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2009-2010 Goshen College Baseball Recruit Signings

29 Jun 2009 19:51:05 EST

New Recruit Signings Will Be Added As They Occur – Check Back Often!
Goshen, IN — Goshen head coach Josh Keister as added players to the Leafs' baseball program during the spring signing period. Check back to this page often for the most updated recruiting news throughout the summer months. To contact Coach Keister, call him at (574) 535-7748 or click here to send him an email. 2009 Edwardsburg High School (Edwardsburg, Mich.) graduate Corey Johnson signs a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at Goshen College beginning the fall semester of 2009-2010. 2009 Mount Vernon High School (Fortville, Ind.) graduate Nathan Stanley signs a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at Goshen College beginning the fall semester of 2009-2010. 2009 Lakeland High School (LaGrange, Ind.) graduate Benjamin Kelly signs a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at Goshen...

JUNE 18 — Hefley Signing Gives Maple Leafs More Impact Size

18 Jun 2009 15:00:50 EST

Fremont HS Standout Averaged 18.4 Points, 10 Rebounds As Senior
GOSHEN, Ind. – Having already signed 6-foot, 9-inch center Cody Henson, Goshen College Head Men’s Basketball Coach Gary Chupp added some more size this week with the signing of Fremont High School standout Austin Hefley. “With our need for impact size, I am really excited that Austin has decided to continue his career at Goshen College,” Chupp explained. “He is a skilled big man that has a great feel for the game, can score both inside and outside, and is a tremendous passer out of the post. He will certainly have an opportunity to make an immediate contribution right away.” A 6’6” post at Fremont (Angola, Ind.), Hefley averaged an astounding 18.4 points and 10 rebounds a game as a senior. He was named to the Indiana Top 100 list as well as selected to the Nancy Reem All-Star Game. “I really liked the family atmosphere on the team...

JUNE 4 — Leafs Go International With Signing Of Simon Szablicki

4 Jun 2009 14:49:48 EST

Australian Junior College Transfer Set To Join Maple Leafs In 2009-10
GOSHEN, Ind. – Continuing his recent surge of recruit signings, Goshen College head men’s basketball coach Gary Chupp announced the inking of Simon Szablicki to the 2009-10 roster today. Chupp reached out all the way to Warrandyte, Australia for the addition of Szablicki, a 6-foot, 3-inch wing. “Simon will be a great addition to the Goshen College basketball program both on and off the court,” Chupp said. “We were looking to bring in some additional scoring and Simon certainly fits the bill.” Szablicki spent the past two seasons playing at John A. Logan Junior College in Carterville, Illinois. He helped them to a 22-10 record and the region championship game last season after averaging nine points and three rebounds a game as a freshman. “He can score in a variety of ways,” Chupp explained. “He has an explosive first step that...

JUNE 4 – Mounsithiraj Opens 2009 Recruiting Class With Caskey

4 Jun 2009 19:07:39 EST

Bethany Christian High School Standout Joins The Maple Leafs
GOSHEN, Ind. – Months removed from a heart-breaking loss in the Mid-Central College semifinals, Goshen College head men's soccer coach has begun to add to his roster in hopes of returning to the NAIA national tournament. Mounsithiraj took a major step towards that goal this week with the signing of Bethany Christian High School standout Lewis Caskey. "This is an exciting time for GC soccer to have Lewis coming to Goshen College and to play soccer on our men's side," Mounsithiraj said. "Caskey is such a great all-around player with good instincts for the game." A three-year varsity player for the Bruins, Caskey helped Bethany to its first ever sectional title in soccer in 2006. He will join former high school teammate Martin Brubaker who will be a junior at Goshen in the fall. "Lewis has the ability...

JUNE 3 — Point Guard Spot Solidified With Signing Of Kyle Davis

3 Jun 2009 15:47:40 EST

Michigan Standout Averaged 18 Points And Seven Assists A Game
GOSHEN, Ind. – Two of the key recruiting focuses for Goshen College head men’s basketball coach Gary Chupp in this class were depth and toughness. The Maple Leafs took major strides in both areas with the recent signing of Kyle Davis. “Kyle was one of the first guys we targeted to head up the current recruiting class,” Chupp explained. “I love the way he carries himself on the court and from the point guard position, he brings so many intangibles that are crucial to success.” The point guard for Portage Northern High School in Michigan, Davis averaged an outstanding 18 points and seven assists a game as a senior. Following his final high school season, Davis was named to the All South Michigan Athletic Conference for the second consecutive season. “Kyle is a natural leader – you don’t often see high school recruits take charge of...

JUNE 2 — Leafs Inks Versatile Scorer Tim Kidder From Garrett HS

2 Jun 2009 17:11:26 EST

Shooting Guard Averaged 19 Points A Game As High School Senior
GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College head men’s basketball coach Gary Chupp announced this week the signing of Garrett High School standout Tim Kidder to a national letter of intent. Kidder, a 6-foot shooting guard, scored 19 points a game as a senior for the Railroaders after pouring in 15 a night as a junior. He will provide a nice compliment to senior NAIA All American Errick McCollum II and junior Jeremy Pope. “We are excited that Tim has decided on Goshen College to further his academic and basketball careers,” Chupp said. “You can never have enough shooting and Tim can certainly put the ball in the hole. As he gets stronger and adjusts to the college game, I expect Tim to have an excellent career at Goshen.” As a senior, Kidder was selected to the Hoosier Top 100 and was a first-team All Allen County Athletic Conference. The soon-to-be Maple Leaf...

JUNE 1 — Four More Added To Maple Leafs Softball Roster

1 Jun 2009 12:37:32 EST

Mast Brings 2009-2010 Recruiting Class Up To Eight With Signings
GOSHEN, Ind. – Just a week after announcing his first four signings in the class of 2009-2010, Goshen College Head Coach Lee Mast added four more to the list this week. This group adds an immediate impact bat, speed in the outfield, and a couple of quality arms to increase the depth of the Maple Leaf pitching staff. After leading the Maple Leaf softball program to its first 10 win season since 2003, Goshen College Head Coach Lee Mast has now officially announced the addition of eight student-athletes to the 2009-2010 roster. Recently, Mast announced the signings of Sharayah Fike, Jana Beitler, Kelsey Morris, and Maria Koshmider to letter of intents. Click here for more information on those future Maple Leafs . Ashley Hackman – Third Base/ Catcher Belmont High School (Decatur, Ind.) After smashing a team...

