David Whitaker Honored as DIII All-American (12/22/11)
Senior David Whitaker of Vicksburg (Vicksburg HS) has been named a Division III All-American by D3soccer.com. A back, he is being honored as a second team All-American. Co-captain of the team, Whitaker was a four-year soccer letterwinner. He was named All-MIAA first team as both a junior and senior and this past season was named to the All-Region first team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. This season he scored the game-winning goal in five games as the Flying Dutchmen advanced to the elite eight of the NCAA Division III championships. He scored eight goals and was credited with three assists as Hope tied its single season record for victories (17). He keyed a defense that yielded just 19 goals over 26 games, including only six in 14 conference contests.

All-Region Soccer Honors Announced (12/14/11)
Four members of the Hope men's soccer team have received Division III All-Central Region honors as named by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Two players have been named to the All-Region first team and two to the second team. The first team honorees become eligible for All-America consideration.

Senior midfielder Shaun Groetsema of Augusta (Galesburg Augusta HS) is being honored as a first team honoree for the third consecutive years.

Senior goalkeeper Logan Neil of Holland (West Ottawa HS) is being recognized on the second team for a second consecutive year.

Also named to the first team is senior back David Whitaker of Vicksburg (Vicksburg HS) while a second team honoree is sophomore back Nick Heyboer of Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS).

All four honorees were earlier named to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) all-conference first team. The 2011 Flying Dutchmen advanced to the elite eight of the NCAA Division III championships and were ranked ninth nationally in the final poll of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Flying Dutchmen Ranked in Top Ten Nationally (12/9/11)
NSCAA Division III Poll
Hope's deepest run into the NCAA Division III championships is being rewarded with the highest national ranking in the program's history. Coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen are ranked ninth in the final national poll of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. It is Hope's first top ten ranking. Hope advanced to the elite eight in the NCAA Division III tournament before bowing to eventual national champion Ohio Wesleyan 2-1. The Flying Dutchmen tied a school record for victories in a season posting a 17-5-4 record.

2011 Honors, 2012 Captains are Announced (12/6/11)
Honors to players on the 2011 teams and captains for the 2012 season have been announced by coach Steven Smith.
Player Honors
MVP Offensive: Nick Heyboer, sophomore from Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS)
MVP Defensive: Dave Whitaker, senior from Vicksburg (Vicksburg HS)
Most Improved: Grant Neil, sophomore from Holland (West Ottawa HS)
Most inspirational: Logan Neil, senior from Holland (West Ottawa HS)
2012 Captains
Grant Neil, sophomore from Holland (West Ottawa HS)
Luke Dishnow, junior from Saline (Saline HS)
Jeff Ekdom, junior from Holland (Holland Christian HS)
MIAA Honors
Most Valuable Player - Logan Neil, senior from Holland/West Ottawa HS
Newcomer of the Year - Tarwo Konbloa, freshman from East Kentwood (East Kentwood HS)
All-MIAA First Team
Logan Neil (goalkeeper), senior from Holland/West Ottawa HS
David Whitaker (forward), senior from Vicksburg/Vicksburg HS
Shaun Groetsema (midfielder), senior from Augusta/Galesburg-Augusta HS
Nick Heyboer (forward), sophomore from Grand Haven/Grand Haven HS
All-MIAA Second Team
Grant Neil (back), sophomore from Holland/West Ottawa HS
Tarwo Konbloa (midfielder), freshman from East Kentwood/East Kentwood HS
Jason Muller (forward), junior from Petoskey/Petoskey HS

Tournament Trail Ends for Flying Dutchmen (11/19/11)
Box Score
Hope's deepest advancement into the NCAA men's soccer championships came to an end Saturday as the Flying Dutchmen were edged by Ohio Wesleyan 2-1 in a Sectional final game. The nationally ranked Bishops, a perennial NCAA qualifier with a record 34 appearances, were challenged to the end by an unranked Hope team. On Friday Hope edged Luther, Iowa in a shootout after a 1-1 regulation tie. All four of Hope's tournament games were decided by a single goal.

