The Boys Varsity soccer team traveled to Forest Hills Central to take on the Rangers in a district semifinal match on Tuesday evening. The weather was bound to play a factor as strong winds and rain persisted throughout the evening.  The Eagles played into the wind in the first half, mounting several strong attacks and generating shots while defending a potent Ranger attack for the first 40-minutes. At the half, the teams were knotted at 0-0 with senior goalkeeper Cooper Hutt making several key stops to keep things level.  The Eagles hoped to come out of halftime with the wind at their backs to find a goal, but the match remained scoreless despite attacks going both ways throughout the second half. With the clock winding down, the Rangers were able to regain possession around the Eagles goal and find the corner of the net to gain a 1-0 lead with just 36-seconds remaining. The Eagles attempted one final push, but were unable to score.  The loss knocks the Eagles out of the state tournament and the team finishes the season with an 11-5-5 record on the year.  A special thanks to this team's seniors (Aidan Knoester, Alexander Scofield, Alex Williams, Cooper Hutt, Ian Velzen-Haner, Jonah Knoester and Jonathan Clarkin) for their contributions to the Eagle soccer program. 

The boys varsity soccer team hosted a District quarterfinal match at Eagle Stadium Thursday night against a Godwin Heights team with a 15-1-1 record. The Eagles were able to grab an early lead when sophomore Peter Borst played an early cross into the box for senior Ian Velzen-Haner to tuck away in the net just 5-minutes into the match. Godwin Heights stormed back with a flurry of attacks trying to level the match before equalizing in the 28th minute when the Eagles failed to clear a corner kick, resulting in a shot from a streaking Godwin Heights player that found the Eagles' net. The score was deadlocked at 1-1 at the half.  The final 40-minutes would determine who would advance and the Eagles responded by controlling the tempo for much of the 2nd half. The Eagles broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when sophomore John Cassiday played a cross into the box that found a streaking Velzen-Haner to drove the ball first time into the top corner of the Godwin Heights goal. At this point it seemed as though the Eagles had contol of the match. Minutes later the Eagles earned a penalty kick, but failed to convert, keeping the game a 1 goal affair. With 10-minutes remaining, a Godwin Heights player was fouled in the penalty area, earning a PK for the visitors. Godwin Heights converted their chance and leveled the game that looked like it might be destined for overtime. The Eagles maintained their composure and continued to control the ball and create scoring chances in the closing minutes when Cassiday was able to turn the corner and get into the Godwin Heights box only to be fouled, earning the Eagles their 2nd PK of the night. This time, Cassiday stepped up and converted with just under 2-minutes remaining. The Eagles sucessfully closed out the match and earned a trip to the District semifinal. The Eagles resume play next Tuesday night at Forest Hills Central (7:00 pm kickoff) to face the host Rangers in a District Semifinal match. 

The varsity boys soccer team headed down the road to East Grand Rapids on Monday night to play for the OK White Conference Championship against the EGR Pioneers. This is always a hard fought match between players and programs that know each other well and this promised to be a close match.  The first half saw good scoring chances from both sides while the goalkeepers and defenses were able to maintain a 0-0 halftime score. The Pioneers came out in the 2nd half and put the Eagles under pressure for about 10-mintues with several good free kicks and corner kicks that required senior goalkeeper, Cooper Hutt to make some spectacular saves. After weathering that storm, the Eagles began to regain their footing and started breaking down the Pioneer defense on the wings. With 15-minutes remaining and the score still 0-0, an EGR handball resulted in a Eagle penalty kick. The Eagle PK rang off the crossbar, but senior Ian Velzen-Haner was alert enough to follow the shot and head the ball into the EGR net to score the first (and only) goal of the match. with a 1-0 lead and 15-minutes on the clock, the Eagles maintained their composure on the ball, defended with discipline and created a few additional chances to close out the match and earn the OK White Tournament Championship.  The Eagles return Home on Thursday night to host the first round District game against Godwin Heights with a 7:00 kickoff.

