Headlines
October 8, 2008
Tough Final Game Goes to UC
A whirlwind of a season came to a close Wednesday in Hudsonville for the JV soccer team. The short month and a half season saw the Maroons experience great success gelling as a unit under the leadership of head coach Brian Lemmen. The team faced a large
hurdle
in their final game of the year playing without two of their key
fullbacks with one on varsity and the other down with injury. The
depleted roster would have to face Unity Christian who defeated Holland
Christian 3-0 earlier this season for their lone conference defeat.
The team was hoping to end their season on a high note with a victory
over their rivals and setting the table for the varsity in the
championship game of the OK-Green postseason tournament. The JV ended
up setting a very nice table but fell to Unity 1-0 in an exciting and
evenly matched contest. Throughout the first half, both teams were
able to put pressure on one another’s keeper but they could not get
anything to find the back of the net. The back and forth action saw
the teams streaking down one end and back down the other end of the
field. That running would sooner or later wear a team down and it did
just that with eight minutes left in the half. The defense of the
Maroons had a minor lapse leaving an unmarked man on the right hand
side of the net. Unity crossed the pass over and found the wide open
man for the lone goal of the half. They took the 1-0 lead into half.
Holland Christian continued fighting in the second half and shots by
Toby Blom, Zach VanWyk and Ryan Jacobs all were stopped by the UC
keeper. Neither team could find room in the goal box and Unity began
to pack the box to stop HC from any scoring opportunities. The final
chance the team had was from Mitch Barry with less than two minutes.
Barry lined up a shot and put it on net. The leaping Unity goalie just
got a finger on the ball and sent it inches over the net. That missed
shot sealed the Unity win. Despite the defeat, the JV ended playing
strong and finished their season at 11-5-1 on the year. “I am really
proud of this team,” said head coach Brian Lemmen. “They battled all
year and I couldn’t ask for more.” PHOTOS
October 6, 2008
No Sign of Rust in Shutout
Playing
for the first time in over a week, head coach Brian Lemmen hoped his
team would not be rusty in the second round of the OK-Green postseason
tournament. The Maroons did not play a first round game, as Rogers
does not carry a JV team. With the varsity gearing up for a huge game
following the contest, the JV was trying to provide a little momentum
heading into the varsity game. Earlier in the year, on the same field,
Holland Christian defeated Wyoming Park 6-1 and they were hoping for a
similar result. Despite the time off, the team showed no rust as they
kept the ball on the Wyoming Park side of the field the majority of the
night. With the pressure on the Vikings, it was only a matter of time
until they cracked. Ryan Jacobs got the first blow in when he headed a
ball into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. Ben DeJonge arced a
perfectly pass crossing pass into the middle and Jacobs elevated and
headed the ball in. The play was executed excellently and it was a
snapshot of how well the team played on the day. Park tried to move
the ball down the field but to no avail and HC pushed them back into a
defensive position. With the ball down around the net, the shear
athleticism of Toby Blom (above, left) would notch the second goal of
the night. Blom simply outworked two Wyoming Park defenders and this
enabled him to create his own shot. Blom won the ball, stepped back
and boomed a kick on net that flew into the left corner for the
2-0 lead. The lead only grew as Zach VanWyk (below, right) got into
the scoring column. VanWyk, who has played strongly for the team all
season in the middle, gathered a ball in the center of the field and
pounded it home for the 3-0 lead. The team would take the three goal
lead into halftime. Out of half, the team tried to stay as wide as
they could enabling their offense to continue to click. Jacobs tallied
his second goal on the night to bring the score to 4-0. The goal also
tied Blom for the team lead with twelve goals on the year. The only
drama remaining in the game was the defense’s ability to hold their
shutout. Playing without their top midfielder Matt Garvelink, who is
now up on varsity, the team is still trying to get acclimated to a new
alignment. This was not seen all afternoon as the communication and
play on the backside was tip top and enabled the team to shutout
Wyoming Park for the 4-0 victory. “We played really well and stayed
wide on a very narrow field,” said Lemmen. “To play this well, after
such a layoff, is a great compliment to how hard the guys work in
practice. We will hope to end the season right on Wednesday.” The JV,
11-4-1, will end their season on Wednesday in the final game of the
OK-Green tournament. The Maroons will travel to Unity Christian to
take on the Crusaders at 5:00 p.m. prior to the championship game of
the varsity tournament. PHOTOS
September 27, 2008
Shutout Enables Finale Victory
The local rivalry between Holland Christian and West Ottawa had people in anticipation of a great duel when the two JV soccer teams took to the field Saturday morning. Those in attendance were not disappointed as the two locked horns in a great game that was decided by a lone goal. The Maroons had been focusing on their passing over the past several weeks of practice and it all paid off Saturday. HC was able to possess the ball extremely well limiting the amount of shots their opposition could take. At the same time, the team was able to work well in space but the Panthers defense would not budge an inch and neither team was gaining many strong shot opportunities. As the game wore on, it became quite apparent that one goal would probably seal the deal. West Ottawa had an opportunity but was stopped by keeper Nate Dykstra. Minutes later, the Maroons ran a set play and again the practice paid off. With the ball at midfield, Nate Terpstra chipped the ball down the field and Toby Blom elevated and got his head on the ball. The header redirected into the corner of the net and gave the Maroons a 1-0 lead. That lead would stick with Dykstra and his defensive line holding and Holland Christian gained the regular season finale victory by a score of 1-0. The win got the JV into double digits in victories as they are now 10-4-1. The team will await an opponent as the varsity takes on Rogers Wednesday evening in the first round of the OK-Green postseason tournament. Rogers does not have a JV team so an opponent is yet to be announced. The worst case scenario is the JV will wait to play until Monday, October 6 in the tournament. PHOTOS
September 24, 2008
Bosma's 2 Goals, Defense Carry HC
The
pace of soccer is such that it quickly changes from side to side with
each team able to grab momentum at a moment’s notice. That quick paced
tempo translates beyond the playing field to the schedule as well.
Just over a month ago the season had kicked off and with Wednesday’s
contest against Hamilton, the OK-Green portion of the schedule closed
up shop. If the Maroons would be able to hold serve on their home
field, they would assure themselves of a second place finish in
conference, one game behind Unity Christian. The Maroons came out with
a vengeance to start the first half but through the first twenty
minutes of the half they had nothing to show for it. As HC controlled
the ball on the Hamilton side of the field, the Hawkeyes were forced to
retreat into the box to shelter their goalie from the peppering he was
receiving. With that many defenders in the box, most of the shot
opportunities were glancing off the defense and squirting away from the
net. In order to beat the defense, the JV were going to have to
redirect the ball across the field. With eighteen minutes remaining
Ryan Jacobs did just that. Jacobs pushed deep into Hamilton territory
and noticed a white streak to his left. A beautiful crossing pass came
to rest at the foot of Jon Bosma (left) who nailed the shot into the
net for the 1-0 lead. Minutes later, the pressure paid off again as
the ball was filtered into the mass of defenders. The ball bounced
around and Zach VanWyk flew into the mix. Keeping his knee above the
ball, he controlled the bouncing ball and took two dribbles before
burying the shot into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead. That would
be the way things went to halftime. Even more impressive than the lead
was the fact Hamilton had
zero shots on goal without the JV’s best defender (moved up to
varsity). The halftime intermission would be good for the lonely Nate
Dykstra who stood by himself for forty minutes. The team regrouped and
much of the same occurred in the second half. The ball remained in
Hawkeyes territory with shot after shot being deflected or cleared out
of the box. With 20:45, Ben DeJonge sent a booming cross kick that
caught the defense by surprise and Bosma scorched his second goal of
the game into the net to make it 3-0. The pressure would continue on
net over the remaining minutes in the half as the defense did not allow
Hamilton to make any type of run or to get a scoring opportunity.
Jacobs, who was key on the first goal, got one of his own as time wound
down to put HC up 4-0. DeJonge, also key to an earlier goal, got his
turn with two minutes remaining to make the score 5-0. This is how it
would end as the Maroons put a nice cap on the conference season. The
win clinched solidified second place for HC as they finished the
conference season at 5-1. Now with conference play completed, the JV
(9-4-1) will finalize another element of their 2008 schedule with the
regular season finale on Saturday. The Maroons will host West Ottawa
on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. The remaining games of their
schedule are yet to be determined and will be announced later in the
week once the varsity standings have been set. They will then play in
the OK-Green post-season tournament into the first week of October. PHOTOS
September 22, 2008
Ball Finally Bounces Their Way
The
past two contests have been discouraging for the JV soccer team and
their head coach Brian Lemmen. “I have been a bit frustrated the past
two games as the boys have really played their hearts out and deserved
to win but on the scoreboard we haven’t had anything to show for it,”
said Lemmen heading into their Monday contest. “We have played well,
but just a few minutes of each game has knocked us out of it.” The JV
was defeated by a ten minute section of their game against Unity when
the Crusaders scored three goals, and a five minute section against
Grand Rapids Christian when the Eagles scored two. Despite the gloomy
feeling after each of their game, it was only a matter of time before
the results reflected the play on the field. The patience of the coach
and his team were rewarded against Wyoming Park Monday afternoon. The
team played with the same tenacity as they have shown the past two
games, but the ball began to bounce their way. Ryan Jacobs got things
started minutes into the contest when he used his individual skill to
beat the defense and knocked home the first goal of the game. The
unassisted goal gave the Maroons a 1-0 lead but it would be short
lived. Wyoming Park attacked the HC side of the field and the pressure
paid off. Following a foul in the goal box, Park was awarded a penalty
kick. They converted the kick and it was tied 1-1. The past two games
HC’s opponent was able to score and make a minor run to be enough for
the victory. Not today. Holland Christian was able to move down the
narrow field and get their own penalty kick. Toby Blom was chosen to
take the kick and he was the correct choice. Blom banged it into the
net and the Maroons grabbed the 2-1 lead. HC did not let up off the
gas pedal as Matt Garvelink got into the scoring 
column
off a beautiful feed from Jacobs. Jacobs took the corner kick and
filtered the ball into the middle. Garvelink, who is brought up on
corner kicks, buried the shot and HC led 3-1. With time winding down
in the half, Blom got his second goal in similar fashion to Jacobs’
goal. Blom used his stellar individual moves to blow past his defender
and easily flipped the ball into the net for the 4-1 lead heading into
halftime. Out of intermission, the team followed the adjustments set
in motion by Lemmen (left) and widened the field enabling them to touch
the ball around much easier. The defense of Holland Christian bottled
up the Vikings attack shutting them down throughout the entire half.