JUNE 1 — Chupp Signs Big Man: Cody Henson Of SB Riley

1 Jun 2009 16:33:13 EST

Six-Foot, Nine-Inch Center Inks Letter of Intent With Maple Leafs
GOSHEN, Ind. – With the loss of starting center Kyle Laker to graduation, the Goshen College men’s basketball team had a void in the middle of the paint. Enter head coach Gary Chupp’s most recent signing: 6-foot, 9-inch Cody Henson. “We are excited that Cody has decided to continue his academic and basketball careers at Goshen College,” Chupp explained. “Cody’s best basketball is certainly ahead of him and he has all the tools to be very successful in the MCC [Mid-Central College Conference].” Henson led the Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) in blocks in both his junior and senior season. In 2007, Henson was selected as one of the top 200 high school players in the country by Reebok then in 2008 the center hit the game-winning shot to give Riley its first regional title since 1990. “Cody runs the floor very well, can step out and...

MAY 29 — East Noble Star Jenna Rusmisel Signs With Leafs

29 May 2009 18:59:50 EST

Guard Averaged 18.7 Points A Game As A High School Senior
GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College Women’s Basketball Head Coach Steve Wiktorowski was looking for another scoring threat and 3-point shooter and he “scored” with the recent signing of Jenna Rusmisel from Kendalville (Ind.) Rusmisel, who played primarily point guard at East Noble High School was a two-time First Team All Northern Hoosier Conference. As a senior, she led the conference in scoring with 18.7 points a contest. “We felt Jenna was a great fit for us and we expect her to contribute to our system very soon,” Wiktorowski said. “I felt she was one of the best offensive players in Northern Indiana this year and ranked high on the state scoring list.” A four-year starter, Rusmisel also averaged 4.1 rebounds a game, while shooting 41% from 3-point territory and 80% from the free throw line. The soon-to-be Maple Leaf is a three-time KPC...

MAY 29 — Yoder Announces 2009-2010 Recruiting Class

29 May 2009 18:02:16 EST

Five Set To Join Maple Leafs Cross Country In The Fall
GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College Head Cross Country Coach Doug Yoder recently announced his 2009-2010 women's recruiting class. With graduating seniors Laura Harnish, Tessa Horst, and Rachel Versluis moving on from the program, the five new signings will be asked to immediately step in and contribute to the Maple Leaf program. Karla Folker Goshen HS (Goshen, Ind.) Local standout Karla Folker will continue her academic and athletic career at Goshen College as a member of the cross country and track teams. A team captain as a senior, Folker helped the Redskins qualify for the state championships in her junior season. “Karla has lots of potential to contribute to the GC cross country team in a big way right away,” Yoder said. “She is a great leader and will lead by example as well ...

MAY 27 — Mast Announces First Four Signings Of 2009-2010

27 May 2009 12:26:21 EST

Beginning Of What Promises To Be Large, Talented Class Revealed
GOSHEN, Ind. – After leading the Maple Leaf softball program to its first 10 win season since 2003, Goshen College Head Coach Lee Mast announced the start of his 2009-2010 recruiting class this week. The first four of what looks to be a large and talented class includes a pair of catchers, a solid infielder, and a left-handed pitcher, all of which fill holes or add depth to the 2010 roster. Sharayah Fike – Catcher Coleman High School (Clare, Mich.) One of the top hitters in the state of Michigan, Sharayah Fike of Coleman High School was batting .436 through mid-May. An athletic catcher, Fike also boasts four varsity letters in volleyball and one in basketball. “Sharayah impressed me with her overall leadership behind the plate, strong throwing arm, and has a very good bat,” Mast ...

MAY 27 — Wiktorowski Adds Fort Wayne Snider's Whitney Gulley

27 May 2009 18:54:42 EST

Guard Will Also Play Outfield For Maple Leafs Softball Program
GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College Women’s Basketball Head Coach Steve Wiktorowski added another piece to the puzzle as he recently announced the signing of Whitney Gulley to a national letter of intent. “We think Whitney is a sleeper who really has a lot of potential to grow and contribute to our program over the next four years,” Wiktorowski explained. “She is a good shooter and passer, is strong and quick, and is a gym rat who is very dedicated to the game.” Gulley was a team captain at Fort Wayne Snider High School and helped the Panthers to a 13-8 mark. She also earned the Team Mental Attitude Award. “While she didn't have gaudy statistics in high school because her team had a lot of talented guards, I think she can definitely help us,” Wiktorowski added. “What I love most about Whitney is her attitude. She is a real competitor...

MAY 23 — NAIA Outdoor Nationals: Day Three Recap

23 May 2009 18:11:52 EST

Houser Takes Sixth To Earn First Career All American Honor
LINKS: Photo Gallery | Day 2 Recap | Day 1 Recap | Goshen Team Preview | NAIA Event Preview | Championship Home | Live Results EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis (Mo.), eight members of the Maple Leafs Track and Field Team are competing on the largest stage in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The best of the best from over 300 schools across the United States and Canada have gathered for this week’s NAIA Outdoor National Championships and Goshen is on hand. Check back daily as the Maple Leafs look to set their mark on the field. Day Three Recap Houser Caps Career With First All American Honor It was a long wait, but senior...

MAY 23 — NAIA Outdoor Nationals: Day Three Recap

23 May 2009 18:12:26 EST

Houser Takes Sixth To Earn First Career All American Honor
LINKS: Photo Gallery | Day 2 Recap | Day 1 Recap | Goshen Team Preview | NAIA Event Preview | Championship Home | Live Results | EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis (Mo.), eight members of the Maple Leafs Track and Field Team are competing on the largest stage in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The best of the best from over 300 schools across the United States and Canada have gathered for this week’s NAIA Outdoor National Championships and Goshen is on hand. Check back daily as the Maple Leafs look to set their mark on the field. Day Three Recap Houser Caps Career With First All American Honor It was a long wait, but senior Abri Houser (Newton, Kans.) finally got her first NAIA All American honor on Saturday. Along the way, Houser broke seven Goshen...

MAY 22 — NAIA Outdoor Nationals: Day One Recap

22 May 2009 13:32:56 EST

Miller, Houser Move On In Hurdling Events In Strong Performances
LINKS: Goshen Team Preview | NAIA Event Preview | Championship Home | Live Results | EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis (Mo.), eight members of the Maple Leafs Track and Field Team are competing on the largest stage in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The best of the best from over 300 schools across the United States and Canada have gathered for this week’s NAIA Outdoor National Championships and Goshen is on hand. Check back daily as the Maple Leafs look to set their mark on the field. Day One Recap Miller Moves On To Semis After Strong Kick The Goshen College track and field team has had a recent history...

