Women’s soccer team faces Hope in MIAA Tournament championship game

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College women's soccer team travels to play Hope College in the championship game of the 2017 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Van Andel Soccer Stadium in Holland.

THE MATCHUP: Olivet (13-6-1) vs. Hope (17-2-1)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Nov. 4, at noon
VENUE: Van Andel Soccer Stadium; Holland, Mich.
LIVE STATS: olivetcomets.com/sports/wsoc/2017-18/boxscores/20171104 _h8bj.xml
LIVE VIDEO: youtube.com/watch?v=RQEbaNjAkN0

MIAA TOURNAMENT: The Comets are the No. 2 seed, while the Flying Dutch are the No. 1 seed. Olivet tied Adrian, 0-0, in the semifinals but the Comets advanced courtesy of a 5-4 win in a penalty kick shootout. Grace Bubin's goal in the eighth minute was the difference, as Hope beat Calvin College, 1-0, in the other semifinal.

SEASON SERIES: Hope won both games by a 4-0 score during the regular season.

OLIVET HEAD COACH SARAM MARACANI: Sarah Maracani is in her first season as the Comets' head coach. She served as an assistant coach at Olivet during the 2016 season.

HOPE HEAD COACH LEIGH SEARS:  Leigh Sears is in her 17th season at the helm of the Flying Dutch and has a 208-107-24 record. Prior to joining Hope's staff in 2000, she served as the head women's soccer coach at Marietta (Ohio) College from 1994-99.

CAPTAINS: The captains are seniors Dominique Giroux, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Miranda Quick, of Swartz Creek, and junior Emma Essen, of Blissfield.

MVP: Senior Isabelle Leon, of Grand Rapids, was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Player. She is the first women's soccer player in school history to be named MVP.

ALL-MIAA: Essen joined Leon in earning first-team All-MIAA honors. Leon is the first three-time first-team All-MIAA women's soccer player at Olivet.

SCORING LEADERS: Leon leads the Comets in scoring with 43 points (16 goals and 11 assists). Essen is second with 31 points on 12 goals and seven assists. Sophomore Maya Prewitt, of Flushing, has four goals and three assists for 11 points. Sophomore Abby Radcliffe, of Davison, has three goals and three assists for nine points.

GAME-WINNING GOALS: Leon has scored six game-winning goals this season, including five against MIAA rivals. Essen has notched four game-winning goals, while Prewitt has two.

PROTECTING THE NET: Freshman Samantha Gifford, of Lansing, has been in goal for the last six games and has posted a 4-1-1 record with a 0.96 goals against average (GAA). Freshman Brooklyn Holley, of DeWitt, started the first 13 of the first 14 games in goal and had a 9-5 record with a 1.82 GAA.

STARTING ALL 20: Juniors Ann Fetzer, of Holly, and McKenna Graham, of Brighton, and freshman Katie Rush, of Otsego, have started all 20 games on the Comets' defense, and the trio has played nearly all 1,820 minutes at their position. Essen and Leon have also started every game.

LEAGUE LEADERS: In only the 16 MIAA games, Leon ranks first with nine assists, and second in goals (15) and points (39). Essen is third in goals (11), assists (seven) and points (29).

RANKING AMONG THE ALL-TIME BEST PLAYERS: Among the all-time leaders at Olivet, Leon is tied for first with 26 assists and is third in goals (51) and points (128). All three totals are the most by a women's soccer player since 2001. By virtue of starting in the semifinal game, Leon broke Olivet's career record for games played (78) and started (76).

WINNING SEASON: The Comets secured only the sixth winning season in school history. The 13 wins this season matches the 2010 team for the third-most victories in school history for a season.

MIAA FINISH: The 11 wins in MIAA play were the most in school history for a season. The second-place spot in the final standings is the highest outright finish in school history. In 1998, Olivet tied for second-place with Calvin and Hope.

REVISTING THE MIAA PRESEASON POLL: In the preseason coaches' poll, Olivet was picked to finish eighth. Hope was the preseason favorite, while Calvin was selected third and Adrian tied for fifth.

SENIORS: This year's roster features six seniors, Giroux, Leon, Quick, Rachael Durocher, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Madeline Maxwell, of Flushing, and Emily Reinecke, of Eaton Rapids. These six seniors have helped Olivet win 38 total games, the most by a graduating class in 15 years.

MIAA TOURNAMENT: Olivet is playing in the MIAA Tournament championship game for only the second time in school history. The only other time was in 1998 when the Comets beat Kalamazoo College, 5-3. Overall, the Comets have played in the MIAA Tournament nine times.