Jacobs would get his second goal at the 10:51 mark to move the score up
to 5-1. The scoring was capped off when Blom headed in a corner kick,
from Jacobs, to make it 6-1. The goal gave Blom the hat trick and the
6-1 score turned out to be the final score. “We started out a bit slow
but got things rolling and it is great for these guys,” said Lemmen.
“We widened the field and our defense played very well tonight.” The
Maroons (8-4-1/4-1) will round out the regular season portion of the
OK-Green schedule when they host Hamilton on Wednesday with the ball
dropping at 5:00 p.m. PHOTOS
September 20, 2008
Maroons Can't Wiggle the Back of the Net in Loss
The JV soccer team traveled to Gainey Field on Saturday to take on the Eagles of Grand Rapids Christian. After their flat start against Unity on Wednesday, the team was encouraged to come out strong. That was exactly the case as the Maroons pushed the
ball
up on Christian’s side of the field to begin the game and the majority
of the half would stay on that side of the field. As HC marked their
defenders, Christian had difficulty clearing the ball and this allowed
the Maroons’ offense several shot attempts. Holland Christian moved
the ball outside and touched pass after pass that created great shot
opportunities in front of the Eagles net. The Christian goalie was
able to deflect each and every shot that HC put on net. Going into
halftime it was clear that Holland Christian had dominated the entire
thirty five minutes but could not wiggle the back of the net and it
remained scoreless. The exact same thing occurred in the opening
minutes of the second half until Christian finally making a run fifteen
minutes into second. The run allowed the Eagles their first strong
scoring opportunity and they would not waste it. The crisp shot
slipped into the net and despite the strong play, Holland Christian
trailed 1-0. This goal was a bit demoralizing to the group.
Dominating much of the game, and now trailing, shocked the young group
and Christian capitalized once again. Three minutes later, an open
opponent found the net to make it 2-0. This would be enough for the
Eagles to hold on to take the non-conference win. “We came out very
strong and really played tough soccer in the first half,” said head
coach Brian Lemmen. “Playing as hard as we were, their first goal
really demoralized us a bit and it cost us with their second goal.
It’s disappointing with how well we played but we have to strap it up
and come out on Monday.” The loss moves the JV’s record to 7-4-1 on
the year. They will return to conference play Monday in hopes of
ending their two game losing streak when they travel to Wyoming Park.
PHOTOS
September 17, 2008
Unity Spotted with Early Lead Takes Rivalry Game
The much anticipated JV soccer game between Unity Christian and Holland Christian got off to a rocky start if you were a maroon and white fan. Within the first fifteen minutes, the Crusaders were able to drop three goals on HC for the 3-0 lead with 20:59 left
in
the half. The offense finally made a run on Unity’s net but was unable
to launch a shot. Unity then spent the next ten minutes in Maroons’
territory but the defensive line held battling each and every shot.
Toby Blom broke down the left side of the field and was found in stride
on a perfect pass from Mitch Barry. Blom boomed a crossing kick that
deflected off the Crusaders defender and they earned a throw in. Ben
DeJonge tossed the ball into net and a streaking Grant VanPutten just
missed a header on goal. The Unity goalie grabbed the ball and cleared
it onto the Holland Christian side of the field. Three minutes later,
the UC goalie came out of the box to scoop up a pass. His attempt to
clear the ball failed as DeJonge again filtered it into the box and
Ryan Jacobs just missed the first HC
shot on net. The Holland Christian attack continued as Toby Blom just
missed as he grazed a shot along the right side of the net at the 3:38
mark. The ball stayed on the Crusaders side of the field but their
defense held and the teams went to half with Unity leading 3-0. The
second half began much the same as the first, with Unity attacking; but
the halftime adjustments did not allow Unity to get any open shots.
Ryan Jacobs got the team’s first shot on net at the 26:01 mark but it
soared over the net. The team was able to keep the ball on the UC side
of the field, for the next eight minutes, but the defense was strong
for the visitor’s and the Maroons could not capitalize. Just as
Unity’s defense was picking up their game, so was the HC defensive
line. They limited Unity to only one shot on net over the final
fifteen minutes of the game. Despite the effort, the first fifteen
minutes of the contest proved to be al Unity needed as they won 3-0.
The loss is Holland Christian’s first in the OK-Green as they fall to
3-1 and 7-3-1 overall. The Maroons will travel to Grand Rapids to face
the Eagles of Christian on Saturday. PHOTOS
September 15, 2008
Maroons Move onto Anticipated Rivalry Game
With the entire soccer program’s eyes fixed on Wednesday’s game against Unity Christian, the Rams of Central High hoped to slip
in
quietly and pick up a non-conference victory. Central was picked up on
the schedule after OK-Green member Rogers, was forced to disband their
JV soccer season due to a lack of participation. Suddenly the Maroons
no longer were playing an important conference game to set up the first
place tilt. They would be forced with staying in the moment, rather
than looking ahead to Wednesday, as they would enter the game with
Unity undefeated in conference. The test of focusing on their current
opponent would not be a difficult one for head coach Brian Lemmen. “We
want to go in to the Unity game continuing to play as well as we have
been, so we will be ready for Central” added Lemmen, when asked about
the challenges of the non-conference contest. Instead of having their
eyes looking forward, the team put their head done and got to work
against the visiting Rams. It was a good thing they did as Central
provided a great test for Holland Christian. The two teams battled it
out in the first half as Central was unable to take advantage of their
individual skill and pull it together as a team. All half long, the
speed of the Rams caused the Maroons to be playing catch-up as Central
touched the ball well. Despite the ability to create openings, the
visitors did not function cohesively as a group and this enabled
Holland Christian to hold on throughout the half. With HC playing
catch up, Central was unable to 
capitalize
and at halftime it was 0-0. Out of the break, Lemmen pushed his team
to widen the field enabling more open passing lanes. They began to do
this but no goals would come of it. Not much occurred in the second
half with the majority of the game being played in the middle of the
field. Again, the teams battled one another for nearly thirty minutes
before the play that would decide the game occurred. With six minutes
left in the half, Ben DeJonge grabbed the ball and raised it above his
head for the out of bounds throw in (above, right). DeJonge approached
the sideline and with a great heave the ball went sailing towards the
goal box. It landed and bounced around before a Rams’ defender
prepared to clear the ball. As the Central defender wound up to kick
the ball it was deflected and his leg only got a piece of the soccer
ball. The ball went spinning into the air and an opportunistic Alex
Tien (left) pounced. Tien rose above the crowd and with a whip of his
neck, send the ball into the goal, off his head, for the lone goal of
the game. The 1-0 score would stick and the JV would pull out the
non-conference victory. Lemmen summed up the game by stating “I don’t
think we were mentally prepared and that falls on me. We need to have
a good practice and play much better Wednesday.” With all the details
handled, now up will be the test against of one of the top soccer
programs in the state. Unity Christian will come to HC’s turf and face
the 7-2-1 (3-0) Maroons on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. PHOTOS
September 11, 2008
Coach Proven to Be Soothsayer in Victory
One of the hottest programs that Holland Christian has this fall is the boys’ soccer program. While the freshmen team has yet to drop a game, the JV and varsity are riding high with big wins in the past two games. After starting a bit slow, the JV team has
gelled
together and came into their non-league game with Spring Lake having
not been defeated in their past five games (four wins and a tie).
During that streak, the defense has become a storyline as the four
victories all came by way of shutout variety. “Our defensive line has
really picked up over the past couple of weeks,” said Brian Lemmen.