MAY 22 — NAIA Outdoor Nationals: Day Two Recap

22 May 2009 00:45:31 EST

Peters, Horst All Americans; Acayo, Houser Reach Finals In Their Events
LINKS: Day 1 Recap | Goshen Team Preview | NAIA Event Preview | Championship Home | Live Results | EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis (Mo.), eight members of the Maple Leafs Track and Field Team are competing on the largest stage in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The best of the best from over 300 schools across the United States and Canada have gathered for this week’s NAIA Outdoor National Championships and Goshen is on hand. Check back daily as the Maple Leafs look to set their mark on the field. Day Two Recap Maple Leafs Finish 2-3 In 3K Race Walk While many around the country have yet to even hear...

MAY 22 — NAIA Outdoor Nationals: Day One Recap

22 May 2009 13:30:31 EST

MAY 22 — NAIA Outdoor Nationals: Day One Recap

22 May 2009 00:48:05 EST

Miller, Houser Move On In Hurdling Events In Strong Performances
LINKS: Day 1 Recap | Goshen Team Preview | NAIA Event Preview | Championship Home | Live Results | EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis (Mo.), eight members of the Maple Leafs Track and Field Team are competing on the largest stage in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The best of the best from over 300 schools across the United States and Canada have gathered for this week’s NAIA Outdoor National Championships and Goshen is on hand. Check back daily as the Maple Leafs look to set their mark on the field. Day Two Recap Maple Leafs Finish 2-3 In 3K Race Walk While many around the country have yet to even hear of the sport of race walking, around Goshen College the event has become a source of pride and recognition. Credit track and field...

MAY 21 — Eight Head To NAIA Outdoor Nationals In St. Louis

21 May 2009 13:28:16 EST

Women Look To Continue String Of Top-15 Finishes With Experienced Group
LINKS: NAIA Event Preview | Championship Home ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Eight members of the Goshen College Track and Field team are already in Missouri as they prepare for the 2009 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships this week. On the women's side, a strong and experience group of seven look to continue the Maple Leafs string of five-consecutive top-15 team finishes at the event. Leading the way is four-time national champion Tina Peters (Yellow Springs, Ohio) in the 3,000-meter race walk. Peters holds three indoor and one outdoor championships and is seeded second with a qualifying time of 15:00.24. Also in the 3K race walk, senior Tessa Horst (Dalton, Ohio) is seeded fourth in her first outdoor championship with a time of 15:58.24. A senior dominated group also includes Abri Houser (Newton, Kans.) and Laura Harnish (Flanagan, Ill.) on the track. Houser...

MAY 21 — Eight Head To NAIA Outdoor Nationals In St. Louis

21 May 2009 13:25:44 EST

MAY 14 — Triton's Lemler Signs With Maple Leafs For 2009-10

14 May 2009 19:47:04 EST

Athletic Wing Will Also Compete For Goshen Track and Field Team
GOSHEN, Ind. – The 2009-2010 Goshen College women’s basketball roster continued to take shape this week as head coach Steve Wiktorowski announced the signing of Bethany Lemler to a national letter of intent. “One of our recruiting goals was to get more athletic and add more shooting and Bethany will hope us in both of those areas,” explained Wiktorowski. “She caught our eye after watching her hit five consecutive 3-pointers in one game. She was hurt the end of this year and so I think she got a little overlooked, but we feel she can really help our program.” A co-captain as a senior at Triton High School, Lemler was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding. On way to her 6.5 points a game, Lemler shot 35% from 3-point territory and 38% overall. “Bethany is an outstanding individual with one of the best work ethics I’ve ever had...

MAY 8-9 — Harnish Qualifies For Nationals In Final Attempt

8 May 2009 14:53:34 EST

Senior Hits Mark in 5000 As Individuals Excel In Marion and Cedarville Events
MARION, Ind. – Just seven women from the Goshen College track and field team competed at the Mid-Central College Conference/ Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Challenge on Saturday. Check the end results, however, and you might never know as Goshen grabbed five individual event wins and ran to two NAIA National Championship Qualifying times in Marion (Ind.). While the event did not keep team totals, the Maple Leafs made a strong individual impression in their final tune up for the Outdoor National Championships in St. Louis at the end of the month. Most importantly, senior Laura Harnish (Flanagan, Ill.) stamped her ticket to Missouri in what would have been her final collegiate meet. The two-time national championship participant made the most of her last opportunity winning the 5,000-meter...

MAY 8-9 — Individuals Finish Season, Careers At MCC/ WHAC

8 May 2009 14:50:30 EST

Rumsey, Laker Finish Strong; Horst Breaks Record At Cedarville
MARION, Ind. – While only five members of the Goshen College track and field team participated in Saturday's Mid-Central College Conference/ Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Challenge, the Maple Leafs still managed to grab one individual title and six top-four finishes. Leading the charge was senior Sam Chege (Nairobi, Kenya) with a victory in the 800 meters. Chege's winning time of 1:56.51 was less than a second off his own Goshen College record and just over a second off qualifying for the NAIA Outdoor National Championships. In his final collegiate track meet, senior Kyle Laker (Wayland, Mich.) placed second in the high jump after clearing 6' 3.25". Also finishing an outstanding career was David Rumsey (Iowa City, Ia.). The senior took third place in the 1,500 meter run after clocking in at 4:17.61. He then placed fourth in the javelin with...

MAY 8 — Doug Gossman Named New Head Coach Of Leafs

8 May 2009 13:29:25 EST

New Program Head Has History Of Success In High School, Club Programs
GOSHEN, Ind. – Veteran club and high school tennis coach Doug Gossman has been hired as the head of the Goshen College women’s tennis program, Athletic Director Tim Demant announced Thursday. Gossman, who has a track record of success at both the club and high school level, will become the ninth head coach in the 37-year history of the Maple Leaf program. He takes over for Sarah Yoder, who resigned in January after four years at the helm. “I am extremely excited to have Doug give leadership to our women’s tennis program,” said Demant. “Doug is very well-known in the local tennis community and is highly regarded as a teacher of the game.” At the high school level, Gossman coached a total of 12 seasons and has landed his teams in at least the state semi-finals in 10 of those seasons. Most recently, Gossman took the...

MAY 7 — Ross Green Latest To Sign With Maple Leafs Basketball

7 May 2009 17:38:37 EST

Middletown Christian (Franklin, Ohio) Standout Signs With Goshen
GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen College men’s basketball head coach Gary Chupp is trying to build a deeper and tougher roster for the 2009-10 season. He took another step toward that goal as he announced the signing of Middletown Christian (Franklin, Ohio) standout Ross Green on Thursday. “I am excited that Ross has decided to join our program as he will be a great fit at Goshen both on the court and in the classroom,” Chupp said. “He is a true gym rat with very good fundamentals and a nice stroke from the perimeter. I have no doubt that his best basketball is ahead of him.” An All-Metro Buckeye Conference Selection at Middletown Christian, Green averaged 9.6 points and 1.6 assists a game as a senior. As a co-captain, Green shot 43% from the field, 74% from the free-throw line, and 35% from 3-point territory. He was also an honorable mention pick...

