Schmitt, Medina and Lane Voted to Men’s Soccer First Team All-Conference

 

MCC forward Nate Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer), center back Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon) and goalie Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) were voted all-conference by the men’s soccer coaches in the All-Michigan Community College Athletic Association.

The explosive Schmitt was the top goal-scorer not only in the MCCAA but in Region XII as well. The former scholastic all-state striker netted 17 goals and had four assists for the Jayhawks in their first year of  offering men’s soccer as an intercollegiate sport.

“Nathan has the rare combination of very, very good skills and tremendous speed,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema. “That’s a huge advantage in soccer. A lot of his goals came because he was able to beat other players to the ball.”

Medina, who had a goal and three assists, caught the attention of opposing coaches this autumn with his skills and leadership, said Ritsema.

“He has the best one-on-one skills on the team,” said Ritsema. “He always going to make the right choice and the ball is always going to be sent where it’s supposed to be.

“Juan’s the one who caused other teams’ players fits when they were trying to score. He was like our quarterback. He was an excellent communicator.”

Lane, another former all-state standout in high school, played in 14 games, recording 1,206 minute and making 82 saves. He had 1.79 goals-against average.

“He has that combination of size and quickness that you want in a goalie,” said Ritsema of his six foot, four inch netminder. “He’s tall, has long arms and can jump, but he is also extremely quick.”

“He grew a lot as a communicator on the field for us this year. By the end of the season, he was shouting instructions not only to our defenders but also to our attack.”

Top-Ranked Schoolcraft Beats MCC 4-0; Soccer Ends First Season Tied for Third in Region

Unbeaten and ranked first in the nation, Schoolcraft ended the MCC men’s soccer season with a 4-0 victory in the NJCAA Region XII semifinals at Owens CC in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday afternoon.

The Jayhawks tied for third in the region with Jackson CC, who lost 4-0 to Cincinnati State in other semifinal. Schoolcraft and Jackson CC square off on Sunday for the regional crown.

MCC and Schoolcraft battled to a scoreless tie for the first 27 minutes of Saturday’s match before Doug Beason’s goal put the Ocelots ahead 1-0 heading into intermission.

“I was excited to be down by just a goal at halftime and I was looking forward to see how we could come out in the second half,” said Jayhawks Coach Ben Ritsema.

Just shy of 10 minutes into the second frame, Schoolcraft’s Ryan Lemasters scored for a 2-0 lead. Minutes later, the referee issued a red card to MCC’s Cameron Rogers for a violent tackle.

“That call changed the dynamics of the game,” said Ritsema, who was not pleased with the official’s decision. “We were forced to play with only 10 players for the rest of game, a game that we now trailed 2-0. We did try to piece some things together, didn’t sit back and had a couple of shots.”

But Schoolcraft’s LeMasters quickly took advantage of his squad’s extra-man opportunity for a second goal only five minutes after his first tally. A fourth Ocelot goal midway through the half capped the scoring.

Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) had seven saves while Colton Burmeister (Shelby, MI/Shelby) made one save playing in the nets for the final 14 minutes. Scott Shewfelt stopped four Jayhawks shots to earn the Schoolcraft shutout.

Reflecting upon the initial Jayhawks soccer season, Ritsema recounted an MCC campaign that saw his charges not only play with heart but also improve with each passing match.

“That’s what you hope for as a coach, to see improvement,” he said. “It was a great first season. We finished second in the conference and qualified for the regionals as the fifth seed. We will have a lot of guys coming back next year. Schoolcraft showed up where need to be. We should be in a good position next year to improve on what we accomplished this season.”

MCC Beats Ancilla 1-0 in Regional Quarterfinals; Plays Top-Ranked Schoolcraft Saturday

The MCC men’s soccer team earned yet another accolade Wednesday afternoon in its first season as a varsity sport when the Jayhawks won their first-ever post-season match.

MCC shutout host Ancilla College 1-0 in Donaldson, Ind., to advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XII semifinals. The Jayhawks will meet Schoolcraft, the nation’s number one team, at 2 p.m. at Owens CC in Toledo, Ohio. Schoolcraft is a perfect 20-0, including a pair of 3-0 wins against MCC this season.