The Varsity Boys Soccer team traveled to play the #1 seeded Forest Hills Northern Huskies on Thursday night in an OK White Tournament semifinal match. The Eagles and the Huskies played to a 1-1 draw earlier this season.  The Eagles came created the first chance of the game and withstood a high press from the Huskies, breaking through with good ball movement. The Huskies used their direct attack in an attempt to break through the Eagle defense. At the 18 minute mark, the Eagles were unable to successfully clear a long throw-in by the Huskies, and the ball landed at the foot of a Husky attacker who was able to put it into the Eagles net to take a 1-0 lead on the visitors. The Eagles began to control the possession in the match and find scoring opportunities, but had to defend diligently against the quick strike abilities of the Huskies. The halftime score remained 1-0 in favor of the Huskies. The second half found an Eagle side ready to control the tempo fo the game. As the Eagles mounted attack after attack, the pressure was mounting on the Huskies' defense. With 12 minutes remaining, an Eagles long throw-in into the box resulted in a foul inside the penalty area as a Husky defender illegally pushed an Eagle attacker going for the ball. The resulting penalty kick was scored by Senior Johnny Clarkin, tying the match and shifting the momentum. A red card for the Hukies followed the penalty kick, giving the Eagles a 1-man advangage with just over 10-mintues to play. The Eagles created a couple of breakaway opportunities that were saved well by the Huskies' goalkeeper until the 3-minute mark when sophomore John Cassiday broke free with the ball at midfield and was fouled by a trailing defender as he was shooting, creating the Eagles' second penalty kick of the night. Clarkin stepped up once again and converted to lift the Eagles to a 2-1 win as the Eagle Defense calmly helped close out the remaining minutes of the match.  The victory places the Eages in the OK White Championship match on Monday night at 7:00 at the East Grand Rapids football stadium. 

The Eagles Boys Varsity Soccer team hosted Northview in a match between the #4 & #5 seeds of the OK White tournament at Eagle Stadium on Monday night. The Eagles started the scoring first when sophomore John Cassiday was fouled in the penalty area about midway through the first half, resulting in a penalty kick for the Eagles. Senior Jonathan Clarkin stepped-up to convert, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead. A few minutes after taking the lead, a miscommunication on the Eagles' back line resulted in a misplayed ball that bounced through and into the Eagles' net, leveling the score at 1-1 before the half.  The Eagles were ready to fly in the second half, but their wings were clipped when a Wildcat shot deflected off the foot of an Eagle defender, finding it's way into the upper corner of the Eagles net to create a 1-2 deficit for the home side. The scrappy Eagles continued to claw away at the Wildcat defense, putting pressure on Wildcat goalkeepr until about 10-minutes were remaining. Junior Jackson Mindling hit a hard shot from the left wing that ricoched off the post and into the Wildcat net to level the score. The Eagles pressed to find the go ahead goal, but were thwarted by strong goalkeeping.  The 2-2 scoreline remained through the half and through two 10-minute overtime periods. With a tied score, the game had to be decided on penalty kicks. The Eagles kicked first, but the shot was saved. Eagle goalkeeper, Cooper Hutt responded by saving the first two Wildcat shots while the remaining 4 Eagle shooters converted (Clarkin, Mindling, Ian Velzen-Haner and Cassiday) to give the home side a 4-3 win in penalties.  The Eagles will advance to the OK White Semifinals on Wednesday night when they travel to take on the #1 seeded Huskies of Forest Hills Northern.

The varsity Boys Soccer team traveled to Hudsonville Unity Christian for a rare Friday afternoon match. Both teams entered the match hoping to use the match as a final tune-up before conference tournament play begins.  The Crusader mounted the first attack of the match, but the Eagles quickly gained control of the ball and patiently started to break through the flanks of the Crusader defense. With pressure mounting in the attack, the Eagles were caught in a transition, failing to clear the ball on a restart and allowing a shot from the Crusaders that hit the inside of the post and into the Eagles Goal. With 60 minutes remaining the Eagles maintained their composure and continued to attack, but were unable to find the equalizer, leaving themsleves with a half-time deficit of 0-1.  The second half was full of promise for the Eagles, but a defensive miscue resulted in another Crusader shot that round the upper corner of the Eagles net. Now facing a 0-2 deficit, the Eagles had to dig deep. As the half wore on, the Eagles found themselves in more and more dangerous positions, forcing some spectacular saves from the Crusader goalkeeper. With 5 minutes remaining, sophomore Gedion Nzabonimpa beat two defenders and curled a shot into the upper corner of the Crusaders goal to cut the deficit to 1. The Eagles pressed on, with the best opportunity coming on a shot from Jackson Mindling that took a deflection that almost fooled the Crusaders netminder, but quick reactions kept the ball outside of the net. The game ended in a 1-2 loss for the Eagles, their 4th loss of the season.  The Eagles kick-off Conference Tournament play on Monday night (7:30 pm kickoff) against Northview at Eagle Stadium. 