MAY. 6 — More Good News For Leafs: Mault Inks Letter of Intent

6 May 2009 17:47:32 EST

Goshen High School Star Added To Outstanding Recruiting Class
GOSHEN, Ind. — The news just keeps getting better for Goshen College head women’s soccer coach Thavisith Mounsithiraj. With six earlier signings building one of the most talented and deep classes in his eight-year tenure, Mounsithiraj announced another addition this week in Goshen High School star Brianne Mault. A three-year varsity star for the Redskins, Mault led the team in both goals (11) and assists (eight) as a senior on way to being named Goshen’s Most Outstanding Forward. She was selected to the All Northern Lakes Conference team in each of her three varsity seasons in addition to being named the Top Team Player by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association. “As evidence by her accolades, it is obvious why I am so excited and blessed with the signing of Brianne,” Mounsithiraj said. “It ...

MAY 1 — Partial Leafs Squad Competes At Toledo Rocket Open

1 May 2009 13:18:17 EST

Chege Breaks Own 800-Meter Record As Individuals Excel In Ohio
TOLEDO, Ohio – Several members of the Goshen College track and field team continued their season as they competed in the Toledo Rocket Open on Friday. The meet did not keep team scores, but 22 schools competed in the event, primarily from the NCAA DI, DII, and DIII ranks. "Several of our athletes competed and fared very well," said Rick Clark, in his 15th season at the helm of the Maple Leafs. "With their efforts, two new school records were set." On the men's side, it was once again senior Sammy Chege (Nairobi, Kenya) who continued to solidify his name on the program record books. Chege broke his own school mark (1:56.23) in the 800 meters as he took second in 1:55.67. Classmate David Rumsey (Iowa City, Iowa) placed sixth in the 800-meter event with a personal-best mark of 1:59.66. Rumsey also came in sixth in the javelin with a throw of 156-feet, ...

MAY 1 — Kronk Breaks Own Mark At Toledo Rocket Open

1 May 2009 13:20:27 EST

Partial Squad Continues Season At Elite Ohio Event
TOLEDO, Ohio – Several members of the Goshen College track and field team continued their season as they competed in the Toledo Rocket Open on Friday. The meet did not keep team scores, but 22 schools competed in the event, primarily from the NCAA DI, DII, and DIII ranks. "Several of our athletes competed and fared very well," said Rick Clark, in his 15th season at the helm of the Maple Leafs. "With their efforts, two new school records were set." For the women, it was Deanna Kronk (Elkhart, Ind.) who simply added to one of her many Goshen College records. The senior thrower added four inches to her program mark in the discus with a fourth-place effort of 135'2". Kronk finished out her day by also placing in the top four in both the hammer throw and the shot put. A throw...

APR. 27 – Season Ends At Taylor University In MCC Play-In Series

27 Apr 2009 20:01:49 EST

Powerful Trojans Bats Knock Maple Leafs Off In Two Games
UPAND, Ind. (4/27) vs. Taylor University Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 The thirty-plus mile per hour winds blowing straight out to center field did not help the Maple Leafs early as they faced one of the strongest hitting teams in the conference in a Mid-Central College Conference Tournament Play-In Series on Monday. The Trojans hit five home runs and added seven more extra-base hits in game one as they ran off with a 24-8 win. The managed to score in each of the six innings in which they batted. The Goshen offense did have some solid showings against Trojan starter Taylor Kinzer, who came in with a perfect 6-0 record. The Leafs plated two runs in the first, two in the fifth, and four in the seventh. The fifth-inning runs came on a two-run home run by sophomore Adam Zehr, the first of his career. In ...

APR. 27-28 — Maple Leafs Finish Season At MCC Championships

27 Apr 2009 12:17:26 EST

Sophomore Hallman Leads Goshen As They Conclude 2008-09 Campaign
PERU, Ind. – Goshen College men's golfers fired ten rounds under their respective season averages, but a talented field ran away from the Leafs at the 2009 Mid-Central College Conference Championships this week. Played in the spring for the first time, the MCC Championships were held at Hollow Rock Golf Club in Peru (Ind.). Forty-five players hit to the 6,944 yard par-72 course with two rounds on day one before a final third round on day two of the event. For the five-man Goshen squad, consistency was hard to find as they competed in their first three-round event of the 2008-09 season. "The course was playing tough in the wind and the guys really struggled at times," said first-year head coach Josh Hire. While it was a lack of consistency that hurt most of the Leafs, it was a steady performance that led sophomore Ryan...

APR. 24-25 — Leafs Pull A Few Surprises At MCC Championships

24 Apr 2009 17:34:39 EST

Miller Wins 400 Hurdles, Chege Takes 800 Meters As Goshen Finishes 7th
UPLAND, Ind. – "It took us a little while to get to the party," said fifteenth-year head coach Rick Clark, "but I am sure they will know we were there." Despite finishing just seventh overall, the Maple Leafs men's track and field team had several performances that will not be soon forgotten at the weekend's Mid-Central College Conference Championships in Upland (Ind.). "Although taking seventh place in the meet, the GC men's team has their best competitive effort of the season and also provided some of the top surprises of the meet," Clark added. Perhaps the biggest surprise came off the legs of Jon Miller (Syracuse, Ind.). The sophomore ran to a winning time of 54.43 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles for just his second individual title in his collegiate career and first on the conference stage. "Jon shocked the 400-hurdle...

APR. 24-25 — Four Leafs Picked All Conference At MCC Finals

24 Apr 2009 18:55:20 EST

Goshen Takes Fourth Overall With Three Individual Conference Crowns
UPLAND, Ind. – "It took us a little while to get to the party," said fifteenth-year head coach Rick Clark, "but I am sure they will know we were there." Following three individual conference championships and three championships records, coach Clark may have been putting it mildly as the Maple Leafs women's track and field team rallied for a fourth-place finish at the weekend's Mid-Central College Conference Championships in Upland (Ind.). Goshen was looking for at least a repeat of last year's historic third-place finish, the highest in program history. A slow opening day, however, dug a hole for Goshen as they missed some key scoring opportunities. Saturday, though, wiped any disappointment and expectations away leading the Leafs to three individual titles and four ...

APR. 23-25 – Crazy Day At Grace Concludes Regular Season

23 Apr 2009 19:44:42 EST

Goshen Splits With Lancers; Swept By Indiana Wesleyan To Finish MCC Play
WINONA LAKE, Ind. (4/25) vs. Grace College Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 It was a wild and windy day in Winona Lake as the Maple Leafs and Lancers battled to a double-header split in their only match ups of the season. In game one, it was a spectacular outing by freshman Shane Davis (Elkhart, Ind.) that proved to be the difference. Davis scattered five hits and two runs over seven innings, while striking out a career high nine batters. Despite Davis' efforts early, the Leafs trailed 2-0 going into the fifth as the offense struggled to get rolling. After a Greg Meyer (Muskegan, Mich.) sacrifice fly brought Goshen within one after five innings, the Leafs really rallied in the sixth. In the top of the sixth, junior Zac Miller (Centreville, Mich.) blasted an inside fastball well over the left-field fence...