Ohio Wesleyan struck early with a goal in the third minute of the game. The Bishops took a 2-0 lead with a goal in the 53rd minute, but the Flying Dutchmen weren't about to quit. Executing a header off a midfield restart started by goalkeeper Logan Neil, Nicholas Heyboer scored in the 87th minute to set off a furious final three minutes. Hope out-shot Ohio Wesleyan 13-5 in the second half.

Coach Steve Smith's Flying Dutchmen, appearing in the NCAA tournament for the 12th time, end the season with a 17-5-4 record.

Flying Dutchmen Score Another Dramatic NCAA Victory (11/18/11)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen have advanced to the elite eight of NCAA Division III soccer for the first time in school history after posting a dramatic shootout victory over Luther College of Iowa on Friday night in Delaware, Ohio. The teams battled to a 1-1 draw thru regulation and went scoreless through two overtime periods. NCAA tournament rules dictate a penalty shot shootout -- a single player against the opponent's goalkeeper. The teams alternate for the first five penalty shots. If that ends in a tie then a sudden death shootout is called. That's what happened on Friday.

The teams were tied 3-3 after the five-penalty-shot sequence. Each team made the sixth, missed the seventh and then made the eighth. The ninth penalty shot is one for the history books. Hope goalkeeper Logan Neil stepped away from his customary position in front of the net to take the penalty shot. It was good! He then returned to his goalkeeper position and turned away Luther's try. Hope won the shootout 6-5 and the game advancing to Saturday's Sectional final against host Ohio Wesleyan which won the other semi-final match against Ohio Northern 3-2.

In regulation Hope's score also came from a penalty kick by senior Shaun Groetsema in the 76th minute. Hope had a 14-13 edge in shots. Neil was credited with three saves.

SHOOTOUT SUMMARY
1. Hope's Jason Muller good / Luther's Jason Block hit post - Hope leads 1-0
2. Hope's Tarwo Kunbloa good / Luther's Saul Rosales good - Hope leads 2-1
3. Hope's Shaun Groetsema blocked / Luther's James Garcia-Prats wide right - Hope leads 2-1
4. Hope's David Whitaker blocked / Luther's Jonathan Lawson good - tied 2-2
5. Hope's Justin Reamon good - Luther's Michael Olson good - tied 3-3
6. Hope's Maxwell DeBoef good - Luther's Austin Walther good - tied 4-4
7. Hope's Ben Lemmen hit post / Luther's Micah Kust blocked
8. Hope's Luke Dishnow good / Luther's Michael Kustra good - tied 5-5
9. Hope's Logan Neil good / Luther's JW Slauson blocked - Hope wins 6-5

Stunning Goal Advances Flying Dutchmen in NCAA (11/12/11)
Box Score
Perhaps the most stunning game-winning goal in Hope men's soccer history occurred Saturday as the Flying Dutchmen defeated Dominican, Ill. 2-1 in a second round game of the NCAA championships. With the teams tied in the final seconds of regulation play and the possibility of overtime looming, Hope had one last chance when awarded a corner kick. Junior Jason Muller calmly lofted his kick toward a Dominican box loaded with players from both teams. It sailed (perhaps wind-aided) and hooked untouched into the far upper corner of the net -- goal Hope College with 19 seconds left to play!

It was the second exciting win of the weekend for the underdog Dutchmen of coach Steve Smith. On Friday Hope broke a 1-1 tie on David Whitaker's unassisted goal on a scramble in the Thomas More, Ky. box with only three minutes left to play.

Victory advances Hope (17-4-3) to the third round of the tournament against an opponent and a site to be determined. It will mark the third time in school history that Hope will advance beyond the second round. The team's 17 victories ties a school mark tying the 2002 (17-5-1) and 2005 (17-4-0) teams.

Hope's first goal of the game also fell into the "amazing" category. Matt Van Zytveld scored his fourth goal in three games in the 19th minute off a throw-in by Grant Neil. It marked the eighth time this season that Hope scored off a Grant Neil throw-in.

Flying Dutchmen Advance in NCAA Tournament (11/11/11)
Box Score
Senior David Whitaker's unassisted goal with just three minutes left to play propelled the Flying Dutchmen to a 2-1 victory over Thomas More, Ky. in a first round game of the NCAA Division III championships in River Forest, Ill. on Saturday. Coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen (16-4-3) advance to Saturday's second round game against host Dominican University (18-2-0).