“As in any sport, defense really wins. In soccer it really is true and
in our case our defense starts our offense.” The Maroons transition so
well from defense to offense because of their passing ability and speed
and they showcased this against Spring Lake in a big non-conference
match Thursday afternoon. Unlike the past two games, the offense
started out slow and that could be attributed to playing on
back-to-back nights. Once they settled in however, HC was able to grab
a lead but would rely on their defense late. The game opened with both
teams battling back and forth in the middle of the field. Midway
through the first, the Maroons were able to gather some room when Zach
VanWyk (right) slipped a pass to Ryan Jacobs. Jacobs line it up and
drilled the ball into the lower right hand corner for the 1-0 lead. It
would stay this way, with ease, until the final three tense minutes of
the half. Spring Lake got the ball into HC territory and the defense
could not clear the ball out. “It felt like they were just all over
us,” said Lemmen. With the inability to clear the ball, the host was
all over HC’s goal like white on rice. Despite the shots just
peppering the net, the defense held and got them through the tenuous
time and at half, HC led 1-0. Last game Lemmen put his motivational
speech on display, this game the coach told his group “we need to win
this game 3-0” and the team listened. Out of the break, things started
much like the second half ended. Spring Lake outhustled and outworked
HC to every ball. The Maroons were in desperate need of a spark and
their received it from defenseman 
Mitch
Barry. “What Barry did in that second half was as good as he has ever
played,” said Lemmen. Barry (left) turned the tides and won every
header and hustled all over the field to clear the ball. His work
ethic and hustle got the rest of his teammates motivated and HC snapped
out of its funk and propelled themselves forward. Toby Blom, who had
been sending rockets on net for two games but just missing, took a bit
off of his shot halfway into the second half and it found the back of
the net. The 2-0 lead gave the team some breathing room. With all the
running the team was doing to win balls and give themselves chances,
the players were now in need of a breather. Ryan Eldean subbed Blom
for a spell and Eldean took advantage of his time. Taking a pass from
Matt Garvelink, Eldean let the ball hit the ground once, spun and fired
a shot on net for the third Maroons goal of the night. That would be
the straw that broke Spring Lake’s back as the defense clamped down and
continued their undefeated streak with their fifth shutout in the past
six games. The 3-0 win also made their head coach look like a genius
once again. Nate Dykstra was again phenomenal in net, especially
during the pressure packed final minutes of the first half. “I tell
you what,” said a giddy head coach, “I couldn’t be happier with how
this team played.” The six game undefeated streak has improved the
team’s overall record to 6-2-1 and they will have a chance to improve
upon that on Monday. With Rogers not carrying a JV soccer team, the
Maroons will host the Rams of Central High School in a non-conference
tilt. PHOTOS
September 10, 2008
Momentum Continues in Conference Rout
The JV soccer team entered their OK-Green conference matchup with Byron Center riding a wave of momentum. The team had not been defeated in their last four games and was coming off of their best offensive output of the young season. The group heeded their coach’s message prior to the game about not being complacent with their performance and trying to improve each day. It seems like head coach Brian Lemmen may have a new career in motivational speaking as the Maroons offense again came out quickly with a fury of shots on net that bogged down the Bulldogs keeper. The pressure (right) began just ten seconds into the contest when Luke Folkerts found Toby Blom for the first shot on net that clanged off the post. Two shots later, and at the 30:28 mark, Matt Garvelink took a Toby Blom feed and banged it home off the left goalpost for the early 1-0 advantage. Three minutes later the Maroons crashed the net and just missed a crossing shot on the right side of the post. On the ensuing goal kick, the defense was able to win the ball and push it back down into BC territory. Kevin Lokker (below, left) broke from the left side and buried a shot into the back right corner for the 2-0 lead at 23:50 mark. Twenty seconds later the ball skipped off the top of the goalpost to a wail of ”ohhhh”s from the HC
crowd.
Byron Center was able to make some defensive adjustments that would
limit the clean looks on net. The Maroons maintained the ball on the
Bulldogs side of the field, without letting BC move the ball down the
field, and continued to push the ball on net but the defenders were
able to deflect most of the remaining shots of the half. With 6:27
left in the half, BC was able to deflect a ball but could not stop the
shot. Grant VanPutten made a nifty sliding shot on the right corner
that was deflected by the BC goalie but the deflection redirected the
ball into the back of the net for the 3-0 lead. Three minutes later
Ryan Jacobs executed déjà vu on BC. At the 3:24 mark, Jacobs beat the
defense and knocked home the fourth goal of the game. Fifteen seconds
later, Jacobs squared up another kick and the Maroons led 5-0. They
would take the large goal advantage into halftime but the score would
not hold for very long. Under eight minutes into the half, Zach VanWyk
drove a shot on net and it found room in the upper right hand corner.
The goal made it 6-0. With a large lead, Lemmen again got to get his
extended roster playing time and they continued to pressure the net but
could not get anything to fall. The half would wind down on HC’s
victory pushing their conference mark to 3-0 and 5-2-1 overall. The
six goals was impressive but the defensive effort put forth might trump
the offense. Byron Center did not get one shot on goal the entire
game. “Another strong team effort for us and we continued to showcase
some strong passing and our defense controlled their tempo” added
Lemmen.” The improving JV squad will look to gain another lesson when
they face Spring Lake on the road tomorrow afternoon. PHOTOS
September 8, 2008
Group Continues to Improve
One of the strongest attributes of a team is the constant growth and
improvement they can show over the course of a season. In just a span
of a week, head coach Brian Lemmen’s team has made some strong strides
in the right direction. Just a week earlier, HC was able to take a 4-0
lead into halftime against Calvin Christian but could not manage
another goal in their 4-0 win. Despite the score, Lemmen stated his
team could have played much better in the second half. A week later
the Maroons found themselves in the same position but would improve
upon their showing. Leading 4-0 at half, HC did not sit on their lead
and came out and put four more goals up in their 8-0 mercy shortened
win over Zeeland West. Fourteen minutes into the game, Toby Blom
(left) got things rolling with his first of two goals on the night.
His second goal made it 2-0. Ryan Jacobs then was able to find room in
the goal box and scored the first of his two goals for the Maroons 3-0
lead and things were well on their way. With the growing lead, the
expanded roster of the team was able to see strong minutes where they
produced. Stephen Busscher, entered the game off the bench and would
highlight the afternoon 
with
two goals from the stopper position. His two goals would push the lead
even further up until Grant VanPutten and Ryan Eldean chipped in with
goals to round out the eight goals scored on the afternoon. The
scoring was enabled by the strong passing game that HC put on and that
was led by Zach VanWyk’s two assists. Ben DeJonge, Ben Edewaard, Matt
Garvelink (right), Macall Smith and VanPutten would also tally an assist
in the game. “This was a good team victory” said Lemmen. “We had a
lot of guys play a lot of minutes and they really played well. I was
most pleased to how we bounced out of halftime and continued playing
strong soccer.” The large margin of victory forced the game to be
called five and a half minutes short that was even more welcomed by the
Maroons’ faithful as the rain was coming down quite hard. The win
moves the HC OK-Green record to 2-0, 4-2-1 overall, as they get ready
to host their first conference home game on Wednesday. Bryon Center
will come to town for the conference tilt that begins at 5:00 p.m.
September 6, 2008
Wet Conditions Level Playing Field
The aftermath of the recent rainstorm was felt Saturday morning by the JV soccer team as they traveled to Caledonia to face the Scots. The early morning game was enough of a test for the Maroons, but the field was wet and slow and this leveled the playing field for the two teams. Even with the adverse conditions, HC came out strong and capitalized early on a tremendous pass and finishing shot. Ben DeJonge held the ball deep along the right sideline and feathered a great crossing pass right on cue to Ryan Jacobs (right). Jacobs beat his defender and the crossing pass found his foot and the ball was immediately redirected into the back of the net before the defenders could react. The goal gave the Maroons the 1-0 lead. The tempo of the game early was in favor of HC but the flow of the game started to switch towards the Caledonia side. With the team trying to hold on to their lead and just get to halftime a defensive miscue cost HC late. The wet conditions finally reared its ugly head, as the Scots were able to score on a slip by the defense. The
teams
went to half tied at 1. Out of the halftime break, the Maroons started
firing on all cylinders again and grabbed the lead once again. DeJonge
(left) captained the ship again as he fed a ball from the right corner
to Zach VanWyk who wasted no time in giving his team the 2-1 lead.
Midway through the final half, Caledonia beat the HC defense and got a
breakaway on net. With Nate Dykstra having to step out to defend the
run on net, the Scots were able to feed for an open shot and tied the
game at 2. As time ticked off on the contest, the Maroons fans got a
rush of excitement as HC scored to take the 3-2 lead. The lead was
fleeting as the goal was called back on a foul. This would be their
final opportunity in regulation and the JV does not play overtime so
the teams tied 2-2. “I thought we lost our energy at the end of the
first half” said head coach Brian Lemmen. “We battled back in the
second and overall, we had a strong week (2-0-1). We will look to
start that again next week against Zeeland West.” Holland Christian,
now 3-2-1 (1-0), will travel back to Zeeland to face the Dux on
Monday. PHOTOS
September 3, 2008
Shutout Victory Opens Conference for HC
A strong first half surge, scoring four goals and leading 4-0 at half, captivated the JV soccer team’s fans in yesterday's 4-0 win, but head coach Brian Lemmen saw a different game. “I thought we played very well in the first half” Lemmen noted, “but we just were too goal happy and that caused our game plan to break in the second half.” Looking to make a key adjustment, the team made halftime adjustments in their conference opener against Zeeland East and they paid off. In the first half, the team again put together a solid effort playing very well and took a 1-0 lead into the halftime intermission. With thirteen minutes to go in the half, freshmen Toby Blom took a Grant VanPutten (right) assist and drilled it into the net for the lone goal of the half. Zeeland East’s freshmen goalie was really the story of the half as he saved shot after shot against the Maroons to keep his team in the game. Noticing an opportunity to pounce, Lemmen pushed his team up to not only defend East’s main forward, but also create more shot opportunities on net and on rebounds. Out of the break, the speed of VanPutten, Mitch Barry and Macall
Smith
slowed down the Chix’s offensive attack and HC capitalized on the other
end of the field. Ryan Jacobs, who was flying all over the field in
the first half putting shot after shot on net to no avail, found Zach
VanWyk (left) for a nice goal to give HC the 2-0 lead. Shortly after
the goal, the team gathered the ball on a dead ball. Off the play,
Matt Garvelink popped the ball up into the air to Jon Bosma who smoked
the ball into the crossbar. What looked like a near miss suddenly
became the team’s third goal as the persistent Bosma took the rebound
and knocked it in for the 3-0 lead. That would eventually stick to be
the final score. The defensive line was again solid and Nate Dykstra
was solid in net again gathering his second shutout of the year, and
the third combined of the early season. “That first conference victory
is very, very delightful,” said a jubilant Lemmen. “We hung in there
against a good team (3-1 entering the game) and played very well in
both halves.” The Maroons, now 3-2 (1-0), will go back out of
conference on Saturday when they travel to Caledonia for a 10:00 a.m.