APR. 21 — Pettisville Setter Latest To Sign With Maple Leafs

21 Apr 2009 15:19:08 EST

Ohio Native Joins Senior Setters On 2009 Goshen Roster
GOSHEN, Ind. – As the 2009 Goshen College volleyball roster continues to come together, the Maple Leafs announced their latest addition in Pettisville (Ohio) High School standout Karina Rohrer-Meck. A 5-foot, 7-inch setter, Rohrer-Meck joins Bethany Christian standout Hannah Grieser and new head coach Jim Routhier to a program that reached the Mid-Central College Conference semifinals in 2008 and returns all but one player from that roster. “Karina is a wonderful addition to the roster for the fall,” said Jewel Lehman, who was the head coach of the Leafs for the past five years before resigning this spring to focus on academic endeavors. “She will work with the new coaches and current senior setters [Lindsey Nofziger and Allison Hawkins] to learn the tactical aspects of running the offense at this level.” As a senior at...

APR. 21 — Wiktorowski Starts 2009-10 Class With Experienced Wing

21 Apr 2009 15:09:46 EST

Former White Pigeon Star Played Last Two Seasons At Hesston College
GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College Head Women’s Basketball Coach Steve Wiktorowski has opened his 2009-10 recruiting class with an experienced wing as he announced the signing of former White Pigeon High School (Union, Mich.) standout Katelyn Nussbaum this week. At 5-feet, 10-inches, Nussbaum spent the past two seasons playing collegiately at Hesston College in Kansas and helped the Larks to a 17-14 record in 2008-09. “We like that we are adding someone who has collegiate experience and is from the area,” Wiktorowski explained. “Katelyn will immediately add athleticism, rebounding, and defense to our team.” A slasher who can play the high post or the wing, Nussbaum averaged 7.7 points and 9.2 rebounds a game as a senior at White Pigeon on way to being named all conference and team MVP. While struggling with injuries in her two seasons at Hesston, Nussbaum...

APR. 21 — San Antonio Standout Parral Signs With Maple Leafs

21 Apr 2009 14:32:56 EST

Shooting Guard Octavio Parral Will Join Goshen In The Fall
GOSHEN, Ind. – The 2009-2010 Maple Leaf men’s basketball roster continued to take shape this week as head coach Gary Chupp announced the signing of San Antonio native Octavio ‘Tavo’ Parral to a national letter of intent. “We are pleased that Octavio has decided to continue his academic and basketball careers at Goshen College,” Chupp said. “He will bring a lot of attributes that will benefit our program, as well as the broader Goshen community.” A three-year varsity star at Thomas Jefferson High School, Parral is a 6-foot, 1-inch shooting guard. As a senior, Parral averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists a game while being named to the all city and all district teams. Parral’s high school coach Paul Ramirez is a familiar connection for Chupp, whose latest signing will be Ramirez’s fifth player to continue his career...

APR. 18 — Maple Leafs Prepare For MCC's At Manchester

18 Apr 2009 14:17:51 EST

Goshen Takes Four Titles, Seven More Top 3 Finishes At Spartan Classic
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – With no teams scores kept at the annual Spartan Classic, the goals were not for an impressive team performance in the standings. Instead, the goal was to prepare individuals, and in turn the team, for next weekend's Mid-Central College Conference Championships. Four event titles and seven more top-three finishes later, head coach Rick Clark and his team was satisfied with their preparation. "We used the Spartan Classic as a tune up for the MCC conference meet," said the 15th-year head coach of the Leafs. "Although the meet was not scored, the smaller but competitive fields, along with the warmer weather helped to accomplish the teams goals." Four different Maple Leafs earned individual titles on Saturday, with all four being senior student-athletes one...

APR. 18 — Leafs Prep For MCC Championships At Manchester

18 Apr 2009 16:24:14 EST

Goshen Takes Two Individual Titles At Annual Spartan Classic
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – With no teams scores kept at the annual Spartan Classic, the goals were not for an impressive team performance in the standings. Instead, the goal was to prepare individuals, and in turn the team, for next weekend's Mid-Central College Conference Championships. Two event titles and four runner-up finishes later, head coach Rick Clark and his team was satisfied with their preparation. "We used the Spartan Classic as a tune up for the MCC conference meet," said the 15th-year head coach of the Leafs. "Although the meet was not scored, the smaller but competitive fields, along with the warmer weather helped to accomplish the teams goals." For senior Sam Chege (Nairobi, Kenya) it was business as usual as he continued his dominance of the 800 meters. Chege's winning time of 1:56.88 was more than two seconds ahead of the next competitor...

APR. 18 — Local High School Stars Awe Goshen Crowd

18 Apr 2009 17:22:32 EST

Leafs Host First-Annual Champions of Character All-Star Game
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – After holding as much as a 23-point lead, the Northern Indiana Conference All-Stars had to withstand a furious comeback by the Northern Lakes Conference squad as they held on for a 97-94 win in the inaugural NIC-NLC Champions of Character All-Star Game Saturday night. An athletic and balanced NIC team shot 57% from the field – including 6-of-15 from long range – in the opening half of play as they took a 56-45 advantage into the locker room. No NIC player scored in double-digits in the first half, but all 10 players in uniform reached the scoring column as they built their lead. For the NLC, it was all Elkhart Memorial guard Karvel Anderson. The 6-foot-1 senior hit 6-of-7 from the field, including four 3-pointers in the first half as he took a game-high 18 points into halftime. Memorial teammate Michael Kibiloski also had 14 points by...

APR. 15-18 – After Non-Conference Sweep, Leafs Struggle With USF

15 Apr 2009 19:49:53 EST

Cougars Take Four-Game Series That Included Two Comeback Wins
GOSHEN, Ind. (4/15) vs. Great Lakes Christian Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 Solid pitching and three big innings helped the Maple Leafs to a double-header sweep of second-year program Great Lakes Christian on Wednesday. In game one, Goshen tallied six runs in the first and 10 in the fourth as they cruised to a 16-0 victory. Sophomore Jordan Miller pitched all five innings and allowed just two base runners. Junior Josh Yates led the offense, going 2-for-2 with four RBI's, including a double and a home run. The nightcap was more of the same as Yates went the distance on the mound, allowing just one hit. Senior Greg Meyer, junior Joel King, and senior Aaron Keister all got two hits as the Leafs scored seven times in the third to go on for the 12-0 win. GOSHEN, Ind. (4/16) vs. University of Saint Francis Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 A day later...