The Varsity Eagles batted for 80-minutes against Byron Center at Eagle Stadium on Tuesday evening in the final match of the OK White Regular season. Although the Eagles contolled the possession and generated 18 shots against Byron Center, neither team was able to break through, restulting in a 0-0 draw.  The final result puts the Eagles 1-point out of 2nd place in the conference and places them as the #4 seed in the OK White Tournament scheduled to begin next week. The Eagles end their OK White Regular season with a 3-1-2 record.  The Varsity Eagles play their final non-conference match of the season away at Unity Christian on Friday afternoon as a final tune-up before entering OK White tournament play next week. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 pm. 

The Eagles welcomed #2 ranked Forest Hills Central to Eagle Stadium for an OK White match-up on Thursday evening. The two teams went toe-to-toe in the first half with both teams threatening to score, but neither side able to break through resulting in a 0-0 score at the half.  Early in the second half, the Eagles were called for a foul in the penalty area, conceding a penalty kick that was converted by the visiting Rangers. The Rangers tallied again 60 minutes into the match on a shot the found its way just into the bottom corner of the goal. Shortly after going condeding, an Eagles defender was issued a second yellow card, disqualifying him for the remainder of the match and leaving the Eagles playing a man down.  The Eagles fought hard to find a way back into the match, but conceded a third goal and a tough shot from distance by the Rangers that was just out of reach of Eagles Goalkeeper, Cooper Hutt. The 0-3 deficit was protected by the Rangers as they came away with the victory on the night. The Eagles play their final OK-White match on Tuesday night against Byron Center with final seeding for the OK White tournament at stake. The Eagles sit at 3-1-1 in the conference and 7-3-4 overall on the year. 

The Eagles Varsity Soccer team hosted OK White foe, Lowell on Tuesday night at Eagle Stadium. The Eagles controlled the kickoff and maintained possession across the field for the first several minutes of the match before sophomore Peter Borst was able to connect on a cross from senior Ian Velzen-Haner to give the Eagles and early lead just 7-minutes into the game. Although the Eagles contolled the ball most of the remainder of the half, the offense was not able to add to the scoreline throughout the remainder of the half and went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.  The Red Arrows came out fast in the 2nd half, but the Eagles were able to slowly regain control of the match, finding ways through the Lowell defense. With just 20-minutes remaining, the Eagles still held onto a slim 1-0 advantage before sophomore Boris Lalic connected on a rebounded shot to double the tally. At the 68 minute mark, the Eagles combined in the box to find sophomore Gedion  Nzabonimpa beat a Lowell defender before cracking a shot into the uppoer corner, making the scoreline 3-0. With time winding down, junior Andrew Schapel took a free kick from near midfield that befuddled the Lowell goalkeeper, making the final score 4-0 with just 13 seconds remaining on the clock.  The Eagles host Forest Hills Central at 7:30 PM on Thursday night at Eagle Stadium in a showdown of two ranked teams.

In a Saturday morning match at Jenison High School, the Eagles faced of with their second non-conference opponent of the week. The Eagles entered the game on a 3-game win streak, but down several players due to injury. The game started frenetically with both teams struggling to get things under control. About 10-minutes into the first half, the Wildcats played a short corner kick that they worked inside the penalty area for a shot on goal that made its way past the Eagles' goalkeeper, putting the Eagles in a 0-1 deficit early in the match. Although the Eagles started to pour on the attacks following the goal, the halftime score remained 0-1 in favor of the Wildcats.  As the second half progressed, the Eagles were finding success on in the attack and shutting down the Jenison offense. about midway through the half, junior Andew Schepel launched a free kick just inside midfield toward the Jenison goal. The Jension netminder scrambled back toward his goal, but the ball beat him to the net, leveling the score at 1-1. With the momentum in the match, the Eagles worked the ball through the midfield and found their streaking attackers frequently. With 12 minutes to go, sophomore Gedion Nzabonimpa turned the corner and was going to goal before being taken down by a Wildcat defender, earning a penalty kick. for the Eagles. Mzabonimpa stepped up and converted the shot, giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead that they would see through to the end of the match. The Eagles victory raises their season record to 6-2-4 as they prepare to host two OK White opponents at Eagle Stadium this week (Lowell on 9/20 & Forest Hills Central on 9/22). 