The teams were locked in an evenly played game when Whitaker scored unassisted during a scramble in the box at 86:38. Each team had scored in the first half. Nick Heyboer put Hope on the board in the 25th minute, assisted by Tarwo Konbloa. Beaten only once this season, Thomas More answered in the 38th minute. The teams each finished with 12 shots and five of them on-goal. Hope had a 7-6 edge in corner kicks. Goalkeeper Logan Neil made four saves.

All-MIAA Honors are Announced (11/8/11)
All-MIAA Men's Team
Seven Hope players have been named to the all-conference teams of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Two of the honorees also received individual recognition from the league's coaches. Senior goalkeeper Logan Neil of Holland (West Ottawa HS) has been named the men's most valuable player for the second consecutive year and freshman midfielder Tarwo Konbloa of East Kentwood (East Kentwood HS) is being honored as the newcomer of the year.

Neil becomes the fourth Hope player to receive MIAA MVP honors twice, joining Glenn Swier (1974-75), Kevin Benham (1984-85), and Dan Tresslar (2006-07). Hope players have received the MVP honor a total of 12 times. This fall Hope allowed just seven goals over 16 league games (regular season and league tournament). For the season, Neil's goals-allowed average was 0.64. The team recorded 13 shutouts, including one stretch of six consecutive league victories. He has 29 career shutouts heading into this weekend's NCAA tournament.

Joining Neil on the All-MIAA first team are senior back David Whitaker of Vicksburg (Vicksburg HS), senior midfielder Shaun Groetsema of Augusta (Galesburg Augusta HS), and sophomore forward Nick Heyboer of Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS). Whitaker and Groetsema are being honored for a second time.

Hope's All-MIAA second team honorees are sophomore back Grant Neil of Holland (West Ottawa HS), freshman midfielder Tarwo Konbloa of East Kentwood (East Kentwood HS), and junior forward Jason Muller of Petoskey (Petoskey HS).

Flying Dutchmen Gain Berth in NCAA Tournament (11/5/11)
Hope 4, Olivet 1
The Flying Dutchmen are headed to the NCAA Division III tournament for the 12th time in school history after winning the MIAA's automatic berth behind a 4-1 victory over Olivet in Saturday's conference tournament championship match. Coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen will take a 15-4-3 record into the post-season tournament. The site and opponent for next weekend's tournament will be announced on Monday.

Olivet struck first with a goal in the 11th minute. Hope answered with a goal by Tarwo Konbloa in the 30th minute. Tied 1-1 late in the second half, the Flying Dutchmen struck for three goals in the final five minutes. Matt Van Zytveld scored twice (85th and 87th minutes). Van Zytveld also scored a goal in Friday's 2-0 tournament semi-final victory over Trine. He came into the weekend with just one goal scored this season. Senior Shaun Groetsema added a penalty kick in the 89th minute, thrilling the crowd of more than 1,300 fans.

Flying Dutchmen Advance to MIAA Tournament Finals (11/4/11)
Stats
The victorious Flying Dutchmen have advanced to the finals of the MIAA's qualifying tournament and will host Saturday's championship match after regular season champ Calvin lost in Friday's other semi-final match. Coach Steve Smith's Flying Dutchmen, seeded second in the four-team tournament that will determine who represents the MIAA in the NCAA Division III championships, blanked third-seeded Trine 2-0 at Van Andel Stadium. Meanwhile, fourth-seeded Olivet was upsetting top-seeded Calvin on the Knights' field 1-0.

It sets the stage for a Saturday championship match with Hope (14-4-3) hosting Olivet (14-6-1) at 2:30 p.m. at Van Andel Soccer Stadium. Hope will be bidding for a return trip to the NCAA tournament and the 12th in school history.

The Flying Dutchmen scored a goal in each half while dominating the field behind a 31-6 advantage in shots. Matthew Van Zytveld scored his second goal of the season unassisted in the 33rd minute and Justin Reamon got his third of the year in the 54th minutes, assisted by Jason Muller.
Goalkeeper Logan Neil was credited with his sixth consecutive shutout and the 13th this season. It is the 29th of his career.