APR. 11 — Another Record-Setting Day For Leafs In Marion

11 Apr 2009 17:49:00 EST

Goshen Smashes Three School Records, Qualifies Five Times For Nationals
MARION, Ind. – In yet another record-setting day for the Maple Leafs women's track and field team, Goshen placed fifth overall among 18 teams at the 104th Annual Little State Championships held on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University on Saturday. This time around, three more school records fell as the Maple Leafs took three individual event titles and qualified for the NAIA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships in five events. Goshen posted 65 team point, good for fifth in the field of 18 NAIA, NCAA DII, and NCAA DIII teams. "The women's team pulled out all stops by putting themselves within the state's elite teams," said fifteenth-year head coach Rick Clark. "They specifically shined in the field events." Led by senior Deanna Kronk, all of Goshen's ...

APR. 11 — Chege Has Historic Run At Crowded Little State Event

11 Apr 2009 17:21:10 EST

Maple Leafs Take 12th In 104th Annual Invite With State's Best
MARION, Ind. – The Goshen College men's track and field team placed 12th among 19 schools competing in the 104th Annual Little State Championships held on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University on Saturday. The event featured the best teams in the state of Indiana at the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) DII and DIII. The host, Indiana Wesleyan, eventually won Saturday's event with 119 points, while Goshen posted 15. "The men fared better on the track with some quality performances," fifteenth-year head coach Rick Clark said. "Samuel led the men with a historic run and was just overtaken in the final twenty meters." Leading the charge for the Maple Leafs, though, was senior Sam Chege. The Nairobi, Kenya native placed second in the 800 meters with a new school record time...

APR. 11 – Leafs Shock First-Place Taylor In Extra Innings Thriller

11 Apr 2009 16:07:35 EST

Goshen Pulls Out 3-2 In Game One Before Dropping Game Two
GOSHEN, Ind. (4/11) Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 Having been swept by Taylor University in Upland on Thursday, expectations were not real high for the Trojans return trip to Goshen on Saturday. Maybe that is just what the Maple Leafs needed as they won their first Mid-Central College Conference game of the season, a thrilling 3-2 extra-innings contest in game one. Things got off to a fantastic start for the Leafs as starting pitcher Jason Crocker sat Taylor down 1-2-3 in the top of the first and Goshen rallied for the game's first tallies in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Adam Zehr led off the first with a single before freshman Andy Swisher bunted him over and saw the Trojans throw the ball away to put two runners on with no outs. Freshman first baseman Garrett Cannizzo drove home the first Goshen...

APR. 8-9 – Marian, Taylor Sweep Maple Leafs In Road Series

8 Apr 2009 14:54:31 EST

Goshen Can't Pick Up A Win In Quick Four-Game Set
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (4/8) Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 Pushed back a day due to rain, the Maple Leafs played Marian College for the first time in two years on Tuesday. After the Knights offense exploded for a 13-1 win in game one, Goshen found themselves in a battle in the nightcap. Trailing 3-0, the Leafs cut into the deficit in the top of the third inning. Singles by sophomore Adam Zehr and junior Sean Sears put two runners on base, while a sacrifice fly from junior Kraig MIller and a wild pitch gave Goshen two runs in the inning. Marian would pull one run back to increase their advantage to 4-2, but a Zac Miller double and a run-scoring single by Zehr cut the lead to one once again. It stayed 4-3 until the fifth when Marian ripped a two-out, two-run home run to go up by three. In the top of the...

APR. 8-9 — Back On The Course, Leafs Take 10th At St. Francis

8 Apr 2009 12:54:53 EST

Goshen Players Improve Over Two-Day Event To Start Spring
AUBURN, Ind. – Coming into the week's Saint Francis Spring Invitational it had been more than six months since the last competitive round for the Maple Leaf men's golf team. And it showed – especially in the first round – as Goshen played in its first spring event of the year and of recent memory and finished 10th. The Saint Francis Spring Invite is the Leafs lone spring tune up for the Mid-Central College Conference Championships, which moved from the fall to the spring this season and will be held April 27-28 in Peru, Ind. After a team score of 366 in round one on Wednesday, the Leafs shaved 22 strokes off their tally on Thursday as four of the five Goshen golfers slimmed down their round score at the Bridgewater Golf Club. Following an opening-round 91, sophomore Phil Shenk fired an 80 on day two ...

APR. 4 — Rumsey Leads Goshen To Third Place At Anderson

4 Apr 2009 17:52:41 EST

Senior Wins Javelin, Places In Both 800 and 1500 Meter Events
ANDERSON, Ind. – The Goshen College men's track and field team took a pair of individual titles en route to a third-place finish at the Anderson University Invitational on Saturday. The Maple Leafs tallied 80 points trailing only Ohio Northern University and St. Francis as they again displayed some spectacular efforts on the track and in the field events. "We had some very good performances on Saturday," fifteenth-year head coach Rick Clark said before adding, "Although we had a cumber of personal bests, there are still many places where work is needed to be where we would like to be by the conference meet." Leading the way was senior David Rumsey (Iowa City, Iowa). "He had an excellent meet by posting personal bests in both the 800 and 1500," Clark explained. "He then turned in a winning performance in the javelin to display his versatility...

APR. 4 — Seven Individual Wins Lead To Runner-Up Finish

4 Apr 2009 17:54:43 EST

Leafs Place Second At Anderson Invite; Race Walkers Excel At Malone
ANDERSON, Ind. – The Goshen College women's track and field team took six more individual titles en route to a runner-up finish at the Anderson University Invitational on Saturday. The Maple Leafs tallied 124 points trailing only Ohio Northern University as they again displayed some spectacular efforts on the track and in the field events. "We had some very good performances on Saturday," fifteenth-year head coach Rick Clark said before adding, "Although we had a cumber of personal bests, there are still many places where work is needed to be where we would like to be by the conference meet." It was an amazing day for the Leafs in the field events led by senior Deanna Kronk (Elkhart, Ind.). The six-time national championship participant booked her ticket to St. Louis for another outdoor showing ...

APR. 3 — Four More Added To Talented, Deep 2009 Class

3 Apr 2009 17:29:42 EST

Coach Mounsithiraj Has Signed Six Total For Next Fall
GOSHEN, Ind. – Following the signings of premier forward Erin Maddux (Elkhart, Ind.) and star defender Mara Swartzentruber (Albuquerque, NM) , Goshen College head women's soccer coach Thavisith Mounsithiraj has added four more highly regarded student-athletes to his 2009 roster. Mounsithiraj announced the additions of Lynn Weaver (Goshen, Ind.), Julia Miller (Chicago, Ill.), Kristina Lopienski (Bartlett, Ill.), and Laurel Woodward (Newton, Kans.) to the Maple Leafs on Friday. The six signings to date, represent one of the most talented and deep recruiting classes in Coach Mounsithiraj's eight-year tenure and add to an already impressive 2009 roster, which returns all but two starters. Lynn Weaver – Goalkeeper A three-year starter at Goshen High School...