Jorge Bravo (Grant, MI/Grant) and Jayhawks teammate Kody Harrell (Muskegon, MI/Orchard View) combined on a give-and-go with 18:39 left in the match for the only score. Bravo brought the ball up midfield past a pair of Ancilla defenders, then passed it to Harrell, who attracted several Ancilla defenders. Harrell then returned the ball to Bravo and his blistering, untouchable 18-yard shot into the upper left corner was the game-winner.

MCC keeper Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) made six saves, including a point-blank shot he deflected with his right foot a minute before intermission, to earn the shutout. Ancilla goalie Alex Howe recorded four saves.

Jayhawks Coach Ben Ritsema lauded the defensive play of backs Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon) and Travis DiPiazza (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer), as well as outside back Cameron Rogers (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) who neutralized Ancilla’s JaCoby Smith, one of the league’s top scorers.

MCC’s Nate Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) had the match’s only other scoring threat with his shot that bounced off the Ancilla crossbar midway thought the first half.

The Jayhawks will bring an 11-7-1 record into the match against Schoolcraft.

Men’s Soccer Opens Regionals at Ancilla

The fifth-seeded MCC men’s soccer team travels to fourth-seeded Ancilla College on Wednesday afternoon in NJCAA Region XII quarterfinal action. The match begins at 4 p.m.
In the other quarterfinal, third-seeded Owens CC hosts sixth-seeded Jackson CC. The regional semifinals and finals are hosted by Owens CC on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29-30, in Toledo, Ohio. The Owens-Jackson winner faces second-seed Cincinnati State at noon on Saturday while the MCC-Ancilla victor meets top-seeded Schoolcraft at 2 p.m. The championship game is at noon on Sunday.
MCC defeated Ancilla 4-3 in the season opener at home and battled to a 2-2 draw at Ancilla on Oct. 1. The Jayhawks finished second (4-3-1) and Ancilla fourth (3-4-1) in the conference. MCC closed with a 10-7-1 regular season record and Ancilla had a 9-6-1 mark.

Men’s Soccer Beats Jackson 2-1 in OT; Clinches Second Place in Conference

Dan Zavala’s (Holland, MI/Holland) first collegiate goal came with 4:19 left in overtime to cap a thrilling 2-1 MCC victory over host Jackson CC on Sunday afternoon. The come-from-behind win moved the Jayhawks ahead of Jackson and into second place in the final Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) standings.

Muskegon finished 4-3-1 in the league and Jackson closed with a 4-4 mark. Both teams are behind unbeaten and nationally top-ranked Schoolcraft.

“I am thrilled to finish second in the league in our first year,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema. “When the year started, I didn’t know what to expect. I owe it to these guys who came to play at MCC and who took a chance on a first-year team. We’re not a first-year team anymore.”

MCC fell behind 1-0 five minutes into the match, when Jackson’s Dave Edwardson scored from 35 yards out.

“It was the best shot I’ve seen all year,” admitted Ritsema, whose defense, led by centerbacks Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon)and Travis DiPiazza (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer), stiffened and allowed only two more shots over the next 115 minutes of action. Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) made two keys saves in goal.

The Jayhawks evened the match 19:45 before intermission. Drew Maus (Muskegon, MI/Fruitport) sent a perfectly timed ball between two Jackson defenders and caught Michael Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) in stride. The Jets goalie came out to stop Schmitt, who scored from 16 yards out.

MCC, which outshot Jackson 14-4, saved its best for last. In the waning minutes, Jorge Bravo (Grant, MI/Grant) threw the ball into Nate Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer). He touched the ball over to Paul Ortega, Jr. (Grand Haven, MI/ Grand Haven), who had been moving toward the action originally to take the throw-in. Ortega crossed the ball to Zavala in front of the Jackson goal mouth, where he tapped in a three-footer for the emotional winning score.

“Our players charged the field after the game,” said Ritsema, who team completed its regular season with a 10-7-1 record. “We now have 10 days off. The other teams are still playing. While it’s not ideal to be off that long, it also gives you a chance to rest anyone who may be injured.”

