Great League Start

My apologies for not updating the blog sooner. Two weeks into MIAA play, Hope stands at the top of the league with a sterling 4-0 record. In the league opener, Hope traveled to Albion to take on the nationally ranked Britons. Hope prevailed 2-0 in a hard-fought victory.

In its next match, the Dutchmen threaded Adrian College at home by a 6-0 margin. It was a decisive victory as evidenced by the 5-0 lead at halftime. In the following match, Hope defeated Tri-state by a count of 5-0.

In its most recent match, Hope traveled to Olivet to face a much improved Comet team. After leading 1-0 at halftime, Hope took a 2-0 lead shortly into the second half and appeared to be cruising to the lead. Midway through the half, a decided momentum shift happened in the game, and when Hope's goalkeeper was taken out by his own player, the margin was cut in half. Shortly thereafter, Olivet had a deep throw-in and capitalized to equal the score. Mike Amerman came up with a huge save to force the overtime. In overtime, Hope had chances to ice the game. The game winner occured just 44 seconds into the second overtime.

For some highlights, Geoff Meyer and Karter Klingenberg are near the league leaders in scoring, Dan Tresslar is near the league leaders in assists, and Kevin Butterfield has yet to allow a goal in league play, and only given up one goal in the past seven matches.

Hope, ranked #24 in the nation this week, returns to action later today against Kalamazoo College (also 4-0 in the league). Hope will travel to rival Calvin on Saturday for a 2:00 pm showdown.

Champions

The Flying Dutchmen captured the championship of the Wilmington Kiwanis Classic in exciting fashion Saturday evening, defeating the host Quakers 3-1.

Just five minutes into the match, Karter Klingenberg slid behind the Quaker defense and served a ball to Geoff Meyer. Meyer's heel flick went past the outstretched arm of the keeper, off the post, and into the back of the net. The goal silenced a rowdy crowd and staked Hope to an early 1-0 lead that they would not relinquish.

The rest of the first half belonged to Wilmington in flow of play and statistically, yet the score remained 1-0. To begin the second half, Hope was able to get some more pressure on the Quaker goal by getting in behind the defense. Hope was delivered a blow in the 66th minute as Klingenberg challenged the keeper on a 50/50 ball. As the two players collided, the referee delieved a red card to Klingenberg, leaving Hope a man down for the final 34 minutes.

Not to be outdone by the referee's call, it took Hope only two minutes to respond with another tally. This time, Dan Tresslar had dribble penetration out on the flank, sent a driven ball in the box to be headed home by Meyer for his second tally of the match. Hope continued to battle and claw to secure the win. Goalkeeper Kevin Butterfield saved a penalty kick in the 72nd minute. A little more than a minute later, Wilmington scored on a direct kick from the top of the box.

A 2-1 score and certain momentum for Wilmington ended just 50 seconds later as Dan Tresslar picked off a Wilmington pass, dribble through three defenders and set up Devin McNeil with a perfect pass 12 yards out. McNeil put home the insurance goal ripping a left footed shot past the keeper. The final 17 minutes, Wilmington continued to press hard into the attack, but time and again, Hope's defense stood tall. A great team effort led to the victory and a successful weekend.

In addition to winning the tournament, Devin McNeil was named the most valuable defensive player for the tournament, and Geoff Meyer was named the most valuable offensive player, tallying three goals and an assist for the weekend. Hope returns to action in a tough MIAA opener at Albion College on Wednesday at 4:00 pm.

Convincing Win

In the first match of the Wilmington Kiwanis Classic Friday evening, Hope dismantled Wittengerg College by a score of 3-0. The cloudy, rainy weather was certainly not enough to slow down the Dutchmen as they were dominant in every facet of the match.

Early in the first half, Hope carried the flow of play in the midfield. The dribble penetration up front caused problems for the Tiger backs, and Hope had repeated scoring chances. Karter Klingenberg got Hope on the board in the 27th minute as Geoff Meyer was able to slip by a defender and slot a cross on the floor to a wide open Klingenberg who put it home. Despine outshooting Wittenberg 13-4 in the first half, the score remained 1-0.

In the second half, a more determined Tiger squad put some pressure on the Hope defense, until Ryan Robleske played a brilliant through-ball to forward Geoff Meyer. Meyer was able to get past the defense and was taken down in the box. Devin McNeil converted the ensuing penalty kick to give Hope a 2-0 advantage. In the 61st minute, Meyer closed out the scoring. He was on the receiving end of a long cross from Pat McMahon, and his header into the side panel gave Hope the final margin of 3-0.