APR. 2-4 – #23 Spring Arbor Finds A Way Past Maple Leafs

2 Apr 2009 13:19:52 EST

Goshen Can't Pull Out A Win Against Perennial Conference Power
GOSHEN, Ind. (4/4) Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 Looking to build on a one-run loss to Spring Arbor on Tuesday and find their first Mid-Central College Conference win of the season, the Maple Leafs sent freshman Jason Crocker to the mound. Despite some hard-luck losses, Crocker has pitched well of late and it showed on Saturday as he had one of the finest showings of his young collegiate career. The Elkhart (Ind.) native scattered seven hits and fired a complete game. Spring Arbor was able to tag him for two runs in the third as they executed a pair of hit-and-runs, but Crocker struck out four and held the Cougars scoreless in five of his seven frames of work. Spring Arbor's pitching staff, however, was also up to the task. Cougar starter Andy Paulun allowed only two hits and one run over six innings before...

MAR. 31 – Leafs Sweep IU-Northwest 4-2, 8-2

31 Mar 2009 13:11:36 EST

Goshen Looks To Build Momentum With Tough Stretch Ahead
Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 GOSHEN, Ind. – With a Tuesday bye from the Mid-Central College Conference schedule, the Maple Leafs took advantage with a double-header sweep of visiting Indiana University - Northwest. In game one, lefty Aaron Keister started his first game since an elbow injury – has made appearances out of the bullpen – and was fantastic. Keister went six innings and returned 17-consecutive batters at one point to earn the win. Keister finished with five strike outs and allowed just two hits in his six innings of work. Senior Brad Elam game on to pitch the seventh and record the save, his first of the season. On the offensive end, junior Kraig Miller got Goshen rolling in the bottom of the first with a two-run single down the line. The Leafs would put across three runs in the inning and added a single run in the fourth for the 4-2 victory. ...

MAR. 30 — Bethany Standout Grieser Signs With Maple Leafs

30 Mar 2009 17:12:50 EST

Talented Bruin Added To Goshen's Powerful 2009 Lineup
GOSHEN, Ind. – The 2009 Goshen College volleyball team continues to take shape with the signing of Bethany High School standout Hannah Grieser, the athletic department announced on Friday. The hiring of new head coach Jim Routhier came just over a week ago and now he has another weapon to go with his already impressive 2009 roster, which returns all but one player from the historic 2008 season. Routhier takes the reigns from Jewel Lehman, who recruited and signed Grieser but will now focus on her academic career. “We are very please to have Hannah join the Leafs this fall,” Lehman explained. “She is very athletic, a great student and a wonderful person! She is the type of individual that will contribute positively to the entire college campus.” Set to graduate with high honors this spring, Grieser pounded down 226 kills...

MAR. 30 — Chupp Adds Talented Point Guard Casey Pratt

30 Mar 2009 12:29:58 EST

Portage Central Star Signs Letter Of Intent For Maple Leafs
GOSHEN, Ind. – In what promises to be a large and talented recruiting class, Goshen College Head Men’s Basketball Coach Gary Chupp announced the first piece of the puzzle with the signing of Portage Central High School standout Casey Pratt this week. “We are very excited that Casey has decided to continue his academic and basketball careers at Goshen College,” Chupp explained. “Casey is a true point guard with a great feel for the game and is a guy that makes everyone around him better.” The point guard for the Mustangs, Pratt averaged 14.8 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals a game on way to being named the team’s Most Valuable Player. “He has great handles, both in transition and in the half-court and is also a guy that can create his own shot,” Chupp said of his newest Maple Leaf. “Casey will make an immediate contribution...

MAR. 28 — Goshen Places Third At Maple Leaf Invitational

28 Mar 2009 18:12:18 EST

Chege, Rumsey Take Individual Titles At Annual Home Event
Photo Gallery GOSHEN, Ind. – Despite temperatures hovering in the mid-20s and gusts of wind sweeping across the Eigsti Track and Field Complex, Goshen College dominated several events as they hosted the annual Maple Leaf Invite. The Leafs wasted no time opening the meet with a three-person sweep in the 3000-meter race walk. Junior Tina Peters (Yellow Springs, Ohio) took first place with a time of 15.17.35, Tessa Horst (Dalton, Ohio) placed second in 16.10.79, and Laura Stoesz (Indianapolis, Ind.) followed closely behind taking third with a time of 16.44.24. After competing in the NAIA Indoor National Championships several weeks ago, all three women finished under the qualifying mark for the outdoor event held in St. Louis in May. Meanwhile, freshman David Horst (Dalton, Ohio) set a new school record completing in the 5000-meter race walk finishing with a time...

MAR. 28 — Leafs Take Eight Individual Titles At Home Meet

28 Mar 2009 17:05:38 EST

Acayo Sweeps Jumping Events During Maple Leaf Invitational
Photo Gallery GOSHEN, Ind. – Despite temperatures hovering in the mid-20s and gusts of wind sweeping across the Eigsti Track and Field Complex, Goshen College dominated several events as they hosted the annual Maple Leaf Invite. The Leafs wasted no time opening the meet with a three-person sweep in the 3000-meter race walk. Junior Tina Peters (Yellow Springs, Ohio) took first place with a time of 15.17.35, Tessa Horst (Dalton, Ohio) placed second in 16.10.79, and Laura Stoesz (Indianapolis, Ind.) followed closely behind taking third with a time of 16.44.24. After competing in the NAIA Indoor National Championships several weeks ago, all three women finished under the qualifying mark for the outdoor event held in St. Louis in May. Meanwhile, freshman...

MAR. 24-28 – Conference Campaign Starts Rough For Leafs

24 Mar 2009 17:29:06 EST

Huntington and Bethel Sweep Goshen To Begin MCC Play
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Mid-Central College Conference season got off to a bit of a rocky start as the Maple Leafs dropped the conference opening double-header to visiting Huntington University on Tuesday before getting swept in a four-game series against Bethel over the weekend. The bright spot for Goshen came on Saturday as they played their most-complete double-header since suffering a rash of injuries. While the final result did not fall in their favor, the Maple Leafs put a scare into one of the hottest teams in the conference – Bethel has won 10 straight. @ Bethel (3/28) Bethel 8, Goshen 2 Bethel 5, Goshen 2 In the opener, freshman right-hander Jason Crocker gave up two in the first inning, but stifled the high-powered Pilot attack for much of the game. He allowed just two earned runs over his first five innings of work. On the offensive end, Goshen...