Currently ranked third in the region, MCC can finish no lower than sixth. The top two teams receive byes, while the third-seed hosts the sixth-seed and the fourth-seed hosts the fifth-seed when regional play begins Wednesday, Oct. 26. The final four teams will advance and play for the regional title on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29-30, at Owens CC in Toledo, Ohio.

 

No. 1 Ranked Schoolcraft Beats MCC Soccer 3-0

The nation’s top-ranked NJCAA Div. I  team, Schoolcraft CC shutout the visiting MCC men’s soccer team 3-0 in Livonia, MI, on Saturday afternoon.

MCC held Schoolcraft off the scoreboard until 1:19 remaining before halftime. The hosts added their second goal on a cornerkick 17 minutes into the second half and closed the scoring with a third tally with nine minutes left.

Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) finished with five saves for MCC, which was outshot8-3 in the match.

The Jayhawks fall to 8-7-1 overall while Schoolcraft improves to 17-0. MCC will play at Jackson CC on Sunday.

MCC Soccer Beats Cuyahoga CC 5-2; Qualifies for Nationals in First Season

The first-year MCC men’s soccer program accomplished one of its major team goals on Sunday afternoon with its 5-2 win over Cuyahoga CC at Orchard View High School. The victory guarantees that MCC, now 9-6-1 overall, will finish among the top six teams in Region 12 and will earn a berth in the post-season national tournament.

“Right now we are tied for fourth with Ancilla College, but we beat and tied them so we would win the tie-breaker for the fourth spot,” explained MCC Coach Ben Ritsema. “We still have two matches next week at Schoolcraft and at Jackson and could improve our regional standing.”

“We’ve gotten better and better. We’ve done nothing but improve the last month and a half. I don’t think there’s anyone in our region that would want to draw us in the tournament.”

That improvement was on display against Cuyahoga. The Jayhawks’ leading scorer, Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) put the hosts on the scoreboard seven minutes into the match. Tanner Schaap (Grand Haven, MI/Grand Haven) sent a through ball to Schmitt, who slid behind the defense and fired a low shot to the corner of the Cuyahoga net.

Jayhawk Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon) orchestrated the next two MCC goals – coming about two minutes apart – with his accurate directs kicks. His first, a 45-yarder went to Michael Lipan (Norton Shores, MI/Mona Shores) near the Cuyahoga goal. Lipan headed the ball into the far corner. In a carbon copy play, Medina found Drew Maus (Muskegon, MI/Fruitport) on the same back corner. Maus, though, headed his scoring effort to the near corner for a 3-0 Jayhawks halftime lead.

Jose “Junior” Briseno (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon) set up the next MCC goal with his brilliant 50-yard cross field pass that caught Cuyahoga off-guard and found teammate Fredi Lopez (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer). The freshman midfielder completed the scoring play with his accurate left-footed 15-yard shot.

Cuyahoga scored on a one-on-one opportunity created when the MCC defense unsuccessfully tried to catch the visitors in an offsides situation.

Midway through the second half, Antonio Rodriguez (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon) found Schmitt, whose blistering shot cleared Cuyahoga keeper Alex Ponikvar hands, the caromed off the crossbar and down into the goal.

CCC’s Dylan Coleman scored the game’s final goal. MCC starting keeper Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) had one save and Nick Pearson (Muskegon, MI/Oakridge), who came in for the last 15 minutes, had a save. Ponikvar had eight stops for CCC.

 

MCC Soccer Rallies for 3-2 Win over Lakeland

Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) scored twice in the final nine minutes to lift the MCC men’s soccer team to a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over visiting Lakeland College on Saturday afternoon.

The Jayhawks used their superior depth to outlast the Lakers whom, because of a make-up game rescheduled for Friday, they were playing for the second time in less than 24 hours. Unlike the previous day’s 2-1 loss, MCC came out with an intensity that prevailed the entire match.