The boys varsity soccer team welcomed the Potter's House Pumas for the first time on Thursday afternoon at Gainey Athletic Complex. The Eagles took control of the game early, opening the scoring in the first 2 minutes as senior Ian Velzen-Haner pounded home corner kick served by sophomore Peter Borst to open the scoring. 10-minutes later, the Eagles added to the tally as Velzen-Haner headed a ball that was saved by the Pumas' goalkeeper, but senior Jonah Knoester put home the rebound to double the Eagles tally. Just seven minutes later, sophomore Boris Lalic won ball as the Eagles defended a corner kick and played it straight up the field to a streaking John Cassiday (sophomore). Cassiday outran two pumas to create a breakaway at goal from midfield. As he approached the goal, Cassiday coolly placed the ball in the right corner of the net to add to the Eagles' lead. The Eagles went into the half with a 3-0 lead.  The second half found the Eagles controlling the majority of the ball, patiently creating opportunities at goal, but were unable to add to the tally until late in the match. With 2-minutes to go, junior Christian Dershem was taken down just outside the penalty area by 3 Puma defenders. Velzen-Haner stepped up and hit a well-placed free kick around the Pumas' defensive wall to finish the scoring for the day with a 4-0 lead.  Goalkeepers Xander Scofield and Chanse Harmelink combined for the shutout. The Eagles prepare for their 3rd match of the week as they travel to non-conference opponent, Jenison, for an 11:45 kickoff on Saturday monring.

The varsity Eagles soccer team hosted crosstown rivals, the East Grand Rapids Pioneers in front of a large crowd at Eagle Stadium on Tuesday evening. The Eagles came into the game 3-2-4 on the season while EGR entered the match 6-1-1 and ranked #2 in the state.  The Pioneers had control of the ball throughout much of the first half, maintaining possession in the midfield but were unable to break down a defiant Eagle defense. With few good scoring chances created by either team, the score remained 0-0 at the half.  The Eagles came out of halftime with a resurgance of energy and began to connect better through the midfield, making more inroads to the Pioneer defense. Just 5-minutes into the half, the Eagles broke the deadlock as senior goalkeeper, Cooper Hutt, hit a long ball up the field that was difficult for the Pioneers' defenders to handle. Eagle sophomore, Gedion  Nzabonimpa ran down the bouncing ball and deftly touched it over the onrushing Pioneer goalkeeper to put the Eagles up 1-0. As the half wore on, the Pioneers pressed forward, but were unable to break down the Eagle defense while the Eagles created several chances working the ball through the Pioneer defense, but neither team was able to add to the scoreline after 80-minutes. The match ended with a 1-0 Eagle victory as the student fan section rushed the field to celebrate with the players.  The Eagles finish the week with two non-conference games (hosting Lansing Sexton at 4:30 at Gainey on Thursday, then traveling to Jenison for an 11:45 am kickoff on Saturday). 

