Top Five Moments of 2011 Season: #5 -- Back-to-back wins at Calvin
To get fans ready for the 2012 Olivet College men's soccer season, we are going to take a look back at the 2011 season over the next month. We are doing so by doing a countdown of the Top Five moments of the season. We will reveal a new moment over the next three weeks during the month of August.
Editor's note: To get fans ready for the 2012 Olivet College men's soccer season, we are going to take a look back at the 2011 season over the next month. We are doing so by doing a countdown of the Top Five moments of the season. We will reveal a new moment over the next three weeks during the month of August.
#5 – Back-to-back wins at Calvin
When the final week of the 2011 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) season rolled around, the men found themselves with a tall task in front of them. In a span of just six days, the Comets managed to knock off perennial powerhouse Calvin College twice, with both games taking place on the Knights' home field.
The first victory took place October 29. Junior captain Fred Smyser found the back of the net in the 19th minute from a penalty spot after a poor foul from a Calvin defender deemed worthy of a red card. Behind solid possession, great back line play and 90 shutout minutes from freshman goalkeeper Alex Lang, the Comets walked away with the 1-0 win.
The second win came just six days later in the semifinals of the first-ever MIAA Tournament. Sophomore Adam Wright played a beautiful curled-in ball to Smyser, who left no doubt about it smashing home a first-time finish in the 11th minute. The team battled and protected the lead for the full 90 minutes and dropped the Knights out of the tournament and praying for an at-large bid to the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championships.
Smyser netted both game winning goals. He has enjoyed playing in front of his hometown fans, growing up just five minutes down the road from Calvin. Assistant coach Josh Ross reflects on the accomplishment, "This was maybe one of the hardest things to do in Division III soccer. To beat Calvin, twice in a week, on the road, and to shut them out both times, is a really special accomplishment. I was proud of our guys and the way they stepped up huge when things mattered most!"
Calvin was ranked nationally #23 and #16 respectively at the time of each victory and did receive an at-large bid, where they finished as the national runner-up. Both wins proved the Olivet men are primed and ready to compete with the very best the Division III nation has to offer.