Still, Lakeland scored first. A Laker direct kick bounced off a Jayhawks defender and away from onrushing MCC keeper Tyler Lane. Lakeland’s Jon-Michael Vieira directed the ball into the empty net. The 1-0 lead held through intermission, although MCC outshot their visitors 5-3 and held a 7-0 edge in cornerkicks.

Lakeland went up 2-0 early in the second half. MCC’s Cameron Rogers was called for foul when he came over the back of Lakeland’s Ryongmyeeong Cho in the penalty area. Laker Samuel Mutemwa made the penalty kick.

The Jayhawks responded by ratcheting up their already relentless attack and by substituting freely.

“We have a great bench and I am not afraid to use them,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema. “That’s why soccer is a team game. We are a good team from position number one through 25.”

Greg Sischo (Muskegon, MI/North Muskegon) scored his first collegiate goal, off a Nathan Schmitt assist, with a volley inside the box, trimming the lead to 2-1 with 22 minutes left.

An MCC halftime strategy paid dividends when Ryan Wagenmaker (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) brought the ball deep up the sideline, then crossed to Schmitt who netted the equalizer with 9:44 left. Two minutes later, the Jayhawks took the lead with a Schmitt goal off a Salim Al-Shatel (Norton Shores, MI/Mona Shores) assist.

Coach Ritsema praised the outstanding play of his reserves, notably Al-Shatel, Travis DiPiazza (Muskegon. MI/Reeths-Puffer) and Michael Lipan (Norton Shores, MI/Mona Shores).

Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) was solid in the MCC nets with five saves, while Abdel Rodriguez, whom Ritsema called “the best goalie we’ve faced this season,” made eight saves.

MCC, who finished with a 14-2 edge in cornerkicks, take an 8-6-1 record in their third home match in as many days, when they host Cuyahoga CC at Orchard View High School at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Lakeland dropped to 5-9.

 

 

Lakeland Nips MCC Soccer 2-1

Lakeland CC took advantage of a sluggish MCC men’s soccer start on Friday afternoon to defeat the host Jayhawks 2-1 in a rescheduled match originally postponed because of poor field conditions at Lakeland. The two squads will meet again at Orchard View High School on Saturday at 11 a.m.

“We just have to get better at coming out strong and not waiting until we are down 2-0,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema.

George Shakarashvili put the visiting Lakers ahead 1-0 with 20:12 remaining in the first half. Samuel Mutemwa assisted on the goal, and then scored the second Lakeland tally six minutes later. Augusto Ramirez assisted on that scoring effort.

One minute before halftime, MCC’s Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon. MI/Reeths-Puffer) cut the margin to 2-1 when he converted on a Jose Briseno (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon) assist. 

”We had a lot of good scorning chances in the second half and outshot them 5-3 in that half,” explained Coach Ritsema. Drew Maus had a great header that their goalie stopped with a diving catch. Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon) had a shot from the corner that their goalie made a diving catch to stop,”

Lakeland goalie Abdel Rodriguez closed with seven  saves, while MCC’s Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) had seven stops. The Jayhawks are now 7-6-1 while Lakeland improves to 5-8.

 

 

 Last-Second Wagenmaker OT Goal Lifts MCC Soccer over Delta CC

MCC freshman midfielder Ryan Wagenmaker (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) scored with 54 seconds left in the second overtime period to give the Jayhawks a 3-2 victory over host Delta College on Sunday in University Center, MI

Jayhawk Kody Harrell (Muskegon, MI/Orchard View) froze the Delta defense when he appeared ready to shoot the ball in their box, but he dummied the ball, allowing to roll through to Wagenmaker. All alone 14 yards out, Wagenmaker put the uncontested one-timer into the upper corner of the Pioneers’ net.

“It was an important win for us because it kept us in sixth place in the regional standings,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema. “The top six teams in the region advance into the post-season. We have three important back-to-back-to-back games this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”

The Jayhawks play Lakeland CC on Friday in a rescheduled match, then meet the same squad again the next day. On Sunday, MCC hosts Cayuhoga CC.

The win boosts MCC to second place in the MCCAA with a 3-2-1 league mark. Delta is winless in six conference contests.