The varsity boy's soccer team hosted Northview at Eagle Stadium on Thursday evening for Senior Night. The Eagles began the night celebrating the seven seniors on the 2022 roster:  Johnny Clarkin Cooper Hutt Aidan Knoester Jonah Knoester Alexander Scofield Ian Velzen-Haner Alex Williams When the game kicked off, the Eagles came out with strong energy and high work rate, playing tough defense against the visitors and moving the ball well across the field to spring several good attacks. Early in the match, an unfortunate collision at the edge of the Eagles penalty area resulted in a penalty kick for Northview. The Northview penalty taker pushed the shot just wide, keeping the game level. The Eagles created three good scoring opportunities in the last 15 minutes of the half, but were unable to convert, leaving the score 0-0 at intermission.  The second half brought even more energy as the Eagles generated attack after attack with quick passing combinations. After 60-minutes of play, the Eagles finally broke through as sophomore Miles Bourland drove the ball endline, slotting a pass across the goal where senior Cooper Hutt was able to tuck it away for the 1-0 lead. About 8 minutes later, the Eagles doubled their lead when sophomore Boris Lalic  beat several defenders to tuck away his 2nd goal of the season. The Eagles added to their tally when sohpomore Gedion Nzabonimpa knifed a pass through the Northview defense to a streaking sophomore, John Cassiday, who finished it coolly.  The 3-0 lead held up to the final whistle, brining the Eagles to 3-2-4 on the season and 1-0-1 in OK White play. The Eagles host East Grand Rapids on Tuesday, September 13 at Eagle Stadium (7:30 pm kickoff).  

The Forest Hills Northern Huskies traveled to Gainey Athletic Complex on Tuesday evening to take on the Varsity Eagle Soccer team. The two teams battled throughout the first half as the Eagles built their attack while the Huskies counter attacked quickly. Midway through the first half, the Eagles were able to spring sophomore John Cassiday into space wide on the left. Cassiday turned the corner and drove the ball toward goal only to be taken down by a Husky defender in the box to earn a penalty kick for the Eagles. Senior Jonathan Clarkin stepped up to the spot and converted to give the Eagles a first half lead. The Eagles took this momentum throughout the remainder of the half, challenging the Husky defense several times.  With a 1-0 lead at the start of the second half, the Eagles continued to challenge the Husky defenders, forcing some good saves from the Husky goalkeeper, while the Huskies defended aggressively and countered quickly. The Eagles defense stood firm behind the goalkeeping of senior Cooper Hutt until just under 5-minute to go when Hutt blocked a shot only to have the rebound poked in the the Huskies to tie the match at 1-1. With little time on the clock, neither team was able to threaten their opponents goal in the closing minutes, resulting in a 1-1-1 draw to open the OK White regular season for both teams.  The draw puts the Eagles at a 2-2-4 record on the year as they prepare to host their first match of the season at Eagle Stadium on Thursday night. This match will give the Eagles an opportunity to recognize the seven seniors on the 2022 roster as they host Northview for the 2nd OK White match of the year. 

The Boys Varsity Soccer team traveled to East Lansing (EL) on Thursday night for the first meeting against these two programs. The Eagles found themselves down a goal 15-minutes into the match when they were unable to clear a free kick from EL near inside the penalty area before it was slotted into the side netting by an EL attacker. While the Eagles controlled more of the play, they went into halftime facing a 0-1 deficit.  The 2nd half saw the Eagles come out with a more potent attack and more physical defending against the direct style of EL. Even with an advantage of possession and several good attempts, the Eagles were still without a goal late in the game. After several spectacular saves by senior goalkeeper Cooper Hutt, the Eagles were able to break through when sophomore John Cassiday received a ball on the left side and slotted it perfectly in front of goal to a streaking junior Jackson Mindling who buried it in the EL net with just under 5-minutes remaining to level the score at 1-1. With momentum on their side and the clock winding down, the Eagles mounted several attacks before sophomore Miles Bourland flicked a loose ball on to Cassiday just inside the EL penalty area. Cassiday was able to dribble past an EL defender before striking the ball into the EL net with 57 seconds on the clock to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead. The Eagles successfully defended the last ditch efforts from EL to gain a hard fought away victory.  The Eagles open their OK White Conference play on Tuesday evening at Gainey Athletic Complex with a 5:30 pm kickoff. 

The Varsity Eagles Boys Soccer Team hosted Portage Central on a perfect Tuesday evening at Gainey Sports Complex. The Eagles brought some early energy to the match, winning 50/50 balls and creating attacking chances before the speedy Portage Central attackers were able to break through the Eagle Defense on a counter attack just 7 minutes into the match. The Eagles showed their resilience, regaining control and leveling the score 21-minutes in as junior Carter Goodyke volleyed in a corner kick from sophomore John Cassiday. With the score knotted at 1-1, PC was able to find another gap in the Eagle defense at the 27-minute mark to take a 2-1 lead into the half. The Eagles showed their desire to battle in the 2nd half, mounting multiple attacks on goal while senior goalkeeper, Cooper Hutt made several spectacular saves to keep the game tight. Finally, with 6 minutes remaining, sophomore Boris Lalic poked in a free kick from senior Jonathan Clarkin to level the score at 2-2. In the closing minutes of the match, the Eagles broke through for several scoring opportunities and earned several corner kicks, but were not able to break the deadlock. The young Eagle squad finished with thier third draw of the season. The Eagles have one more match before the holiday weekend, traveling to East Lansing High School on Thursday night for a 7:00 match.

