Top Five Moments of 2011 Season: #1 -- Most wins in history, most MIAA wins and points in history
Editor’s note: To get fans ready for the 2012 Olivet College men’s soccer season, we have done a countdown of the Top Five moments of the season. We hope you have enjoyed these moments. The 2012 season is just a few weeks away, and we invite all of fans to come cheer on the Comets this season!
Editor's note: To get fans ready for the 2012 Olivet College men's soccer season, we have done a countdown of the Top Five moments of the season. We hope you have enjoyed these moments. The 2012 season is just a few weeks away, and we invite all of fans to come cheer on the Comets this season!
#1 – Most wins in history, most MIAA wins and points in history
As we look back on everything the 2011 Olivet men's soccer team achieved, it is hard to pick out the brightest spot in the season. However, all sports teams are in the end judged on statistics and wins, and the 2011 season did not disappoint in that category.
The Comets earned a total of 14 wins on the year, the most in the programs history since 1974. Thirteen out of the 14 wins came by shutout which is a rather incredible feat. Olivet also managed to beat every team in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) at least once in 2011 and were the only team in the conference to have done so. The nine conference wins and 27 points recorded by the men also set a new school record. Although each conference game proves a new challenge, the wins against arch rivals Calvin and Hope really speak volumes of what the team was able to achieve.
After earning the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III National Championships by winning the MIAA Tournament, Hope marched on to the Elite Eight before suffering a loss. Calvin, who got in with an at-large bid went all the way to the championship game of the national tournament and were crowned national runner-up after falling just short. The success of the conference in the national championships proves how tough the task is to win the MIAA. And the success the Comets had against these foes proves they are right there among the best both the MIAA and the country has to offer.
Looking back on the season's records, Head Coach Chad Wiseman said, "I am very proud of our guys and the season they put together on the pitch. The MIAA is such a tough conference, and the guys did an outstanding job preparing for each match. As the team matures and keeps gaining experience, we will continue to improve both in results and consistency. With the players we have returning and the recruiting class coming in, if we can continue to work hard and play together, the sky is the limit for this group of young men."
#5 – Back-to-back wins at Calvin
#3 – Ranked in NSCAA top 25 for first time in school history
#2 – Making it to MIAA Tournament Championship Game
#1 – Most wins in history, most MIAA wins and points in history