Against Delta, the Jayhawks led 1-0 at halftime when Jorge Bravo (Grant, MI/Grant) scored off a Kody Harrell assist 14 minutes before intermission. The Pioneers evened the match at 1-1 with Kevin Walters’ tally 4:20 into the second half. MCC regained the lead with 20:28 left. A Wagenmaker blast ricocheted off Delta keeper Josh McIntosh and Kody Harrell scored off the rebound.

MCC appeared headed to victory in regulation but Delta sophomore defender Ben Green’s goal evened the match with 17 seconds remaining in regulation. His desperation 25-yard kick from the left side dropped over MCC keeper Colton Burmeister’s  (Shelby, MI/Shelby) head. He had two saves for the 7-5-1 Jayhawks, while McIntosh stopped 14 MCC shots on goal.

MCC Soccer Second Half Rally Earns 2-2 Draw with Ancilla

MCC men’s soccer overcame a 2-0 halftime deficit with a pair of second half goals to earn a 2-2 draw against host Ancilla College on Saturday afternoon in Donaldson, Ind. The Jayhawks, who earlier edged Ancilla 4-3 in the first-ever soccer match in MCC history, found themselves down two goals at intermission after Cougar forward  JaCoby Smith scored with 20 minutes left in the first stanza and again 10 minutes later. MCC sweeperback Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon), who missed the last few matches with an injury, provided a much-needed emotional spark his squad in the second half.“Juan’s so good that he can play anywhere,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema, who used him sparingly in his return on Saturday. “So I moved him to center mid.”Taking a pass from teammate Drew Maus (Muskegon, MI/Fruitport), Medina put a 25-yard shot past Ancilla keeper Alan Howe with 21:30 left. Coach Ritsema then inserted extra midfielders into the lineup to put pressure on Ancilla. MCC Nate Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) slid by the Cougar defense and crossed the ball to Travis DiPiazza (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) in the box. DiPiazza’s volleyed the ball into the corner of the net to know the contest at 2-2.During the two 10-minute overtime periods, the Jayhawks missed out on a possible penalty shot when an apparent handball by a Cougar defender near the Ancilla goal was not called, explained Ritsema. Then, in the final few seconds of the latter OT period, Nate Schmitt beat the defense and rifled a shot that Howe stopped with a diving grab. Howe closed with 13 saves while Jayhawks keeper Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) had eight stops.“We possessed the ball really well today,” said Ritsema. “We had the better scoring opportunities. It was a great comeback from being down 2-0.”MCC travels to Delta College on Sunday.

Soccer Blanks Grand Valley State University 1-0

The MCC men’s soccer team snapped a four-game losing skein with a 1-0 victory over a talented Grand Valley State University club team on Wednesday night at Reeths-Puffer High School. Jayhawks scoring leader Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) enjoyed the return to his scholastic field. The freshman forward converted a pass from another former Rocket soccer player Ryan Wagenmaker (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) with the game’s lone tally six minutes into the match. MCC netminder Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) made seven saves, including several close range bullets by the visiting Lakers, to record the shutout.

“Whenever you get a shutout, it’s a good game,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema, whose team moved to 5-4 on the season. “We played intense the whole game. Travis DiPiazza (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) did a great job filling in for Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon).

“Grand Valley’s a very good club team. They don’t give scholarships but they finished very high nationally in the club tournaments.”The Jayhawks are on the road this weekend at Ancilla College on Saturday and at Delta College on Sunday.Prior to the GVSU contest, Coach Ritsema and the Jayhawks team presented an appreciation plaque to Janet Albertie, who served as the MCC soccer club team manager from 2003-2010, when she coordinated the scheduling and hiring of coaches. “Her willingness to share her time and energy with the MCC club soccer program gave birth to what you see today – soccer being played as an intercollegiate sport at MCC,” said Ritsema.