In the final 20 minutes of the match, Hope would continue to challenge the Tiger goal, with many young players getting an opportunity for some playing time. Hope will play Wilmington College for the championship of the Kiwanis Classic at 8:00 pm Saturday night. Wilmington was a 2-1 winner over Transylvania in the other match, scoring twice in the final 1:34 of the match to come from behind and win.

Mixed Bag

After four matches, the Hope College Dutchmen stand at an even .500 with a 2-2 record. There have been many bright spots and some excellent individual play despite the .500 record.

In the season opener at DePauw, Hope came out strong in the first 10 minutes. The Dutchmen moved the ball around the field nicely and held possession quite well. DePauw struck first, getting a through ball slotted through the Hope defense to go ahead 1-0. Nearly five minutes later, Hope had a superb chance from Karter Klingenberg, who's header from 8 yards out went just wide. The Tigers would open up a 2-0 lead a few minutes later, getting another ball through the Hope defense, leaving goalkeeper Kevin Butterfield helpless.

In the second half, Hope had a revamped line-up after injuries to starters Devin McNeil and Pat McMahon, and missing key reserves Kevin McMahon and Joey Orr. With all of the that said, Hope persisted to control the flow and attack aggressively, notching their first goal with nearly 20 minutes remaining when Jordan Goorhouse sent in a beautiful corner kick to Geoff Meyer, who headed it home. While Hope continued to press the goal, DePauw was able to sneak in a counter attack goal with eight seconds left to make the final margin 3-1.

The following day, Hope was again short-handed, and added to the difficulties with Geoff Meyer receiving a red card 15 minutes into play. Even a man down, Hope dominated the flow of play against the host Little Giants. Dan Tresslar was dominate in the midfield, and his penetration led to a slotted ball to Karter Klingenberg, whose low-post blast put the Dutchmen up 1-0. Wabash would counter from a defensive miscue ten minutes later, picking off a Hope pass at midfield, and dribbling in to score. In the second half, Hope continued to dominate, and were again rewarded with another goal by Karter Klingenberg, again assisted by Dan Tresslar. Hope appeared to be in command of the match and on to victory when another turnover led to the shot of a lifetime for a Wabash player, who struck a half-volley from 30 yards out that dipped over goalkeeper Kevin Butterfield's head. Regulation would end at 2-2, and in overtime, it would only be fitting that Dan Tresslar, who had dominated the center of the field all day, would receive a cross from Dan Chesney, who penetrated to the endline. The driven ball found Tresslar's head in front of the goal with two minutes left in the first overtime, and he put it in the back of the net.

Hope's third match was a home match against Wheaton. In the much anticipated match between two great rivals, it fizzled as Hope dropped a 3-0 decision. With Meyer out of the match (red card), Hope seemed to be a bit flat and lacking the emotion needed to carry them. In the actual flow of play, Hope was strong early on, and then a miscue in the back led to the first Wheaton goal. Hope rebounded and nearly knotted the score at one off a great chance from Jordan Goorhouse. A midfield struggle ensued, but again, another Hope miscue gave Wheaton another chance, and they capitalized to make it 2-0 at the half.

During the second half, a much inspired Hope came out and pressure the Thunder goal immediately. Two great chances by freshman Jack Abe were turned away by the Wheaton keeper, and Karter Klingenberg had another chance slide just wide of the post. In their only quality chance of the half, Wheaton put away their third opportunity to make the final 3-0. Hope actually outshot Wheaton 13-11 on the day, but did little to put away their opportunities.

Hope bounced back the next day against John Carroll University, netting a 2-0 win against an NCAA Tournament team. It was the first match where the entire Hope squad was available, and it showed. From the start, Hope dominated the flow of play, generating many quality scoring chances. Despite all the pressure, Hope was unable to capitalize until nearly halftime, when Dan Chesney sent a long ball to Dan Tresslar, who one-timed the ball across the box to a streaking Geoff Meyer, who put Hope on top 1-0.

In the second half, Hope continued to control the pace and flow of play. Generating more chances, Hope still struggled to get that second goal, until Devin McNeil took a corner kick, finding Meyer once more on the back post, who put Hope up 2-0. That would be the final margin of the game.

The next two matches sees Hope playing in the Kiwanis Classic at Wilmington College. The Dutchmen square off against Wittenberg on Friday at 5:30 pm, and then play the host Quakers of Wilmington on Saturday at 8:00 pm. These two matches are the final tune-ups before a heated MIAA campaign begins on the road at Albion.