contest. PHOTOS
September 2, 2008
Momentum Has Team Feeling Green
Coming off a very tough non-conference road loss to Grand Haven, Holland Christian’s JV boys’ soccer team was looking to get back to the .500 mark and gain some momentum prior to their conference opener on Wednesday. The Maroons hosted Calvin Christian on Tuesday and did not wait long to grab the lead and start building for the big game on Wednesday. Toby Blom continued his stellar play as he fed the ball to Ben Edewaard who knocked home the goal within the first minute of the game to take the lead 1-0. Calvin was able to keep HC off the board for the next thirteen minutes but it was tenuous during that time. The Maroons continued to pressure the ball and the net and the feeling in the stadium was something was about to give. It was. The Squires grip on the game came unraveled over the course of the next ten minutes as Holland Christian went on a 3-0 scoring streak to extend their lead
to 4-0. Zach
VanWyk fed Ryan Jacobs with a perfectly led pass that Jacobs finished to give
the Maroons their second goal. Five
minutes later, the great passing continued as Jon Bosma filtered a pass into
Luke Folkerts (left) who simply powered the ball past goalie for the three goal
cushion. Folkerts kick had some velocity
on it and it went in and out of the goalies hands and fell into the net. The final goal of the half came just three
minutes later when Ryan Eldean found Macall Smith (above, right). Smith feathered a kick into the right corner
of the net for the 4-0 lead which HC took to half. Out of the halftime break, head coach Brian
Lemmen got his entire team great minutes.
Neither team would find a way to score in the second half and HC took
the contest 4-0. The Maroons defensive line was again strong limiting the amount of opportunities that CC got the entire game. The win was the Maroons
second shutout of the season as Nate Dykstra and Ryan Wassink teamed up for the
shutout in net. “Everyone got time and
we have some momentum heading into tomorrow’s conference opener” added
Lemmen. “We just need to build on this
and I like the direction we are headed.”
The team, now 2-2, will travel to Zeeland East tomorrow for their
OK-Green opener. PHOTOS
August 28, 2008
Defensive Battle Goes to GH
Often times the final score of a game is not always the tell tale sign of the contest that played out on the field of play. Thursday’s JV soccer game was a classic example of this as the Maroons fell 1-0. Just looking at the outcome,
and seeing HC on the losing end, that loss has
connotations of its own. Drop that
thought, as the team put forth a valiant effort but fell to Grand Haven. Playing a very solid and fundamental team,
the Maroons hung with Grand Haven in the first half with the two teams going to
the break tied at 0. Holland Christian
was really unable to get any offensive chances in the first half. Out of the intermission, Grand Haven started
to showcase their passing ability and the touch they had on the ball caused the
Maroons to start chasing after the ball.
This opened up several seams in the defense and the Bucs capitalized for
the line goal just four minutes into the half.
Despite trailing the faster team, the Maroons fought back and displayed
strong defensive play by Mitch Barry, Peter Cupery, Matt Garvelink, Macall
Smith and Nate Terpstra shut down Grand Haven the rest of the game. The Maroons offense started to click as they
were able to get a few shots on net late in the game but nothing fell
through. In the end, the one goal would
hold up as the team dropped to 1-2 on the year.
Head coach Brian Lemmen was pleased with his teams effort against a very
strong team and highlighted goalie Nate Dykstra’s performance. “We played hard and Dykstra (above, left) was outstanding
in net as he put together his best game by far this season. I am really proud of him and the guys.” HC will host Calvin Christian on Tuesday at
5:30 p.m. PHOTOS
August 26, 2008
Win #1 for the JV in Rivalry Game
Playing friends in a competitive environment can be an extremely tough aspect of athletics. This is not only a test of one’s physical
skills,
but also the mental ability to understand between the lines and outside
of the lines relationships. Yet another learning experience that the
JV boys’ soccer team endured on Tuesday afternoon as the Maroons hosted
the Holland Dutch in their home opener. Coming off a tough opening
night defeat, the Maroons had extra incentive for being mentally locked
into the big rivalry contest. Many of the guys playing in the game had
grown up playing with and against one another so there was a great deal
of familiarity that came into play. That could have explained the
entire first half that could be summed up with the term, “defensive
struggle.” That was not the way the first half looked like it was
going to be while in the first ten minutes the Maroons possessed the
ball almost the entire time on the Dutch’s side of the field. That
pressure finally cracked Holland when Ryan Jacobs found Toby Blom for
the goal at the 30:50 mark to give Holland Christian the 1-0 lead.
Holland finally cleared the ball and got a shot on net two minutes
later but it went sailing wide right. Then for the next fifteen
minutes each team was unable to really mount any charge. Each time it
seemed as if the offense would create an opportunity the defenders
would swoop in and clear the ball. The Dutch had one final scoring
attempt at the 8:00 minute mark but the defense was congested in front
of the net and did not allow for an open shot. HC knocked a shot on
net with a minute remaining that forced the Holland goalie to go diving
to his left but he was able to retrieve it. At half, the score
remained Holland Christian 1, Holland 0. Out of the half, the hustle
of Jacobs (top, left) sparked his 
team
and the offense began to spread the ball. With there being more room
on the field, shot opportunities started to become more frequent until
Ben DeJonge finally got one into the net. DeJonge stuck his foot out
and redirected a ball in front of the net and just like that HC led by
two goals. That was how it would stand until Blom (right) notched his
second goal on a pretty assist from Jon Bosma. The freshmen Blom
enjoyed a strong day as he continues to man impact on the JV. That
goal gave the Maroons a commanding 3-0 lead and that was how it would
end with the JV grabbing their first shutout of the season. The
victory was also the first of the year as the team is now 1-1 on the
year. “I thought we played well and had some great hustle” said head
coach Brian Lemmen. “We definitely have some things we need to work
on, but any coach will say that. We cam out and fed off the energy of
the guys on the bench in the second half and it was a total team
victory.” Holland Christian will travel to Grand Haven on Thursday for
another non-conference game starting at 5:00 p.m. PHOTOS
August 19, 2008
Shot Opportunities Favor HC; Score Goes to Hudsonville
A day after having their home opener moved due to the construction on the high school campus, the Maroons boys’ JV soccer season got underway at Hudsonville. The Eagles accommodated the change in venue and first year head coach Brian Lemmen, and his team, got their first taste of competition this season. Despite it being their first game, the Maroons looked like the sharper team as the majority of the first half was played in the Eagles side of the field. HC out shot the host Eagles 8-0 in the first half with three near misses. Ben DeJonge (right) had two shot opportunities at the ten minute mark and six minute mark with the first soaring to the left. The second flew over the net and it looked to be the final scoring chance. Zach VanWyk made a run with less than three minutes to go and just missed the goal hitting the ball just over the top of the goalpost. A scrum in front of the net gave the Maroons their final opportunity but the Hudsonville goalie dove on top of the ball. The fight for the ball ended the first half and both teams went to break tied 0-0. Immediately out of the break Ryan Jacobs made a run on the net but was stooped by the sliding Eagles goalie. For the next ten plus minutes, the teams exchanged possessions in the middle of the field until freshman
Toby
Blom made a pretty cross pass at the eighteen yard line to a streaking
Ryan Eldean. The Hudsonville goalie again slid out to deflect the ball
over the net. Fifteen minutes into the half, the Maroons had outshot
Hudsonville 13-0. Hudsonville finally got their first shot on net and
made it count finishing the shot to take a 1-0 lead at the 22:06 mark.
The Maroons responded with Blom finding Eldean again in front of the
net, a minute later, but the header just missed the right side of the
net. The Hudsonville goal, and the tough time finishing their shots,
seemed to drain the Maroons of their energy. That changed when Alex
Tien (left) was substituted in with five minutes remaining and he
rewarded his team with their first goal on their fifteenth shot to tie
the game at 1 at the three minute mark. The Eagles responded however
just fifty five seconds later again capitalizing on their opportunity
knocking their second shot on goal which found the back of the net to
give the host the 2-1 lead. Despite outshooting Hudsonville 16-2, and
being the sharper team, Holland Christian was undone by their inability
to finish and fell 2-1. The loss drops the team to 0-1 on the season.