 

MCC Soccer Comeback Bid Falls Short Against Jackson CC

Trailing 3-0 at halftime, the MCC soccer squad scored twice in the first 51 seconds of the second half but could get no closer in a 4-3 loss to visiting Jackson CC on Sunday afternoon at Orchard View High School.“We came out extremely flat in the first half,” said Jayhawks Coach Ben Ritsema, whose team was without its field general Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon). The MCC back was injured the day before against Schoolcraft.All of Jackson’s scoring came from its British connection — Omar Smithen from Birmingham, who had two tallies, Dave Edwardson of Newcastle and Sadik Balarabe of London.“While the first half was the worst 45 minutes we’ve played this season, I thought the second half was our most inspired,” said Ritsema, whose halftime speech was a simple one. “I told them this was the first time they played like a first year varsity team. Soccer demands heart and skill.”The Jayhawks displayed both in the second half. MCC’s Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon,MI/Reeths-Puffer) scored off the opening kickoff. He converted a cross that had deflected off a Jackson defender. Less than a minute later, his brother Michael Schmitt (Muskegon,MI/Reeths-Puffer) was fouled by Jackson goalie Derek Barton inside the box. Coach Ritsema had Nathan take the penalty kick, which Barton stopped but could not save Nathan Schmitt’s rebound that cut the lead to 3-2.“We were pressing trying to tie the game when they scored with about 22 minutes left,” explained Ritsema.Nathan Schmitt recorded his second three-goal game of the season when he scored off a Kody Harrell (Muskegon, MI/Orchard View) assist with 7:53 remaining. Colton Burmeister (Shelby, MI/Shelby) made 10 saves for the Jayhawks. Barton finished with eight stops for Jackson, which improves to 3-2 in the league and 7-3-1 overall. MCC, now 2-2 in the conference and 5-5 overall, will face Grand Valley State University on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The game, originally scheduled for GVSU, will be played at Reeths-Puffer High School, where six current Jayhawks and Coach Ritsema were part of the scholastic soccer program.

National Power Schoolcraft Hands Jayhawks First Soccer League Loss

The nationally ranked Schoolcraft CC men’s soccer team remained undefeated after downing Muskegon CC 3-0 at Orchard View High School on Saturday afternoon.The battle between the only unbeaten Michigan Community College Athletic Association teams quickly turned into a physical match. “They’re the most physical team we have played, but that’s college soccer,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema, whose team fell to 2-1 in the league and 5-4 overall. “But I thought we matched their intensity. We weren’t intimidated.”The third-ranked Ocelots took advantage of a direct kick midway through the first half. Marco Lobo sent the ball across the box where teammate Tom Nevill beat MCC keeper Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) with his shot. Lane, who had protested the penalty that set up the kick, received a red card a minute later when he retaliated to Schoolcraft’s Ryan LeMasters altercation with a Jayhawks player. LeMaster also received a red card. Lane, who had three saves, was replaced by Colton Burmeister (Shelby, MI/Shelby) who closed with four saves in the MCC goal.In the second half, t he Ocelots went ahead 2-0 with 18:49 left. Adrian Tosh, trapped near the MCC end line by a trio of players, centered the ball to Nevill for his second score. Nevill then set up Doug Beason for the final goal with 20 minutes remaining. Schoolcraft, now 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the conference, held a 9-3 edge in shots on goal and 5-3 margin in cornerkicks. Scott Shewfelt had three saves for the Ocelots.“I think we’re communicating better,” said Coach Ritsema, whose squad must quickly regroup for a Sunday afternoon home league game against Jackson CC.

Owens CC Downs MCC Soccer 2-0

Owens CC scored twice in the final 26 minutes to shutout the visiting MCC soccer team 2-0 on Sunday afternoon in Toledo, Ohio. Travis Turner netted Owens first tally with 25:29 left in the second half and teammate Novak Vukjanicic added another goal with two minutes left on the clock. Jacob Olman stopped all nine MCC shots on goal for Owens which improved to 6-3, while Jayhawks keeper Colton Burmeister (Shelby, MI/Shelby) had three saves.“We had some good chances to score, we just couldn’t put the ball in the net,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema, who squad drops to 5-3 with the two weekend losses