Flying Dutchmen Clinch Second in MIAA Standings (11/2/11)
Stats
Posting their fifth straight shutout win, the Flying Dutchmen on Wednesday clinched second place outright in the MIAA standings and the second seed in this weekend's conference tournament. The 2-0 road victory over Albion gives Hope a final MIAA mark of 10-3-1. Steve Smith's Dutchmen will enter the NCAA qualifying tournament with a 13-4-1 overall record.

Hope will host either Trine or Olivet in a semi-final game at 3 p.m. Friday at Van Andel Soccer Stadium. The opponent will be determined after a Wednesday night game.

The Flying Dutchmen allowed only six goals over 14 conference games, best in the MIAA. Hope scored a goal in each half against Albion, first by Paul Austin off Shaun Groetsema's corner kick in the 20th minute and the second by Nicholas Heyboer unassisted in the 73rd minute. Goalkeeper Logan Neil was credited with the 12th shutout of the season and 28th of his career.

Victory Assures Dutchmen of Home Tournament Game (10/22/11)
Stats
Three first half goals, all assisted by the same player, led the Flying Dutchmen to a 3-0 victory over host Kalamazoo on Saturday afternoon. The victory assures Hope the second seed and a home game with the conference tournament is held next weekend. Coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen have an 9-3-1 league record with one regular season game remaining at Albion next Wednesday. Hope is 12-4-3 overall.

Junior Jason Muller was credited with assists on all three Hope goals. They were scored by David Whitaker, Jeff Ekdom and Brandon Underwood. Double assists were awarded on two of the goals (Tarwo Konbloa and Andrew Abe). Goalkeeper Logan Neil was credited with his 11th shutout of the season and the 27th of his career.

Flying Dutchmen Post Third Straight Shutout Win (10/25/11)
Stats
The Flying Dutchmen posted their third straight victory by shutout with a 3-0 triumph over visiting Adrian on Tuesday night. Coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen maintained their hold on second place in the MIAA standings with an 8-3-1 record. Hope is 11-4-3 overall.

Two goals in a span of two minutes set the tone on Seniors Night. Senior David Whitaker broke a scoreless tie scoring on a header off a throw-in from Grant Neil at 35:13. Just 80 seconds later junior Jeff Ekdom scored off Jason Muller's corner kick. Hope added an insurance goal by sophomore Nicholas Heyboer with David Whitaker gaining the assist.

Goalkeepers Logan Neil and Ben Lemmen combined for the team's 10th shutout of the season. Lemmen stopped an Adrian penalty kick to preserve the shutout. Hope ended with a 20-8 advantage in shots.

Flying Dutchmen Move Into Second Place in MIAA Race (10/22/11)
Stats
The Flying Dutchmen gained sole possession of second place in the MIAA race blanking Olivet 3-0 Saturday. The victory was especially rewarding for the Flying Dutchmen whose only previous losses prior to the 2011 season at Van Andel Soccer Stadium were to Olivet. The victory puts the Flying Dutchmen at 7-3-1 in the MIAA and 10-4-3 overall. It marks the 13th consecutive year that Hope has won 10-or-more games under coach Steve Smith.

Hope led 1-0 at intermission on a goal by Tarwo Konbloa. Scoring in the second half were Jason Muller and Matthew VanZytveld. Olivet outshot Hope 11-10, but had only two on-goal. Goalkeeper Matt Neil was credited with his 25th career shutout.

Flying Dutchmen Record Coach Smith's 300th Win (10/19/11)
Stats
The Flying Dutchmen posted an important milestone victory on Wednesday. The 1-0 triumph over host Trine marked the 300th win in the 22-year career of coach Steven Smith.

"I'll take the one goal over the 300 wins today," said coach Smith afterwards. The victory keeps Hope alive in the run for a league championship and a berth in the first-ever conference tournament that will determine the MIAA representative to the NCAA playoffs next month. Four teams will make the qualifier. Hope is tied with Trine for third place at 6-3-1 in conference play. The Flying Dutchmen are 9-4-3 overall.

Junior Jeff Ekdom scored the game's only goal on a rainy afternoon. The goal came in the 24th minute off an assist from freshman Tarwo Konbloa. Senior goalkeeper Logan Neil earned his eighth shutout of the season and the 24th of his career. Earlier this season Hope and Trine battled to a scoreless double-overtime tie.

