Men’s soccer team rallies to stun Calvin, 6-5

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College men's soccer team rallied from a 4-0 deficit to stun Calvin College, 6-5, this afternoon in its Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) opener at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The six goals for the Comets are the most since Sept. 1, 2009, when they scored eight against Andrews University and the most in an MIAA game since Oct. 8, 2005, when they had five at Alma College.

Today's game was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Calvin out-shot Olivet, 13-6, and built a 4-0 lead. In the second half, the Comets out-shot the Knights, 11-6, and out-scored, 5-1.

Olivet began its comeback with 1:30 left before halftime when freshman Michael Moscone (Washington Twp./Warren De La Salle) scored his first collegiate goal. Senior Jake Jensen (Vicksburg) and sophomore Evan Simpson (Washington/Romeo) each earned an assist on the goal.

The Comets then scored four goals in a span of exactly 10 minutes in the second half to take a 5-4 lead. Junior Fred Smyser (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Eastern) sent a shot into the goal at the near post at the 52:00 mark. Freshmen Matt Meldrum (Chesterfield Twp./Anchor Bay) and Cory Werner-Hoskins (Kalamazoo/Mattawan) were each credited with an assist.

Three minutes and 51 seconds later, sophomore Esteban Russell (DeWitt) made the score 4-3 when he ripped a shot from the top of the 18-yard box over the keeper's head. Off a free kick from Russell from about 40 yards out, sophomore Camden Iwasko (Livonia/Stevenson) turned the ball into the net at the far post in the 58th minute to tie the game at 4-4.

Using the momentum, junior Adam Wright (South End, England/Walled Lake Western) got the ball from Moscone at midfield found a seam down the left side of the field. He dribbled the ball into the 6-yard box, and sent a low shot to the far post with 28 minutes left. Olivet capped its scoring when Russell scored in the 73rd minute off a pass from Werner-Hoskins.

Nick Holtrop completed a hat trick for the Knights with a goal in the 75th minute. The Comets held on for the win, as a header by Taylor Pruis in the final seconds of the game went just wide right of the net.

The Comets were led by Russell's two goals and one assist. He also recorded eight shots, including seven on-goal. Four other Olivet players each had two shots. Sophomore Alex Lang (West Bloomfield/Detroit Catholic Central) was in goal for the first half, allowing four goals on 13 shots, while making five saves. Sophomore Matt Van Houten (Northville) finished the game in net and made two saves on six shots.

Olivet will take a break from MIAA play this Saturday and Sunday when it co-hosts a tournament with Alma. The Comets will play University of Mich.-Dearborn Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., and Hanover (Ind.) College Sunday at noon. Alma hosts Hanover Saturday and Mich.-Dearborn Sunday.