Cincinnati Beats MCC Soccer in OT…Again

Cincinnati State beat the MCC men’s soccer team in overtime for a second time this season after pulling out a 2-1 victory on Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati. Collin Murray scored off a 20-yard free kick 1:36 into the first OT period for the hosts, who have handed the 5-2 Jayhawks their only losses this autumn. In the first half, Cincinnati’s Justin Mitchell scored 28 minutes into the contest, but MCC tied the match a minute before intermission. Ryan Wagenmaker’s (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) shot deflected off a Cincinnati defender and Drew Maus (Muskegon, MI/Fruitport) booted the ball into the net.“This was a game played mostly in the midfield,” said MCC mentor Ben Ritsema, whose squad held a 10-8 edge in shots on goal. “We had three or four scoring opportunities and put one in. They had three or four chances and put two in. That’s soccer. They were the national runner-up last year. They’re a quality team and set the bar high. We’d like to get another chance at them further down the road in the playoffs.”Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) had six saves for the Jayhawks, while Ben Steinecker made nine Cincinnati stops. MCC travels to Owens CC on Sunday afternoon.

Men’s Soccer Defeats Calvin College JVs 2-1

The MCC tandem of Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) and Jorge Bravo (Grant, MI/Grant) teamed up for both first half goals in the Jayhawks 2-1 victory over the Calvin College jayvees on Wednesday afternoon at Orchard View High School.

Schmitt took a Bravo pass and outdistanced the Knight defenders for a 15-yard scoring strike seven minutes into the contest. Midway through the half, Bravo dribbled through the Calvin defense along the endline, then found Schmitt directly in front of the Calvin net for the insurance goal.

Jayhawks goalie Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) made seven saves, some brilliant one-on-one stops, before having his shutout spoiled with 34 seconds left in the contest. Calvin’s Corey Phillips booted a volley from Sean Broekhuizen for the lone Knight tally.

“Tyler played excellent in the net for us,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema, who team boosted its season mark to 5-1 overall. “They would have scored four or five goals without his saves. He was our outstanding player today.”MCC outshot the Knights 12-8. Calvin keeper Andrew Claucherty had five first half saves and Ross Udell made three Knights stops in the second half.

 

Jayhawks Men’s Soccer Blanks Cuyahoga 5-0

MCC freshman goalie Colton Burmeister (Shelby, MI/Shelby) stopped eight shots in a 5-0 shutout of Cuyahoga CC on Saturday afternoon in Kirtland, Ohio. The Jayhawks, who outshot their foes 16-8 in the match, were led offensively by two goals from freshman midfielder Jorge Bravo (Grant, MI/Grant), including one of MCC’s two first half goals. Both Kody Harrell (Muskegon, MI/Orchard View) and Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) each recorded a goal and assist, while Fredi Lopez (Muskegon, MMI/Reeths-Puffer) scored the other Jayhawks tally.Travis DiPiazza (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer), Ryan Wagenmaker (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) Greg Sischo (Muskegon, MI/North Muskegon) each had an assist. Now 4-1, MCC was scheduled to play Lakeland CC on Saturday in Kirtland, Ohio, but the field was deemed unplayable. The game will be rescheduled. The date has not yet been determined. The Jayhawks return to action on Wednesday at 5 p.m., when they meet the Calvin College jayvees at Orchard View High School.