The team will have a week off to continue to mesh as a unit until their
next game, their home opener, when they host nearby rival Holland High
School, on August 26, at 5:00 p.m. PHOTOS
October 8, 2008
Tough Final Game Goes to UC
A whirlwind of a season came to a close Wednesday in Hudsonville for the JV soccer team. The short month and a half season saw the Maroons experience great success gelling as a unit under the leadership of head coach Brian Lemmen. The team faced a large
hurdle
in their final game of the year playing without two of their key
fullbacks with one on varsity and the other down with injury. The
depleted roster would have to face Unity Christian who defeated Holland
Christian 3-0 earlier this season for their lone conference defeat.
The team was hoping to end their season on a high note with a victory
over their rivals and setting the table for the varsity in the
championship game of the OK-Green postseason tournament. The JV ended
up setting a very nice table but fell to Unity 1-0 in an exciting and
evenly matched contest. Throughout the first half, both teams were
able to put pressure on one another’s keeper but they could not get
anything to find the back of the net. The back and forth action saw
the teams streaking down one end and back down the other end of the
field. That running would sooner or later wear a team down and it did
just that with eight minutes left in the half. The defense of the
Maroons had a minor lapse leaving an unmarked man on the right hand
side of the net. Unity crossed the pass over and found the wide open
man for the lone goal of the half. They took the 1-0 lead into half.
Holland Christian continued fighting in the second half and shots by
Toby Blom, Zach VanWyk and Ryan Jacobs all were stopped by the UC
keeper. Neither team could find room in the goal box and Unity began
to pack the box to stop HC from any scoring opportunities. The final
chance the team had was from Mitch Barry with less than two minutes.
Barry lined up a shot and put it on net. The leaping Unity goalie just
got a finger on the ball and sent it inches over the net. That missed
shot sealed the Unity win. Despite the defeat, the JV ended playing
strong and finished their season at 11-5-1 on the year. “I am really
proud of this team,” said head coach Brian Lemmen. “They battled all
year and I couldn’t ask for more.” PHOTOSOctober 6, 2008
No Sign of Rust in Shutout
Playing
for the first time in over a week, head coach Brian Lemmen hoped his
team would not be rusty in the second round of the OK-Green postseason
tournament. The Maroons did not play a first round game, as Rogers
does not carry a JV team. With the varsity gearing up for a huge game
following the contest, the JV was trying to provide a little momentum
heading into the varsity game. Earlier in the year, on the same field,
Holland Christian defeated Wyoming Park 6-1 and they were hoping for a
similar result. Despite the time off, the team showed no rust as they
kept the ball on the Wyoming Park side of the field the majority of the
night. With the pressure on the Vikings, it was only a matter of time
until they cracked. Ryan Jacobs got the first blow in when he headed a
ball into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. Ben DeJonge arced a
perfectly pass crossing pass into the middle and Jacobs elevated and
headed the ball in. The play was executed excellently and it was a
snapshot of how well the team played on the day. Park tried to move
the ball down the field but to no avail and HC pushed them back into a
defensive position. With the ball down around the net, the shear
athleticism of Toby Blom (above, left) would notch the second goal of
the night. Blom simply outworked two Wyoming Park defenders and this
enabled him to create his own shot. Blom won the ball, stepped back
and boomed a kick on net that flew into the left corner for the
2-0 lead. The lead only grew as Zach VanWyk (below, right) got into
the scoring column. VanWyk, who has played strongly for the team all
season in the middle, gathered a ball in the center of the field and
pounded it home for the 3-0 lead. The team would take the three goal
lead into halftime. Out of half, the team tried to stay as wide as
they could enabling their offense to continue to click. Jacobs tallied
his second goal on the night to bring the score to 4-0. The goal also
tied Blom for the team lead with twelve goals on the year. The only
drama remaining in the game was the defense’s ability to hold their
shutout. Playing without their top midfielder Matt Garvelink, who is
now up on varsity, the team is still trying to get acclimated to a new
alignment. This was not seen all afternoon as the communication and
play on the backside was tip top and enabled the team to shutout
Wyoming Park for the 4-0 victory. “We played really well and stayed
wide on a very narrow field,” said Lemmen. “To play this well, after
such a layoff, is a great compliment to how hard the guys work in
practice. We will hope to end the season right on Wednesday.” The JV,
11-4-1, will end their season on Wednesday in the final game of the
OK-Green tournament. The Maroons will travel to Unity Christian to
take on the Crusaders at 5:00 p.m. prior to the championship game of
the varsity tournament. PHOTOSSeptember 27, 2008
Shutout Enables Finale Victory
The local rivalry between Holland Christian and West Ottawa had people in anticipation of a great duel when the two JV soccer teams took to the field Saturday morning. Those in attendance were not disappointed as the two locked horns in a great game that was decided by a lone goal. The Maroons had been focusing on their passing over the past several weeks of practice and it all paid off Saturday. HC was able to possess the ball extremely well limiting the amount of shots their opposition could take. At the same time, the team was able to work well in space but the Panthers defense would not budge an inch and neither team was gaining many strong shot opportunities. As the game wore on, it became quite apparent that one goal would probably seal the deal. West Ottawa had an opportunity but was stopped by keeper Nate Dykstra. Minutes later, the Maroons ran a set play and again the practice paid off. With the ball at midfield, Nate Terpstra chipped the ball down the field and Toby Blom elevated and got his head on the ball. The header redirected into the corner of the net and gave the Maroons a 1-0 lead. That lead would stick with Dykstra and his defensive line holding and Holland Christian gained the regular season finale victory by a score of 1-0. The win got the JV into double digits in victories as they are now 10-4-1. The team will await an opponent as the varsity takes on Rogers Wednesday evening in the first round of the OK-Green postseason tournament. Rogers does not have a JV team so an opponent is yet to be announced. The worst case scenario is the JV will wait to play until Monday, October 6 in the tournament. PHOTOS
September 24, 2008
Bosma's 2 Goals, Defense Carry HC
The
pace of soccer is such that it quickly changes from side to side with
each team able to grab momentum at a moment’s notice. That quick paced
tempo translates beyond the playing field to the schedule as well.
Just over a month ago the season had kicked off and with Wednesday’s
contest against Hamilton, the OK-Green portion of the schedule closed
up shop. If the Maroons would be able to hold serve on their home
field, they would assure themselves of a second place finish in
conference, one game behind Unity Christian. The Maroons came out with
a vengeance to start the first half but through the first twenty
minutes of the half they had nothing to show for it. As HC controlled
the ball on the Hamilton side of the field, the Hawkeyes were forced to
retreat into the box to shelter their goalie from the peppering he was
receiving. With that many defenders in the box, most of the shot
opportunities were glancing off the defense and squirting away from the
net. In order to beat the defense, the JV were going to have to
redirect the ball across the field. With eighteen minutes remaining
Ryan Jacobs did just that. Jacobs pushed deep into Hamilton territory
and noticed a white streak to his left. A beautiful crossing pass came
to rest at the foot of Jon Bosma (left) who nailed the shot into the
net for the 1-0 lead. Minutes later, the pressure paid off again as
the ball was filtered into the mass of defenders. The ball bounced
around and Zach VanWyk flew into the mix. Keeping his knee above the
ball, he controlled the bouncing ball and took two dribbles before
burying the shot into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead. That would
be the way things went to halftime. Even more impressive than the lead
was the fact Hamilton had
zero shots on goal without the JV’s best defender (moved up to
varsity). The halftime intermission would be good for the lonely Nate
Dykstra who stood by himself for forty minutes. The team regrouped and
much of the same occurred in the second half. The ball remained in
Hawkeyes territory with shot after shot being deflected or cleared out
of the box. With 20:45, Ben DeJonge sent a booming cross kick that
caught the defense by surprise and Bosma scorched his second goal of
the game into the net to make it 3-0. The pressure would continue on
net over the remaining minutes in the half as the defense did not allow
Hamilton to make any type of run or to get a scoring opportunity.
Jacobs, who was key on the first goal, got one of his own as time wound
down to put HC up 4-0. DeJonge, also key to an earlier goal, got his
turn with two minutes remaining to make the score 5-0. This is how it
would end as the Maroons put a nice cap on the conference season. The
win clinched solidified second place for HC as they finished the
conference season at 5-1. Now with conference play completed, the JV
(9-4-1) will finalize another element of their 2008 schedule with the
regular season finale on Saturday. The Maroons will host West Ottawa
on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. The remaining games of their
schedule are yet to be determined and will be announced later in the
week once the varsity standings have been set. They will then play in
the OK-Green post-season tournament into the first week of October. PHOTOSSeptember 22, 2008
Ball Finally Bounces Their Way
The
past two contests have been discouraging for the JV soccer team and
their head coach Brian Lemmen. “I have been a bit frustrated the past
two games as the boys have really played their hearts out and deserved
to win but on the scoreboard we haven’t had anything to show for it,”
said Lemmen heading into their Monday contest. “We have played well,
but just a few minutes of each game has knocked us out of it.” The JV
was defeated by a ten minute section of their game against Unity when
the Crusaders scored three goals, and a five minute section against
Grand Rapids Christian when the Eagles scored two. Despite the gloomy
feeling after each of their game, it was only a matter of time before
the results reflected the play on the field. The patience of the coach
and his team were rewarded against Wyoming Park Monday afternoon. The
team played with the same tenacity as they have shown the past two
games, but the ball began to bounce their way. Ryan Jacobs got things
started minutes into the contest when he used his individual skill to
beat the defense and knocked home the first goal of the game. The
unassisted goal gave the Maroons a 1-0 lead but it would be short
lived. Wyoming Park attacked the HC side of the field and the pressure
paid off. Following a foul in the goal box, Park was awarded a penalty
kick. They converted the kick and it was tied 1-1. The past two games
HC’s opponent was able to score and make a minor run to be enough for
the victory. Not today. Holland Christian was able to move down the
narrow field and get their own penalty kick. Toby Blom was chosen to
take the kick and he was the correct choice. Blom banged it into the
net and the Maroons grabbed the 2-1 lead. HC did not let up off the
gas pedal as Matt Garvelink got into the scoring column
off a beautiful feed from Jacobs. Jacobs took the corner kick and
filtered the ball into the middle. Garvelink, who is brought up on
corner kicks, buried the shot and HC led 3-1. With time winding down
in the half, Blom got his second goal in similar fashion to Jacobs’
goal. Blom used his stellar individual moves to blow past his defender
and easily flipped the ball into the net for the 4-1 lead heading into
halftime. Out of intermission, the team followed the adjustments set
in motion by Lemmen (left) and widened the field enabling them to touch
the ball around much easier. The defense of Holland Christian bottled
up the Vikings attack shutting them down throughout the entire half.