2005 SEASON PREVIEW

An exciting and unforgettable soccer tour of the UK has springboarded the Dutchmen into the 2005 season. After a week of two and three a day practices, the roster has been set and Hope has set their eyes on Depauw University, the first opponent on the 2005 fixture.

Hope looks to be led by a veteran core of six seniors. Geoff Meyer, Devin McNeil, Karter Klingenberg, Bryan Johnson, and Phil Lepper all look likely to retain starting spots and hope to propel the Dutchmen to their third MIAA title in the past four years. Anchoring the Dutchmen in goal will be senior Kevin Butterfield.

In addition to a strong core of 2nd and 3rd year players, seven freshman secured roster spots on the team of 26. While playing time may be hard to come by for these new players, there is no doubt that they are talented. With proper growth, development, and commitment, these freshman will be looking to take over the key roles vacated by the six seniors for next year.

Hope's pre-league fixture is one of the toughest in school history. After opening at traditional powerhouse Depauw University, the Dutchmen will travel to Wabash College for an afternoon tilt versus the Little Giants of the NCAC. The following week, Hope will play host to two perennial national tournament teams, the Thunder of Wheaton College on Friday, and the Blue Streak of John Carroll University on Saturday. These matches are held in conjunction with Calvin College in honoring the late Dr. Calvin J. Bergsma, a loyal supporter and fan of both Calvin and Hope athletics. Hope will close out the pre-league portion of their fixture by playing in the Wilmington Kiwanis Classic. Hope will open against OAC foe Wittengerg on Friday evening and then take on the host Wilmington Quakers on Saturday night under the lights.

Hope will begin league play with a mid-week match at Albion College. Be sure to log in to the blog and the Hope College website for post-game match reports and comments as the season progresses.

2005 Roster

Jack Abe FR
Mike Amerman SO
John Bradford FR
Kevin Butterfield SR
Jeff Carlson JR
Danny Chesney FR
Jordan Cooper FR
Mitch Currie FR
Mark Dishnow SO
Jordan Goorhouse JR
Brady Jensen SO
Bryan Johnson SR
Karter Klingenberg SR
Phil Lepper SR
Gunnar Martin SO
Kevin McMahon FR
Pat McMahon JR
Devin McNeil SR
Geoff Meyer SR
Joey Orr JR
Ryan Robleske SO
Craig Root JR
Bain Rumohr JR
James Trebilcock FR
Dan Tresslar SO
Nate VanHorn JR

A Poet's Tale of the UK

Wow! What a tour - Scotland, England, even Wales
We leave with reluctance, but have many great tales.

Cheers to the Erskine, where the guys teambuilt with ropes,
Loved the food and the pool, but could we get some more soap?

In Scotland we learned that "changeable" meant rain,
Layering clothes, taking them on and off was kind of a pain.

We promoted antisectarianism with the bands that we sold,
A service project that raised $4,000 we're told.

We loved the Best Western with it's beautiful decor,
Great food, location, service with free toiletries galore.

We were thankful for McDonald's, but you better watch your pence,
4 pounds 79 for a burger meal just doesn't make sense.

And to the Bayswater Inn, "YIKES!" What can we say?
But the city of London just blew us away.

It rained from the ceiling, we were fearing a flood,
Here's a tip for you Macall - don't sleep in the tub.

The soccer was competitive - four losses, one win and a tie,
But with hard work and practice, for the NCAA championship we will vie.

"Wear your kits and boots on the pitch," "cheers to you mate,"
The way they talk in the UK is really first rate.

10 stitches, pulled muscles, broken nose and collar bone,
Ear infection, strep throat - it's time to go home.

Thank goodness for Dr. Butters, or more affectionately Big Jack,
Without his medical help there may have been an early departure back.

We're headed back to the states to get some good sleep,
Brennar's given us all souvenir rocks we can keep.

Some have a special souvenir, a bit of Man. U's grass,
If we had been caught, we'd been kicked in the .......;

Huge castles, amazing soccer - the sights we did see,
For organizing this trip - a huge thank you to Lee.

To Alan, our driver, thanks for all the safe rides,
Nothing was more beautiful than your Scottish countryside.

And we can't forget Murray - coach, tour guide, and friend,
Thanks for putting up with us from beginning to end.

So here's to Hope Soccer, both old and new friends,
Let's have a great season, may the fun never end.

