen Bow in Divisional Title Match (4/19/12)
On a soggy evening in Grand Rapids the Dutchmen fell to the Davenport Panthers 16-9 in the North Divisional CCLA Championship Game. It was a tight contest until the fourth quarter when DU tallied seven goals to Hope's two. Josh Kamstra and Caleb Digison each chipped in four goals, and Nick Raycraft had a solo goal. Will Franken, Niko Pagkanlungan, Josh Kamstra, and Jake Kamstra each had assists. Michael Schofield won 15 faceoffs and Ben Weber finished with ten saves.

Flying Dutchmen Gain Exhibition Victory Over Michigan (4/14/12)
Hope held on to an 11-10 victory at Elbel Field on the campus of the University of Michigan. Hope never trailed in the contest, racing out to a 4-0 lead, but the Wolverines kept fighting back to close the gap. The game ended with a solid defensive stand from the Dutchmen. All players saw action in the exhibition contest.

Flying Dutchmen Post Close Home Victory (4/13/12)
The Dutchmen ground out a 13-11 victory over the visiting Warriors of Indiana Tech under the lights at VanAndel Stadium on Friday. The lead changed hands several times and there were timely goals by Matt Hemenway, Caleb Digison, and Will Franken down the stretch. Josh Kamstra, Nick Raycraft, Niko Pagkanlungan, and Sean Murphy also added points in the back and forth affair. Ben Weber had an outstanding game between the pipes with 18 saves, and Michael Schofield won 14 out of 20 draws. Ryan Holmes and Noah Busman also made an impact with their defensive takeaways and ground ball play. Hope travels to the University of Michigan Saturday (4/14) for an exhibition game, and then resumes CCLA play with the CCLA Northern Division Championship game at Davenport University next Thursday.

Flying Dutchmen Bow in Defensive Struggle to Lakers (4/11/12)
The shots didn't fall for Hope College this evening as Danny Kransberger from GVSU had 27 saves to hold the Dutchmen offense to only seven goals in a 14-7 loss at VanAndel Stadium. Hope's defense played admirably, holding their attack line to just four goals in the contest behind Ryan Holmes shutting out their All American attackman Jack Dumsa. Josh Kamstra started at attack in place of injured starter Austin Krehel and scored four goals and an assist. Will Franken chipped in three assists, and Niko Pagkanlungan, with two goals, and Nicklas Raycraft also got on the board for the Dutchmen.

Flying Dutchmen Secure Playoff Bid With Victory (4/6/12)
Hope qualified for the CCLA playoffs for the fourth consecutive year with a 22-1 Northern Division victory at Northwood University. Will Franken scored six goals and had five assists, Jake Kamstra had six goals and two assists, and Austin Krehel chipped in four goals. Niko Pagkanlungan, Josh Kamstra, Sean Murphy, Keegan Aguilera, and Caleb Digison rounded out the scoring. Ben Weber had seven saves and once again the Dutchmen defense was stout. All players saw action on a very chilly evening in Midland.

Flying Dutchmen Extend Winning Streak to Six In-a-Row (4/3/12)
The Flying Dutchmen dominated the Saints of Aquinas defensively holding them to a single tally in a 14-1 win at home under the lights of VanAndel Stadium. Ryan Holmes played excellent shut down defense, and Andrew Reed intercepted multiple passes from his longpole position. Ben Weber had eleven saves in the cage, and Noah Busman, Ryan VanderPloeg and Scott Bahash were terrific on ground balls to help control the tempo of the contest. Michael Schofield won 13 faceoffs and had seven ground balls and six Dutchmen got on the scoreboard on offense. Will Franken, Niko Pagkanlungan, Nick Raycraft, Austin Krehel, Josh Kamstra and Jake Kamstra all had points in the contest. The Dutchmen travel to Northwood University on Thursday for a CCLA Northern Division contest. It is a must win for the 6-1 Hope squad. They secure a bid to the CCLA playoffs for the fourth straight year with a victory in Midland.