Jacobs would get his second goal at the 10:51 mark to move the score up
to 5-1. The scoring was capped off when Blom headed in a corner kick,
from Jacobs, to make it 6-1. The goal gave Blom the hat trick and the
6-1 score turned out to be the final score. “We started out a bit slow
but got things rolling and it is great for these guys,” said Lemmen.
“We widened the field and our defense played very well tonight.” The
Maroons (8-4-1/4-1) will round out the regular season portion of the
OK-Green schedule when they host Hamilton on Wednesday with the ball
dropping at 5:00 p.m. PHOTOS September 20, 2008
Maroons Can't Wiggle the Back of the Net in Loss
The JV soccer team traveled to Gainey Field on Saturday to take on the Eagles of Grand Rapids Christian. After their flat start against Unity on Wednesday, the team was encouraged to come out strong. That was exactly the case as the Maroons pushed the
ball
up on Christian’s side of the field to begin the game and the majority
of the half would stay on that side of the field. As HC marked their
defenders, Christian had difficulty clearing the ball and this allowed
the Maroons’ offense several shot attempts. Holland Christian moved
the ball outside and touched pass after pass that created great shot
opportunities in front of the Eagles net. The Christian goalie was
able to deflect each and every shot that HC put on net. Going into
halftime it was clear that Holland Christian had dominated the entire
thirty five minutes but could not wiggle the back of the net and it
remained scoreless. The exact same thing occurred in the opening
minutes of the second half until Christian finally making a run fifteen
minutes into second. The run allowed the Eagles their first strong
scoring opportunity and they would not waste it. The crisp shot
slipped into the net and despite the strong play, Holland Christian
trailed 1-0. This goal was a bit demoralizing to the group.
Dominating much of the game, and now trailing, shocked the young group
and Christian capitalized once again. Three minutes later, an open
opponent found the net to make it 2-0. This would be enough for the
Eagles to hold on to take the non-conference win. “We came out very
strong and really played tough soccer in the first half,” said head
coach Brian Lemmen. “Playing as hard as we were, their first goal
really demoralized us a bit and it cost us with their second goal.
It’s disappointing with how well we played but we have to strap it up
and come out on Monday.” The loss moves the JV’s record to 7-4-1 on
the year. They will return to conference play Monday in hopes of
ending their two game losing streak when they travel to Wyoming Park.
PHOTOSSeptember 17, 2008
Unity Spotted with Early Lead Takes Rivalry Game
The much anticipated JV soccer game between Unity Christian and Holland Christian got off to a rocky start if you were a maroon and white fan. Within the first fifteen minutes, the Crusaders were able to drop three goals on HC for the 3-0 lead with 20:59 left
in
the half. The offense finally made a run on Unity’s net but was unable
to launch a shot. Unity then spent the next ten minutes in Maroons’
territory but the defensive line held battling each and every shot.
Toby Blom broke down the left side of the field and was found in stride
on a perfect pass from Mitch Barry. Blom boomed a crossing kick that
deflected off the Crusaders defender and they earned a throw in. Ben
DeJonge tossed the ball into net and a streaking Grant VanPutten just
missed a header on goal. The Unity goalie grabbed the ball and cleared
it onto the Holland Christian side of the field. Three minutes later,
the UC goalie came out of the box to scoop up a pass. His attempt to
clear the ball failed as DeJonge again filtered it into the box and
Ryan Jacobs just missed the first HC
shot on net. The Holland Christian attack continued as Toby Blom just
missed as he grazed a shot along the right side of the net at the 3:38
mark. The ball stayed on the Crusaders side of the field but their
defense held and the teams went to half with Unity leading 3-0. The
second half began much the same as the first, with Unity attacking; but
the halftime adjustments did not allow Unity to get any open shots.
Ryan Jacobs got the team’s first shot on net at the 26:01 mark but it
soared over the net. The team was able to keep the ball on the UC side
of the field, for the next eight minutes, but the defense was strong
for the visitor’s and the Maroons could not capitalize. Just as
Unity’s defense was picking up their game, so was the HC defensive
line. They limited Unity to only one shot on net over the final
fifteen minutes of the game. Despite the effort, the first fifteen
minutes of the contest proved to be al Unity needed as they won 3-0.
The loss is Holland Christian’s first in the OK-Green as they fall to
3-1 and 7-3-1 overall. The Maroons will travel to Grand Rapids to face
the Eagles of Christian on Saturday. PHOTOSSeptember 15, 2008
Maroons Move onto Anticipated Rivalry Game
With the entire soccer program’s eyes fixed on Wednesday’s game against Unity Christian, the Rams of Central High hoped to slip
in
quietly and pick up a non-conference victory. Central was picked up on
the schedule after OK-Green member Rogers, was forced to disband their
JV soccer season due to a lack of participation. Suddenly the Maroons
no longer were playing an important conference game to set up the first
place tilt. They would be forced with staying in the moment, rather
than looking ahead to Wednesday, as they would enter the game with
Unity undefeated in conference. The test of focusing on their current
opponent would not be a difficult one for head coach Brian Lemmen. “We
want to go in to the Unity game continuing to play as well as we have
been, so we will be ready for Central” added Lemmen, when asked about
the challenges of the non-conference contest. Instead of having their
eyes looking forward, the team put their head done and got to work
against the visiting Rams. It was a good thing they did as Central
provided a great test for Holland Christian. The two teams battled it
out in the first half as Central was unable to take advantage of their
individual skill and pull it together as a team. All half long, the
speed of the Rams caused the Maroons to be playing catch-up as Central
touched the ball well. Despite the ability to create openings, the
visitors did not function cohesively as a group and this enabled
Holland Christian to hold on throughout the half. With HC playing
catch up, Central was unable to capitalize
and at halftime it was 0-0. Out of the break, Lemmen pushed his team
to widen the field enabling more open passing lanes. They began to do
this but no goals would come of it. Not much occurred in the second
half with the majority of the game being played in the middle of the
field. Again, the teams battled one another for nearly thirty minutes
before the play that would decide the game occurred. With six minutes
left in the half, Ben DeJonge grabbed the ball and raised it above his
head for the out of bounds throw in (above, right). DeJonge approached
the sideline and with a great heave the ball went sailing towards the
goal box. It landed and bounced around before a Rams’ defender
prepared to clear the ball. As the Central defender wound up to kick
the ball it was deflected and his leg only got a piece of the soccer
ball. The ball went spinning into the air and an opportunistic Alex
Tien (left) pounced. Tien rose above the crowd and with a whip of his
neck, send the ball into the goal, off his head, for the lone goal of
the game. The 1-0 score would stick and the JV would pull out the
non-conference victory. Lemmen summed up the game by stating “I don’t
think we were mentally prepared and that falls on me. We need to have
a good practice and play much better Wednesday.” With all the details
handled, now up will be the test against of one of the top soccer
programs in the state. Unity Christian will come to HC’s turf and face
the 7-2-1 (3-0) Maroons on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. PHOTOSSeptember 11, 2008
Coach Proven to Be Soothsayer in Victory
One of the hottest programs that Holland Christian has this fall is the boys’ soccer program. While the freshmen team has yet to drop a game, the JV and varsity are riding high with big wins in the past two games. After starting a bit slow, the JV team has
gelled
together and came into their non-league game with Spring Lake having
not been defeated in their past five games (four wins and a tie).
During that streak, the defense has become a storyline as the four
victories all came by way of shutout variety. “Our defensive line has
really picked up over the past couple of weeks,” said Brian Lemmen.