Coach Smith's career record is 300-99-36. He entered the 2011 season ranked 15th among the winningest all-time NCAA Division III coaches.

It has been quite a week for coaching milestones. Last weekend volleyball coach Becky Schmidt recorded her 200th Hope victory and hockey coach Chris Van Timmeren marked his 250th.

Record Crowd Experiences Classic Rivalry Showdown (10/15/11)
Stats
A record Van Andel Soccer Stadium crowd of 3,527 fans witnessed another classic Hope/Calvin rivalry game on Saturday night. The Knights scored in the 13th minute and then withstood a late Hope barrage to gain the shutout victory. The Flying Dutchmen held a 17-14 advantage in shots, but only four were on-goal. Hope drops to 5-3-1 in the MIAA and 8-4-3 overall.

Flying Dutchmen Extend Winning Streak (10/11/11)
Stats
Junior Jason Muller's three goal performance highlighted a 5-0 Hope victory over visiting Alma on Tuesday night as the Flying Dutchmen remained tied for third place in the MIAA race. Extending their winning streak to four games, coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen improved to 8-3-3 on the season. Hope shares third place in the MIAA race with Trine (5-2-1) behind Calvin (6-1-1) and Olivet (6-2-0). Rival Calvin comes to Hope on Saturday night.

After leading just 1-0 at halftime, the Flying Dutchmen erupted for four goals over an 18-minute span of the second half. Muller became the second Hope player in a week to score three goals at Van Andel Stadium, joining Erin Jipping who had the hat-trick in a women's victory last Saturday. Also scoring were David Whitaker and Brandon Underwood. Credited with assists were Justin Reamon, Matt VanZytveld, Grant Neil, Tarwo Konbloa and Gavin Midlam. Hope held a 24-12 advantage in shots. Goalkeepers Logan Neil and Ben Lemmen combined for Hope's seventh shutout of the season, including the third in the current winning streak.

Flying Dutchmen Score Dramatic League Victory (10/8/11)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen remained undefeated at home by scoring a dramatic 3-1 victory over Albion on Saturday. Playing before nearly 1,000 fans, the game appeared headed to overtime with the teams tied 1-1. Instead, coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen struck for two goals in a span of 33 seconds in the 88th minute, first on a penalty kick by junior Jason Muller (Petoskey) and the next by sophomore Nick Heyboer (Grand Haven). Scoring his first collegiate goal was freshman Connor Kogge (Holt). Hope is tied for third place in the MIAA standings with Trine at 4-2-1 behind Calvin (5-1-1) and Olivet (5-2-0). With a three-game winning streak, the Dutchmen are 7-3-3 overall.

Flying Dutchmen Post Shutout Victory on the Road (10/1/11)
Stats
The Flying Dutchmen evened their conference record with a 4-0 road victory over Adrian on Saturday night. Coach Steven Smith's Dutchmen stand 2-2-1 in MIAA matches and are 5-3-3 overall. Hope led 1-0 at halftime on Jason Muller's goal. The Flying Dutchmen added three in the second half -- Luke Dishnow, Nick Heyboer and Brandon Underwood. Heyboer and Justin Reamon each had an assist. Hope held an 18-3 advantage in shots. Goalkeeper Logan Neil had two saves.

Flying Dutchmen Bow to Olivet in Overtime (9/27/11)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen continued to struggle against league opponents on Tuesday bowing 2-1 in overtime to host Olivet. The loss drops coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen to 1-2-1 in league play and 4-3-3 overall.

The Flying Dutchmen scored in the first half and were within 77 seconds of victory when Olivet kicked a goal to force overtime. The game-winner came eight minutes into the first overtime. Hope's goal was scored in the 42nd by freshman Cameron Dice. Hope held a 13-11 edge in shots. Goalkeeper Logan Neil made six saves.

Flying Dutchmen Battle Trine to Scoreless Tie (9/24/11)
Stats
Despite holding an overwheling 32-10 advantage in shots, the Flying Dutchmen were forced to settle for a scoreless tie with Trine on Saturday night. It is the third tie in nine games for the Flying Dutchmen who are 1-1-1 in the MIAA and 4-2-3 overall.

