Top Five Moments of 2011 Season: #2 -- Making it to MIAA Tournament Championship Game
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 the top moment on Thursday morning.
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 the top moment on Thursday morning.
#2 – Making it to MIAA Tournament Championship Game
The 2011 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) men's soccer season proved to be a historic one for the Olivet College men's soccer program, but it was also a historic year for the MIAA itself. It marked the inaugural season of the MIAA Tournament and for the first time, the tournament winner would receive the automatic qualifier (AQ) to the NCAA Division III National Championships. Previously, the AQ went to the winner of the regular season championship, as there was no tournament.
The top four teams after regular season play is concluded advanced to the tournament. The Comets earned the fourth seed, seting-up yet another epic battle with nemesis Calvin College in the first round. Calvin captured the top seed after claiming the MIAA regular season title. Olivet went on to blank Calvin 1-0 on the road for the second time in six days and advancing to the MIAA Tournament Championship game against Hope College.
The Comets started the final game on a tear as captain Fred Smyser headed home a cross from Esteban Russell to grab the first goal of the game just 11 minutes into the match. The Flying Dutchmen managed to fight back and find a goal before halftime, making it 1-1 at the break. The first 40 minutes of the second half were a back and forth battle before Hope went on top 2-1 extremely late in the 85th minute.
The Comets had no choice but to push numbers forward to find the equalizer in the closing minutes, but doing so the Dutchmen were able to find two more goals in transition putting the final score at 4-1. Hope went all the way to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament before bowing out.
When looking back on the achievement, Head Coach Chad Wiseman said, "Although we did not get the result we wanted, making it to the first ever MIAA Tournament Championship game was still an incredible achievement for our guys. Playing in this type of environment with an NCAA tournament berth on the line is what college athletics is all about and I am happy our guys were able to experience it.
"Had there been a tournament in previous years, we would have qualified for it in each of the past 3 seasons. We return all 11 starters from the championship game, and I am confident we will push hard for another opportunity in 2012."
#5 – Back-to-back wins at Calvin
#3 – Ranked in NSCAA top 25 for first time in school history