“As in any sport, defense really wins. In soccer it really is true and
in our case our defense starts our offense.” The Maroons transition so
well from defense to offense because of their passing ability and speed
and they showcased this against Spring Lake in a big non-conference
match Thursday afternoon. Unlike the past two games, the offense
started out slow and that could be attributed to playing on
back-to-back nights. Once they settled in however, HC was able to grab
a lead but would rely on their defense late. The game opened with both
teams battling back and forth in the middle of the field. Midway
through the first, the Maroons were able to gather some room when Zach
VanWyk (right) slipped a pass to Ryan Jacobs. Jacobs line it up and
drilled the ball into the lower right hand corner for the 1-0 lead. It
would stay this way, with ease, until the final three tense minutes of
the half. Spring Lake got the ball into HC territory and the defense
could not clear the ball out. “It felt like they were just all over
us,” said Lemmen. With the inability to clear the ball, the host was
all over HC’s goal like white on rice. Despite the shots just
peppering the net, the defense held and got them through the tenuous
time and at half, HC led 1-0. Last game Lemmen put his motivational
speech on display, this game the coach told his group “we need to win
this game 3-0” and the team listened. Out of the break, things started
much like the second half ended. Spring Lake outhustled and outworked
HC to every ball. The Maroons were in desperate need of a spark and
their received it from defenseman Mitch
Barry. “What Barry did in that second half was as good as he has ever
played,” said Lemmen. Barry (left) turned the tides and won every
header and hustled all over the field to clear the ball. His work
ethic and hustle got the rest of his teammates motivated and HC snapped
out of its funk and propelled themselves forward. Toby Blom, who had
been sending rockets on net for two games but just missing, took a bit
off of his shot halfway into the second half and it found the back of
the net. The 2-0 lead gave the team some breathing room. With all the
running the team was doing to win balls and give themselves chances,
the players were now in need of a breather. Ryan Eldean subbed Blom
for a spell and Eldean took advantage of his time. Taking a pass from
Matt Garvelink, Eldean let the ball hit the ground once, spun and fired
a shot on net for the third Maroons goal of the night. That would be
the straw that broke Spring Lake’s back as the defense clamped down and
continued their undefeated streak with their fifth shutout in the past
six games. The 3-0 win also made their head coach look like a genius
once again. Nate Dykstra was again phenomenal in net, especially
during the pressure packed final minutes of the first half. “I tell
you what,” said a giddy head coach, “I couldn’t be happier with how
this team played.” The six game undefeated streak has improved the
team’s overall record to 6-2-1 and they will have a chance to improve
upon that on Monday. With Rogers not carrying a JV soccer team, the
Maroons will host the Rams of Central High School in a non-conference
tilt. PHOTOSSeptember 10, 2008
Momentum Continues in Conference Rout
The JV soccer team entered their OK-Green conference matchup with Byron Center riding a wave of momentum. The team had not been defeated in their last four games and was coming off of their best offensive output of the young season. The group heeded their coach’s message prior to the game about not being complacent with their performance and trying to improve each day. It seems like head coach Brian Lemmen may have a new career in motivational speaking as the Maroons offense again came out quickly with a fury of shots on net that bogged down the Bulldogs keeper. The pressure (right) began just ten seconds into the contest when Luke Folkerts found Toby Blom for the first shot on net that clanged off the post. Two shots later, and at the 30:28 mark, Matt Garvelink took a Toby Blom feed and banged it home off the left goalpost for the early 1-0 advantage. Three minutes later the Maroons crashed the net and just missed a crossing shot on the right side of the post. On the ensuing goal kick, the defense was able to win the ball and push it back down into BC territory. Kevin Lokker (below, left) broke from the left side and buried a shot into the back right corner for the 2-0 lead at 23:50 mark. Twenty seconds later the ball skipped off the top of the goalpost to a wail of ”ohhhh”s from the HC
crowd.
Byron Center was able to make some defensive adjustments that would
limit the clean looks on net. The Maroons maintained the ball on the
Bulldogs side of the field, without letting BC move the ball down the
field, and continued to push the ball on net but the defenders were
able to deflect most of the remaining shots of the half. With 6:27
left in the half, BC was able to deflect a ball but could not stop the
shot. Grant VanPutten made a nifty sliding shot on the right corner
that was deflected by the BC goalie but the deflection redirected the
ball into the back of the net for the 3-0 lead. Three minutes later
Ryan Jacobs executed déjà vu on BC. At the 3:24 mark, Jacobs beat the
defense and knocked home the fourth goal of the game. Fifteen seconds
later, Jacobs squared up another kick and the Maroons led 5-0. They
would take the large goal advantage into halftime but the score would
not hold for very long. Under eight minutes into the half, Zach VanWyk
drove a shot on net and it found room in the upper right hand corner.
The goal made it 6-0. With a large lead, Lemmen again got to get his
extended roster playing time and they continued to pressure the net but
could not get anything to fall. The half would wind down on HC’s
victory pushing their conference mark to 3-0 and 5-2-1 overall. The
six goals was impressive but the defensive effort put forth might trump
the offense. Byron Center did not get one shot on goal the entire
game. “Another strong team effort for us and we continued to showcase
some strong passing and our defense controlled their tempo” added
Lemmen.” The improving JV squad will look to gain another lesson when
they face Spring Lake on the road tomorrow afternoon. PHOTOSSeptember 8, 2008
Group Continues to Improve
One of the strongest attributes of a team is the constant growth and
improvement they can show over the course of a season. In just a span
of a week, head coach Brian Lemmen’s team has made some strong strides
in the right direction. Just a week earlier, HC was able to take a 4-0
lead into halftime against Calvin Christian but could not manage
another goal in their 4-0 win. Despite the score, Lemmen stated his
team could have played much better in the second half. A week later
the Maroons found themselves in the same position but would improve
upon their showing. Leading 4-0 at half, HC did not sit on their lead
and came out and put four more goals up in their 8-0 mercy shortened
win over Zeeland West. Fourteen minutes into the game, Toby Blom
(left) got things rolling with his first of two goals on the night.
His second goal made it 2-0. Ryan Jacobs then was able to find room in
the goal box and scored the first of his two goals for the Maroons 3-0
lead and things were well on their way. With the growing lead, the
expanded roster of the team was able to see strong minutes where they
produced. Stephen Busscher, entered the game off the bench and would
highlight the afternoon with
two goals from the stopper position. His two goals would push the lead
even further up until Grant VanPutten and Ryan Eldean chipped in with
goals to round out the eight goals scored on the afternoon. The
scoring was enabled by the strong passing game that HC put on and that
was led by Zach VanWyk’s two assists. Ben DeJonge, Ben Edewaard, Matt
Garvelink (right), Macall Smith and VanPutten would also tally an assist
in the game. “This was a good team victory” said Lemmen. “We had a
lot of guys play a lot of minutes and they really played well. I was
most pleased to how we bounced out of halftime and continued playing
strong soccer.” The large margin of victory forced the game to be
called five and a half minutes short that was even more welcomed by the
Maroons’ faithful as the rain was coming down quite hard. The win
moves the HC OK-Green record to 2-0, 4-2-1 overall, as they get ready
to host their first conference home game on Wednesday. Bryon Center
will come to town for the conference tilt that begins at 5:00 p.m.September 6, 2008
Wet Conditions Level Playing Field
The aftermath of the recent rainstorm was felt Saturday morning by the JV soccer team as they traveled to Caledonia to face the Scots. The early morning game was enough of a test for the Maroons, but the field was wet and slow and this leveled the playing field for the two teams. Even with the adverse conditions, HC came out strong and capitalized early on a tremendous pass and finishing shot. Ben DeJonge held the ball deep along the right sideline and feathered a great crossing pass right on cue to Ryan Jacobs (right). Jacobs beat his defender and the crossing pass found his foot and the ball was immediately redirected into the back of the net before the defenders could react. The goal gave the Maroons the 1-0 lead. The tempo of the game early was in favor of HC but the flow of the game started to switch towards the Caledonia side. With the team trying to hold on to their lead and just get to halftime a defensive miscue cost HC late. The wet conditions finally reared its ugly head, as the Scots were able to score on a slip by the defense. The
teams
went to half tied at 1. Out of the halftime break, the Maroons started
firing on all cylinders again and grabbed the lead once again. DeJonge
(left) captained the ship again as he fed a ball from the right corner
to Zach VanWyk who wasted no time in giving his team the 2-1 lead.
Midway through the final half, Caledonia beat the HC defense and got a
breakaway on net. With Nate Dykstra having to step out to defend the
run on net, the Scots were able to feed for an open shot and tied the
game at 2. As time ticked off on the contest, the Maroons fans got a
rush of excitement as HC scored to take the 3-2 lead. The lead was
fleeting as the goal was called back on a foul. This would be their
final opportunity in regulation and the JV does not play overtime so
the teams tied 2-2. “I thought we lost our energy at the end of the
first half” said head coach Brian Lemmen. “We battled back in the
second and overall, we had a strong week (2-0-1). We will look to
start that again next week against Zeeland West.” Holland Christian,
now 3-2-1 (1-0), will travel back to Zeeland to face the Dux on
Monday. PHOTOS September 3, 2008
Shutout Victory Opens Conference for HC
A strong first half surge, scoring four goals and leading 4-0 at half, captivated the JV soccer team’s fans in yesterday's 4-0 win, but head coach Brian Lemmen saw a different game. “I thought we played very well in the first half” Lemmen noted, “but we just were too goal happy and that caused our game plan to break in the second half.” Looking to make a key adjustment, the team made halftime adjustments in their conference opener against Zeeland East and they paid off. In the first half, the team again put together a solid effort playing very well and took a 1-0 lead into the halftime intermission. With thirteen minutes to go in the half, freshmen Toby Blom took a Grant VanPutten (right) assist and drilled it into the net for the lone goal of the half. Zeeland East’s freshmen goalie was really the story of the half as he saved shot after shot against the Maroons to keep his team in the game. Noticing an opportunity to pounce, Lemmen pushed his team up to not only defend East’s main forward, but also create more shot opportunities on net and on rebounds. Out of the break, the speed of VanPutten, Mitch Barry and Macall
Smith
slowed down the Chix’s offensive attack and HC capitalized on the other
end of the field. Ryan Jacobs, who was flying all over the field in
the first half putting shot after shot on net to no avail, found Zach
VanWyk (left) for a nice goal to give HC the 2-0 lead. Shortly after
the goal, the team gathered the ball on a dead ball. Off the play,
Matt Garvelink popped the ball up into the air to Jon Bosma who smoked
the ball into the crossbar. What looked like a near miss suddenly
became the team’s third goal as the persistent Bosma took the rebound
and knocked it in for the 3-0 lead. That would eventually stick to be
the final score. The defensive line was again solid and Nate Dykstra
was solid in net again gathering his second shutout of the year, and
the third combined of the early season. “That first conference victory
is very, very delightful,” said a jubilant Lemmen. “We hung in there
against a good team (3-1 entering the game) and played very well in
both halves.” The Maroons, now 3-2 (1-0), will go back out of
conference on Saturday when they travel to Caledonia for a 10:00 a.m.