The young Eagles Varsity team traveled to Gull Lake on Saturday to take on two traditionally tough opponents, Gull Lake and Holland Public. The Eagles played their first of two matches against host Gull Lake. The Eagles concede in the early moments of the game after Gull Lake possessed the ball off the kickoff and slotted a cross through the Eagles goal box. Trailing early, the Eagles tried were chasing the match, conceding three more goals in the first half to go down 0-4 at halftime. The second half saw better play from the Eagles and stouter defense as they held Gull Lake scoreless, but the Eagles were unable to find the net themselves, finishing the match with an 0-4 loss.  With 30-minutes between games, the Eagles faced off in their second match against the Fighting Dutch of Holland High School. The Eagles came out much stronger and created several early opportunities, but were unable to break through the Dutch defense. With the score knotted at zeros at the half, the Eagles continued to mount attacks in the second half, but the Holland goalkeeper thwarted their attempts. With just 6 minutes remaining the Fighting Dutch finally broke the deadlock, hitting a full volley into the upper corner of the net off a cross. The Eagles were unable to equalize and ended with their second loss on the day with a 0-1 results.  The Eagles are 1-2-2 on the young season as they prepare to host Portage Central HS on Tuesday afternoon at Gainey Athletic Complex (JV @ 4:00 & Varsity @ 5:30). 

The Varsity Eagles Soccer team hosted the South Christian Sailors in their opening home match of the season on Wednesday night at Gainey Athletic Complex. The match pitted defending state champions from division 2 and division 3. Both teams brought strong defensive play into the match, making it difficult to find good scoring opportunities. The teams battled to a 0-0 score at the half in hot conditions as the Eagles mounted pressure by controlling the ball while South Christian challenged the Eagles defense on restarts and quick counter attacks. The second half found the game opening up as the hot conditions took their toll. The Eagles found their best scoring chance on a shot from distance by senior Jonathan Clarkin who ripped it to the upper corner of the Sailors net, only to be touched away by the Sailors%u2019 goalkeeper. Eagles%u2019 goalkeeper Cooper Hutt patrolled the box well, taking balls out of the air and thwarting the Sailors%u2019 attacks time after time. At the end of the 80-minute battle, both teams remained scoreless, ending this year%u2019s battle in a 0-0 draw. The Eagles travel to Gull Lake on Saturday morning to play back-to-back matches against Richmond Gull Lake and Holland Public, two perennial top-10 teams in the state.

The Boys Varsity Soccer team traveled across town to Wyoming Lee on Friday evening for a non-conference match against the Lee Legends. The Eagles showed early signs of controlling the match and opened their scoring just 11 minutes in when sophomore John Cassiday received a through ball and drove the ball at the Legends' goal before slotting the ball across to sophomore Miles Bourland who tucked it away to open his scoring account for the season. With 10-minutes remaining in the first half, junior Jackson Mindling flicked a headball through to sophomore Gedion Nzabonimpa who drove the ball to the endline and slotted it back to Mindling who tucked the ball past the goalkeeper for his first goal of the season. The Eagles went into the half with a 2-0 lead and command of the game. The 2nd half found the Eagles connecting passes through the midfield and building their attack, only to be called offsides numerous times. With 17 minutes left in the match, the Eagles strung together a number of passes before junior Grayson Montpetit played a slicing ball through to Mingling who coolly touched the ball past a defender before netting his 2nd goal of the night. The Eagles ended the night with a convincing 3-0 victory.  The Varsity Eagles host South Christian H.S. on Wednesday night at 5:30 pm at Gainey Athletic Complex in a match that pits the 2021 Division 2 and Division 3 state champions against each other in a match that alwyas bring the best out of both teams.