Defense Keys Flying Dutchmen Victory (3/31/12)
The Flying Dutchmen used a staunch defense to post a 13-5 victory over nationally ranked (#15) Missouri Baptist on Saturday in Fort Wayne, Ind. Keying Hope's sixth victory of the spring were defenders Ryan Holmes, Scott Bahash, Andrew Reed, and Noah Busman in front of goaltender Ben Weber. Michael Schofield dominated at the faceoff dot with 17 wins on 21 draws and the Dutchmen used their possessions to grind away at the scoreboard. Eight players scored for Hope's balanced attack: Franken, Pagkanlungan, Kamstra, Kamstra, Stuckey, Digison, Scheldt, and Raycraft. Will Franken is averaging seven points a game and is ranked second in the nation in ppg.

Flying Dutchmen Score Home Conference Victory (3/30/12)
On a chilly evening under the lights at VanAndel Stadium the Hope College Flying Dutchmen won their first CCLA Northern Division contest 23-3 over the visiting Wildcats from Northern Michigan University. The Wildcats struck first, but the Dutchmen reeled off thirteen unanswered goals to take control of the contest. Jake Kamstra led the scoring with six goals and three assists, and Will Franken chipped in five goals and three assists. Caleb Digison had a hat trick, and Niko Pagkanlungan had three assists and two goals. Nick Raycraft (2), Peter Stuckey (1-1), Chris Scheldt (1-2), Keegan Aguilera (1), Matt Hemenway (1), and Ryan VanderPloeg (1) all scored as well. Michael Schofield went an impressive 20 for 22 at the face off dot, and Noah Busman picked up eight ground balls. Ryan Holmes anchored the defense and had eight ground balls. Senior Captain Josh Kamstra stood tall in the net with nine saves.

Flying Dutchmen Defeat Future MIAA Opponent Alma (3/17/12)
In the first home varsity contest ever for Alma at Bahlke Field, the Flying Dutchmen ran away with a 19-1 victory. Austin Krehel had a breakout day offensively for the Dutchmen with a five goal performance, and Josh Kamstra stood tall between the pipes with five saves. The entire Hope roster saw plenty of action and were relentless on ground balls, communication, and solid team play. Senior Captain Noah Busman was all over the field today; he played excellent defense, corralled several loose balls, and had multiple takeaways. It was a nice week for the Dutchmen with two big wins over future MIAA rivals.

Flying Dutchmen Rout Rival Calvin for Season's Second Victory (3/15/12)
On a beautiful sunny afternoon at MVP Fieldhouse in Grand Rapids, the Flying Dutchmen took it to the Knights of Calvin 16-1. Calvin fought hard for ground balls and competed the entire contest, but Hope's scoring kicked in for a ten-goal second half and they ground out a victory. Will Franken led the way with 7 points (3G, 4A), and Niko Pagkanlungan had 5 points (2G, 3A). Austin Krehel, Jake Kamstra, Nick Raycraft all had hat tricks, and Chris Scheldt, Peter Stuckey, and Sean Murphy had solo tallies. Josh Kamstra stood up admirably in net and had a solid defensive wall in front of him. Andrew Reed, Ryan Holmes, Matt Gaggin, Noah Busman, and Ryan VanderPloeg all had takeaways. All members of the team contributed to the win.

Flying Dutchmen Post Season's First Victory (2/17/12)
The Flying Dutchmen raced out to a 7-3 halftime lead over Western Michigan University and held on for a 12-8 victory for their first win of the season. Josh Kamstra had 12 saves, and his brother Josh tallied four goals. Ryan Holmes had eight takeaways on defense, and Chris Scheldt scored two goals and had five takeaways. Niko Pagkanlungan and Will Franken each had two goals and two assists. It was a solid team effort and all the Dutchmen contributed. Hope has a 1-1 season record.

Flying Dutchmen Lose Season Opener to Central Michigan (2/3/12)
Playing indoors and with just a week of pre-season preparation, the Flying Dutchmen bowed in their opener to Central Michigan University 12-4. Freshman Nick Raycraft led the scoring with two goals, while freshman Matt Baar and sophomore Austin Krehel chipped in one a piece. Emergency goaltender and team captain Josh Kamstra finished with 13 saves.