contest. PHOTOSSeptember 2, 2008
Momentum Has Team Feeling Green
Coming off a very tough non-conference road loss to Grand Haven, Holland Christian’s JV boys’ soccer team was looking to get back to the .500 mark and gain some momentum prior to their conference opener on Wednesday. The Maroons hosted Calvin Christian on Tuesday and did not wait long to grab the lead and start building for the big game on Wednesday. Toby Blom continued his stellar play as he fed the ball to Ben Edewaard who knocked home the goal within the first minute of the game to take the lead 1-0. Calvin was able to keep HC off the board for the next thirteen minutes but it was tenuous during that time. The Maroons continued to pressure the ball and the net and the feeling in the stadium was something was about to give. It was. The Squires grip on the game came unraveled over the course of the next ten minutes as Holland Christian went on a 3-0 scoring streak to extend their lead
to 4-0. Zach
VanWyk fed Ryan Jacobs with a perfectly led pass that Jacobs finished to give
the Maroons their second goal. Five
minutes later, the great passing continued as Jon Bosma filtered a pass into
Luke Folkerts (left) who simply powered the ball past goalie for the three goal
cushion. Folkerts kick had some velocity
on it and it went in and out of the goalies hands and fell into the net. The final goal of the half came just three
minutes later when Ryan Eldean found Macall Smith (above, right). Smith feathered a kick into the right corner
of the net for the 4-0 lead which HC took to half. Out of the halftime break, head coach Brian
Lemmen got his entire team great minutes.
Neither team would find a way to score in the second half and HC took
the contest 4-0. The Maroons defensive line was again strong limiting the amount of opportunities that CC got the entire game. The win was the Maroons
second shutout of the season as Nate Dykstra and Ryan Wassink teamed up for the
shutout in net. “Everyone got time and
we have some momentum heading into tomorrow’s conference opener” added
Lemmen. “We just need to build on this
and I like the direction we are headed.”
The team, now 2-2, will travel to Zeeland East tomorrow for their
OK-Green opener. PHOTOSAugust 28, 2008
Defensive Battle Goes to GH
Often times the final score of a game is not always the tell tale sign of the contest that played out on the field of play. Thursday’s JV soccer game was a classic example of this as the Maroons fell 1-0. Just looking at the outcome,
and seeing HC on the losing end, that loss has
connotations of its own. Drop that
thought, as the team put forth a valiant effort but fell to Grand Haven. Playing a very solid and fundamental team,
the Maroons hung with Grand Haven in the first half with the two teams going to
the break tied at 0. Holland Christian
was really unable to get any offensive chances in the first half. Out of the intermission, Grand Haven started
to showcase their passing ability and the touch they had on the ball caused the
Maroons to start chasing after the ball.
This opened up several seams in the defense and the Bucs capitalized for
the line goal just four minutes into the half.
Despite trailing the faster team, the Maroons fought back and displayed
strong defensive play by Mitch Barry, Peter Cupery, Matt Garvelink, Macall
Smith and Nate Terpstra shut down Grand Haven the rest of the game. The Maroons offense started to click as they
were able to get a few shots on net late in the game but nothing fell
through. In the end, the one goal would
hold up as the team dropped to 1-2 on the year.
Head coach Brian Lemmen was pleased with his teams effort against a very
strong team and highlighted goalie Nate Dykstra’s performance. “We played hard and Dykstra (above, left) was outstanding
in net as he put together his best game by far this season. I am really proud of him and the guys.” HC will host Calvin Christian on Tuesday at
5:30 p.m. PHOTOSAugust 26, 2008
Win #1 for the JV in Rivalry Game
Playing friends in a competitive environment can be an extremely tough aspect of athletics. This is not only a test of one’s physical
skills,
but also the mental ability to understand between the lines and outside
of the lines relationships. Yet another learning experience that the
JV boys’ soccer team endured on Tuesday afternoon as the Maroons hosted
the Holland Dutch in their home opener. Coming off a tough opening
night defeat, the Maroons had extra incentive for being mentally locked
into the big rivalry contest. Many of the guys playing in the game had
grown up playing with and against one another so there was a great deal
of familiarity that came into play. That could have explained the
entire first half that could be summed up with the term, “defensive
struggle.” That was not the way the first half looked like it was
going to be while in the first ten minutes the Maroons possessed the
ball almost the entire time on the Dutch’s side of the field. That
pressure finally cracked Holland when Ryan Jacobs found Toby Blom for
the goal at the 30:50 mark to give Holland Christian the 1-0 lead.
Holland finally cleared the ball and got a shot on net two minutes
later but it went sailing wide right. Then for the next fifteen
minutes each team was unable to really mount any charge. Each time it
seemed as if the offense would create an opportunity the defenders
would swoop in and clear the ball. The Dutch had one final scoring
attempt at the 8:00 minute mark but the defense was congested in front
of the net and did not allow for an open shot. HC knocked a shot on
net with a minute remaining that forced the Holland goalie to go diving
to his left but he was able to retrieve it. At half, the score
remained Holland Christian 1, Holland 0. Out of the half, the hustle
of Jacobs (top, left) sparked his team
and the offense began to spread the ball. With there being more room
on the field, shot opportunities started to become more frequent until
Ben DeJonge finally got one into the net. DeJonge stuck his foot out
and redirected a ball in front of the net and just like that HC led by
two goals. That was how it would stand until Blom (right) notched his
second goal on a pretty assist from Jon Bosma. The freshmen Blom
enjoyed a strong day as he continues to man impact on the JV. That
goal gave the Maroons a commanding 3-0 lead and that was how it would
end with the JV grabbing their first shutout of the season. The
victory was also the first of the year as the team is now 1-1 on the
year. “I thought we played well and had some great hustle” said head
coach Brian Lemmen. “We definitely have some things we need to work
on, but any coach will say that. We cam out and fed off the energy of
the guys on the bench in the second half and it was a total team
victory.” Holland Christian will travel to Grand Haven on Thursday for
another non-conference game starting at 5:00 p.m. PHOTOSAugust 19, 2008
Shot Opportunities Favor HC; Score Goes to Hudsonville
A day after having their home opener moved due to the construction on the high school campus, the Maroons boys’ JV soccer season got underway at Hudsonville. The Eagles accommodated the change in venue and first year head coach Brian Lemmen, and his team, got their first taste of competition this season. Despite it being their first game, the Maroons looked like the sharper team as the majority of the first half was played in the Eagles side of the field. HC out shot the host Eagles 8-0 in the first half with three near misses. Ben DeJonge (right) had two shot opportunities at the ten minute mark and six minute mark with the first soaring to the left. The second flew over the net and it looked to be the final scoring chance. Zach VanWyk made a run with less than three minutes to go and just missed the goal hitting the ball just over the top of the goalpost. A scrum in front of the net gave the Maroons their final opportunity but the Hudsonville goalie dove on top of the ball. The fight for the ball ended the first half and both teams went to break tied 0-0. Immediately out of the break Ryan Jacobs made a run on the net but was stooped by the sliding Eagles goalie. For the next ten plus minutes, the teams exchanged possessions in the middle of the field until freshman
Toby
Blom made a pretty cross pass at the eighteen yard line to a streaking
Ryan Eldean. The Hudsonville goalie again slid out to deflect the ball
over the net. Fifteen minutes into the half, the Maroons had outshot
Hudsonville 13-0. Hudsonville finally got their first shot on net and
made it count finishing the shot to take a 1-0 lead at the 22:06 mark.
The Maroons responded with Blom finding Eldean again in front of the
net, a minute later, but the header just missed the right side of the
net. The Hudsonville goal, and the tough time finishing their shots,
seemed to drain the Maroons of their energy. That changed when Alex
Tien (left) was substituted in with five minutes remaining and he
rewarded his team with their first goal on their fifteenth shot to tie
the game at 1 at the three minute mark. The Eagles responded however
just fifty five seconds later again capitalizing on their opportunity
knocking their second shot on goal which found the back of the net to
give the host the 2-1 lead. Despite outshooting Hudsonville 16-2, and
being the sharper team, Holland Christian was undone by their inability
to finish and fell 2-1. The loss drops the team to 0-1 on the season.
The team will have a week off to continue to mesh as a unit until their
next game, their home opener, when they host nearby rival Holland High
School, on August 26, at 5:00 p.m. PHOTOS