Rival Calvin Edges Flying Dutchmen (9/21/11)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen suffered their first conference loss of the young season bowing to rival Calvin 2-0 on Wednesday. Coach Steven Smith's Dutchmen are 1-1 in the MIAA and 4-2-2 overall.

The teams were scoreless at halftime. Calvin got on the scoreboard four minutes into the second half and added the second in the 70th minute. Hope held a 19-18 advantage in shots with six on-goal. Goalkeeper Logan Neil has six saves.

Flying Dutchmen Captured Bergsma Tournament Title (9/17/11)
Hope 3, Madonna 1 / Hope 4, Wheaton 0
The Flying Dutchmen captured the championship of the Bergsma Memorial Tournament for a second consecutive year with a pair of impressive victories this weekend. On Friday coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen defeated previously unbeaten Madonna 3-1 and came back on Saturday to top nationally ranked Wheaton 4-0. The victories put Hope at 4-1-2 on the season heading into a key MIAA test road next Wednesday against rival Calvin.

Saturday's victory ended a decade-long drought in games with the Thunder, Hope last winning in 2001. The Flying Dutchmen struck fast with a pair of goals in the first eight minutes and then added two more in a three-minute span midway through the second half. Senior Shaun Groetsema scored a goal and assisted on two others while senior David Whitaker had a pair of scores. Freshman Justin Reamon scored his second collegiate goal. Goalkeepers Logan Neil and Ben Lemmen combined for the shutout.

On Friday, after playing the season's first five games on the road, the energized Dutchmen had a season-high 28 shots led by Groetsema who scored two goals, one in each half. Also scoring was Nicholas Heyboer. Goalkeeper Logan Neil was credited with four saves.

Prior to Friday's game, players and fans honored the memory of former player Justin Bailey. A four-year soccer letterwinner, Bailey was killed in an automobile accident this past summer.

Flying Dutchmen Open League Play With Shutout Win (9/13/11)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen picked up where they left off a year ago with a league-opening 4-0 victory over host Alma on Tuesday. Last fall coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen won their last seven MIAA games to gain a league co-championship. Playing their fifth straight game on the road, the Flying Dutchmen improved to 2-1-2 heading into the annual home Bergsma Memorial Tournament this Friday and Saturday.

Leading 1-0 at halftime, the Flying Dutchmen exploded for three goals in the second half behind a 27-11 advantage in shots. Senior David Whitaker scored in the 17th minute assisted by Luke Dishnow and Shaun Groetsema. Scoring in the second half were junior Jeff Ekdom (assisted by Tarwo Konbloa), freshman Justin Reamon (assisted by Shaun Groetsema) and freshman Brandon Underwood (unassisted). Goalkeepers Logan Neil and Ben Lemmen combined for the second shutout of the season.

Flying Dutchmen Battle Aurora to Tie (9/10/11)
Box Score
Playing their fourth straight game on the road, the Folying Dutchmen Saturday night battled Aurora, Ill. to a 3-3 tie. The teams were tied 3-3 after regulation and neither could score during the 20 overtime minutes. Coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen have a 1-1-2 season record.

Scoring goals for Hope were Tarwo Konbloa, Cole Whitaker and Nicholas Heyboer. Hope held a 22-13 advantage in shots. Goalkeeper Logan Neil had three saves.

Flying Dutchmen Suffer First Loss (9/9/11)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen suffered their first loss of the season bowing to nationally ranked Dominican, Ill. 2-0 on Friday. Coach Steve Smith's Dutchmen have a 1-1-1 record. The team continues its road trip to Illinois with a game Saturday at Aurora.

The winners scored a goal in each half. Hope held a 14-9 advantage in shots, but only one was on-goal. Goalkeeper Logan Neil had three saves.

Flying Dutchmen Post First Win in Overtime (9/3/11)
Box Score
Senior co-captain David Whitaker scored with two minutes remaining in the first overtime to give the Flying Dutchmen the 1-0 victory. The game-time temperature was 93 degrees. For the second straight game, sophomore Grant Neil was credited with an assist. Hope held a 19-13 advantage in shots. Goalkeeper Logan Neil had three saves.