Cincinnati Nips MCC in OT; Jayhawks Beat Owens 2-0

Cincinnati State handed the MCC men’s soccer team its first defeat 2-1 in OT on Saturday, but Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths Puffer) notched both goals in MCC’s 2-0 win over Owens CC on Sunday in games played at Orchard View High School.One minute into Saturday’s match, Cincinnati’s Heirot Martens put the visitors atop 1-0 on a penalty kick. Two minutes later, MCC freshman Drew Maus (Muskegon, MI/Fruitport) evened the game on a Ron Fisk (Sand Lake, MI/Cedar Springs) assist. Neither team would score again for 100 minutes of play until Cincinnati’s Andrew Graham booted the winner, a 22-yard direct kick, two minutes into the second 10-minute golden goal OT frame.“We had some really good scoring chances to take the lead in the second half,” said MCC Coach Ben Ritsema, who hosts held a 15-12 edge in shots. Freshman keeper Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian) recorded 10 saves. Back at home the next day, MCC regained its winning ways wit Schmitt’s late-game scoring exploits. His first goal came with 14 minutes remaining. He took a pass from Fisk and kicked a hard shot that bounced off the hands of Owens CC netminder Jacob Olman. When Owens tried to tally the equalizer on a direct kick in the final minute, MCC counterattacked. Freshman Issac Bowers (Norton Shores, MI/Mona Shores) found an open Schmitt, whose 45-yard strike caught Olman off guard. Colton Burmeister (Shelby, MI/Shelby) recorded two saves for MCC, while Olman closed with three.Coach Ritsema commended the outstanding midfield play of Tanner Schaap (Grand Haven, MI/Grand Haven) and Drew Maus for giving his Jayhawks the edge in a match decided in the middle of the field. The Jayhawks travel to Kirtland, Ohio for a pair of matches this weekend.

Undefeated Soccer Blanks Delta 9-0

Freshman Michael Lipan (Norton Shores, MI/Mona Shores) scored  three times to pace the undefeated Jayhawks men’s soccer team to a 9-0 rout of Delta College on Wednesday afternoon at the Orchard View High School field. In all, six different MCC players tallied first half goals as the hosts outshot winless Delta 31-9 in the contest. Fredi Lopez (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) opened the scoring nine minutes into the match, with Juan Medina (Muskegon, MI/Muskegon) assisting on the play. Then the host Jayhawks exploded for three goals in three minutes,  two by forward Salim Al-Shatel (Norton Shores, MI/Mona Shores) and Travis DiPiazza (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) adding the third. DiPiazza then aided on Michael Schmitt’s (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) tally for a 5-0 lead midway through the half. Lipan netted all three of his scores in the half’s final 17 minutes, when midfielder Ryan Wagenmaker (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) also recorded a goal and an assist. Lopez and Jorge Bravo (Grant, Mi/Grant) had assists during that span.MCC freshman goalkeeper Colton Burmeister (Shelby, MI/Shelby) finished with nine saves, while Delta’s Alex Maturen stopped 28 Jayhawks shots on goal. Now 2-0, MCC returns to action this weekend with home contests against Cincinnati State on Saturday and Owens CC on Sunday. Both matches begin at 1 p.m. at Orchard View High School.

Schmitt Hat Trick Paces Soccer to 4-3 Victory

Freshman Nathan Schmitt (Muskegon, MI/Reeths-Puffer) tallied three goals to lead the Jayhawks men’s soccer unit to a 4-3 victory over Ancilla College on Saturday in the first-ever intercollegiate varsity soccer match in the college’s history.

The more than 300 fans who filled the sun-drenched Orchard View soccer stadium did not have to wait long to witness MCC’s inaugural goal. Schmitt beat Ancilla netminder Alex Howe with a tally off a Kody Harrell (Muskegon, MI/Orchard View) assist just four minutes into the contest.

When Ancilla’s Manny Awuku evened the match six minutes later, Schmitt retaliated quickly with his score from freshman midfielder Paul Ortega, Jr. (Grand Haven, MI/Grand Haven).

Six minutes shy of intermission, Ancilla’s JaCoby Smith tied the match. MCC’s Schmitt broke the 2-2 deadlock with his successful penalty kick, a rocket into the lower right corner of the Chargers net, midway into the second half. Jayhawks freshman middie Fredi Lopez (Muskegon. MI/Reeths-Puffer) posted the MCC insurance goal with 10 minutes left off Harrell’s second assist.

Ancilla’s Carlos Ramirez made things interesting with 1:22 left when he scored following a flurry of action in front of MCC first-year keeper Tyler Lane (Norton Shores, MI/West Michigan Christian). But the MCC defense kept the visitors from crossing midfield in the waning seconds.

Lane finished with four saves, while Howe closed with eight stops. MCC had a 13-8 edge in shots on goal and enjoyed a 3-2 margin in corner kicks. MCC returns to action on Wednesday at 4 p.m., when the Jayhawks host Delta College at Orchard View.