-Bridget Schopp

last one

Thursday |August 11, 2005
Craig McNeil, Pat Root, and Devin McMahon

Despite another breakfast of champions consisting of stale rolls and jam, we
made our way into the heart of London. Upon arrival we split up and went our
separate ways and experienced important historical venues, such as the Tower
of London, the London Dungeons, and the London Bridge. Miraculously on this
encounter the bridge refrained from falling down. After a quick lunch, we
hopped on the double-decker tour bus. (AKA- Big Blue, Lightning Stripes, Alan
Mobile, Slick Racer, or more commonly known as the Firth) Big Blue’s wheels
rumbled into a lush and well maintained futbol facility of Watford FC. The
professional atmosphere and hospitality prepared our team for our final game.
With butterflies in our stomachs, we stepped onto the pitch and quickly found
ourselves down 2-0 partly do to some hometown officiating. We went into
halftime down 3-0 and looking to regroup. We finally started to put some
things together and ended the game and our trip on a positive note scoring two
goals in the last twenty minutes to finalize the score at 4-2. The remainder
of the night was free for all parents and players to enjoy our final night out
on the town in London.

Friday August 12, 2005
Craig McNeil, Pat Root, and Devin McMahon

We arose from our slumber bright eyed and bushy tailed anticipating the day’s
festivities. Slick Racer escorted us to Parliament Square where we had the
day to peruse all the London truly has to offer. We cruised the underground,
went back into time at Westminster Abbey, crossed the river Thames, went into
the sky via the London eye, while never loosing track time with Big Ben
standing high. We boosted England’s economy and really enjoyed ourselves upon
hopping on the Alan-mobile and heading back to the hotel for one last
delicious meal….
We concluded our two week adventure through Europe with a nice evening
filled with shared memories, highlights, poems, tears, and laughs. We said our
“thanks” and “good-bye’s” to the friends and guides we’ve met here and now
look forward to our safe arrival back to the states.
Thanks for the interest in our experience as a team and we all look forward
to seeing you down at 11th and Fairbanks in a couple weeks.
This is Hope men’s soccer 2005 signing off…

Hope Football Fans-

‘Twas a very eventful day here in Manchester, England. After getting up, the
team walked a few blocks to the local practice field to work on new formations
and new tactics. Coaches continue to learn more and more about the game from
our awesome tour coach/guide/representative, Murray. Following the training
session, the team and parents loaded up on the “Firth,” our luxury
double-decker bus and departed to Old Trafford Stadium, home of Manchester
United Red Devils. Man U is internationally known for their football success
and former club of supermodel/super-stud David Beckham. The stadium is the
biggest stadium in the UK and is under construction to enlarge its capacity to
above 67,000. Season ticket holders spend anywhere from £500 ($1000 US
dollars) to £5,000 ($10,000 US dollars) for seats around the stadium. Sky
boxes around the stadium, which hold 8 people go for about £47,000 (do the
math) for a season. These have a 10 year waiting list on them. Seating
sections for visually impaired, which have earphone jacks to enable spectators
to listen to the game, and sections for the physically handicapped are
available as well. The tour around the stadium took us through the players
tunnel, player’s lounge, player’s locker room, etc, etc… Highlights from the
tour also included using the same restrooms as the Man U superstars. The team
really came away from the tour in awe of what a big business the soccer world
is over here, but more importantly how beautiful the game can be.

After leaving the stadium, the bus headed back to the hotel where the player
and parents loaded up with a great dinner and took off for the game field just
over the border in Wales. The match was against Team Airbus, a U-19 Academy
team. With a new formation and great intensity, Hope went up 1-0 ten minutes
with a goal from THE Karter “Keith” Klingenberg from a pass from Bain Rumohr.
Hope continued to control the play but gave up a goal 35 minutes in to the
half that tied the game 1-1. That was how the half ended. Second half was
completely dominated by Hope’s play. Lee Schopp showed that he still had the
golden boot when he put one away two minutes into the second half off an
assist from Gunnar Martin. Nate VanHorn added to the score off another assist
from Martin, putting the Dutchmen up 3-1. Hope went up 4-1 when Bryan Mulder
put a penalty kick in the back of the net after he got tripped in the box
while cutting up multiple defenders on his way to the goal. Dan Tresslar bent
a free kick around a wall of 5 Airbus opponents to wrap up the scoring.
Hope’s first victory on the trip proved to raise spirits and confidence and
now look to finish strong in the next two games.

Cheers for now from Manchester. We leave tomorrow morning for London where we
will finish the trip.

Written by: Bryan “I love the beach” Mulder and Bain “The red-headed Luke”
Rumohr