Season Opener Ends in Tie (9/2/11)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen battled host Denison to a 1-1 draw in a game played with the temperature in the 90s. Hope senior Andrew Abe scored a first half goal off a restart with assists credited to Grant Neil and Matt VanZytveld. Denison responded with a second half goal. Neither team could scored in two overtime periods. Denison held a 16-12 advantage in shots. Goalkeeper Logan Neil was credited with five saves.

Flying Dutchmen Pre-Season Favorite in MIAA
Defending co-champion Hope has been chosen the preseason favorite in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) men’s soccer race for the 2011 season. Coach Steven Smith's Flying Dutchmen, who shared the MIAA title with Calvin last fall, received five of a possible eight first-place votes to nose out the Knights in the first-ever men’s soccer preseason coaches poll. Olivet was selected third, followed by Adrian, Kalamazoo, Trine, Alma and Albion.

Poll Results: (first-place votes in parenthesis): 1. Hope (5) 10. 2. Calvin (3) 11. 3. Olivet 21. 4. Adrian 28. 5. Kalamazoo 32. 6. Trine 37. 7. Alma 39. 8. Albion 46.

This year’s season will feature the first-ever MIAA men’s soccer tournament, with the top four teams in regular season conference play to advance to play the first weekend in November to determine the MIAA’s representative to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Flying Dutchmen begin their pre-season practices on Monday, Aug. 22. The team will play its first five games on the road beginning Friday, Sept. 2, at Denison, Ohio. The home opener will be Friday, Sept. 16 against Madonna.

With the return of 18 letterwinners, the 2011 Flying Dutchmen will be seeking to build on a conference championship season. A year ago coach Steven Smith's Flying Dutchmen had an amazing finish to the season to gain a co-championship of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) with rival Calvin and a berth in the NCAA Division III championships.

The 2010 Flying Dutchmen went undefeated in the second half of the conference season to gain the league co-championship and thanks to a pair of victories over rival Calvin gained the MIAA's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III championships. The team ended 13-6-2 overall.

Over the past decade the Flying Dutchmen have won nearly 80% of their matches (157-46-17) with five conference championships and five appearances in the NCAA playoffs.

Coach Smith begins his 22nd season at the helm of the men's soccer program. He ranks among the winningest NCAA Division III coaches with a career record of 291-96-33. His mark against MIAA opponents is 200-54-19.

The roster includes 10 freshmen, seven sophomores, five juniors and six seniors. The co-captains of the team will be seniors Shaun Groetsema of Augusta (Galesburg-Augusta HS), Logan Neil of Holland (West Ottawa HS), Jeffrey Stusick of Stevensville (Lakeshore HS), and David Whitaker of Vicksburg (Vicksburg HS). Each of the co-captains received All-MIAA honors in 2010. A goalkeeper, Neil was voted the MIAA's most valuable player. He was joined on the All-MIAA first team by Groetsema and Whitaker while Stusick received second team recognition. Groetsema and Neil also received All-Region honors. Neil, who is also a member of the Hope basketball team, has ranked among the nation's top Division III goalkeepers. Over 37 career starts he has allowed just 24 goals.

Other returning letterwinners include senior Andrew Abe of Naperville, Ill. (Naperville North HS), senior Paul Austin of Grandville (Grandville HS), sophomore Mickey Biebelhausen of Rochester (Rochester Adams HS), junior Maxwell DeBoef of Plainwell (Plainwell HS), junior Luke Dishnow of Saline (Saline HS), junior Jeff Ekdom of Holland (Holland Christian HS), sophomore Nicholas Heyboer of Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS), junior Conor Hughes of Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield North HS), sophomore Ben Lemmen of Holland (Holland Christian HS), junior Jason Muller of Petoskey (Petoskey HS), sophomore Grant Neil of Holland (West Ottawa HS), sophomore Matthew VanZytveld of Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS), sophomore Brayden West of West Olive (West Ottawa HS), and sophomore Cole Whitaker of Vicksburg (Vicksburg HS).

The Flying Dutchmen will play nine home games, mostly under the lights of beautiful Van Andel Stadium which will see its third season of use.