MAR. 21 — Miller Leads Partial Squad With Win In 400M Hurdles

21 Mar 2009 13:01:53 EST

Several Members Of Men's Team Start Outdoor Season At Defiance Invite
DEFIANCE, Ohio – As the weather has begun to shift, the Goshen College track and field team has shifted from indoor to outdoor as several members headed to Ohio to take part in the Defiance College Invitational on Saturday. "Member's of the men's team had several good early season marks to get the outdoor schedule off on the right foot," said Rick Clark, who is in his 15th season at the helm of the Maple Leafs. Leading the way was sophomore Jonathan Miller (Syracuse, Ind.). The Wawasee High School graduate won the 400-meter hurdle event with a very solid time of 56.17 seconds. Meanwhile, the distance core – the men's team's recent strength – got its outdoor season off to a fine start as the Bouwman brothers both performed well in the 10,000 meters. Ben ran to a personal best and runner-up finish of 33:20.17, while Nick also placed...

MAR. 21 — Sowers Leads Partial Squad With Javelin Win

21 Mar 2009 13:04:11 EST

Senior Qualifies For Second NAIA National Championship In The Process
DEFIANCE, Ohio – As the weather has begun to shift, the Goshen College track and field team has shifted from indoor to outdoor as several members headed to Ohio to take part in the Defiance College Invitational on Saturday. "Some members of the women's team had several good early season marks to get the outdoor schedule off on the right foot," said Rick Clark, who is in his 15th season at the helm of the Maple Leafs. A spectacular first showing by senior Katie Sowers (Hesston, Kan.) really got things rolling for Goshen. The 2008 NAIA National Championship Qualifier, Sowers easily won the javelin event with a toss of 128-feet, 4-inches. Her throw was less than a foot off her school record she set at the 2008 Mid-Central College Conference Championships. Her throw on Saturday also hit the qualifying mark for...

MAR. 20 — Longtime Local Coach Jim Routhier Named Head Coach

20 Mar 2009 14:41:33 EST

22-Year Concord High School Leader Selected To Head Maple Leafs
GOSHEN, Ind. – Longtime local high school coach Jim Routhier has been named the head coach of the Goshen College volleyball program, Athletic Director Tim Demant announced Friday. Routhier, who spent 22 seasons at the helm of Concord High School (Elkhart, Ind.), takes over for Jewel Lehman who resigned in January to focus on her academic career. Lehman led the rebirth of the Maple Leaf program including a 20-13 record in 2008 and the program’s second-ever berth in the Mid-Central College Conference (MCC) semifinals. “I am extremely happy to have Jim as a Maple Leaf and to have him continue to build our volleyball program into a National caliber program,” said Demant. “The program has come a long way under the leadership of Coach Lehman and we believe Jim’s energy, commitment to excellence on and off the court, and ability to...

MAR. 17-21 – Maple Leafs Go 2-5 In Final Non-Conference Week

17 Mar 2009 13:50:58 EST

Wins Over Great Lakes Salvage Rough Week Against Michigan Programs
GOSHEN, Ind. – Coming off a double-header split against #24 Robert Morris College last Saturday, the Goshen College baseball team headed into a tough seven-game stretch over the course of five days this week, all against programs from Michigan. A decimated Maple Leaf roster – due to injuries and illnesses – struggled to sustain the heavily-scheduled week as they dropped five of the seven contests on the week. Another injury was also added on Thursday as sophomore Sean Doering was hit by a pitch in the face. Doering suffered two breaks in his cheek bone and two more in his nose. Despite the injury woes, the Leafs have looked strong at times. In that same contest against 14-3 Davenport University, Goshen nearly rebounded from an early 5-2 deficit before falling just short, 6-4 . Junior shortstop Kraig Miller – dealing with a partially torn meniscus &ndash...

MAR. 17 — McCollum Named All American Honorable Mention

17 Mar 2009 16:20:41 EST

Another Award Bestowed On Junior Guard After Outstanding Season
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – For fans of the Maple Leaf men's basketball program – as well as those around the Mid-Central College Conference – it came as no surprise that the name of Goshen College junior Errick McCollum II was called when the NAIA DII All Americans were announced as part of the national tournament this week. One look at the statistics and you will see that the numbers do not lie. McCollum, from Canton (Ohio), averaged 22.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists a game this season. His scoring total – sparked by scoring 20 or more points in 21 of his 31 games – was fifth in the nation and second in the MCC. It also included a career-high 43 points in an overtime thriller on the road at the University of St. Francis. It is far from the first honor for the 6-foot, 1-inch guard. After his spectacular freshman campaign, McCollum was named second-...

MAR. 14 – Offense Gets Rolling As Maple Leafs Split Double Header

14 Mar 2009 15:08:11 EST

Goshen Gets 24 Hits In 10-9 Loss, 10-5 Win Against Robert Morris
Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 GOSHEN, Ind. – A struggling Maple Leaf offense – averaging just 2.9 runs a game coming into this week – busted out in a big way on Saturday. Goshen pounded out 24 hits and scored 19 runs as they split a twin bill against visiting Robert Morris College (Ill.) in its home openers. The Leafs were originally scheduled to play at Berea College (Ky.), but heavy rain forced the cancellation. Visiting Robert Morris also had their weekend washed out early so the teams met in Goshen instead. In game one, Robert Morris broke out early with two runs to open the game. The Maple Leafs, however, immediately responded with four hits capped off by a Zac Miller double as they tied the game back up. The Eagles would then score three times in the third before adding single runs in the fourth and fifth as they opened a 7-3 advantage. Then, the...

MAR. 7 – Goshen Can't Jump Start Offense Against Asbury

7 Mar 2009 16:49:35 EST

Leafs Swept In Double-Header Against Tough Eagles Squad
WILMORE, Ky. – As the Maple Leafs have struggled with injuries – half of Goshen's opening day lineup out or playing at far less than 100 percent – the Leafs have continued to stumble offensively early on this season. The struggles continued on Saturday as Goshen was swept by the high-powered offense of Asbury College. The Eagles have averaged six runs a game, while knocking off the likes of Bethel College (Ind.) and Sienna Heights University (Mich.) Asbury got things started quickly as they took advantage of two walks and two singles in the bottom of the first inning to put their first run on the board. Goshen starter Jason Crocker begin to settle in despite the windy weather, however, and retired six straight over the next two innings. The Maple Leaf offense tied the game up in the third as junior Matt Fyfe walked, stole second, and scored on a clutch two-...

MAR. 5-7 — Peters Takes Third-Straight Indoor National Title

5 Mar 2009 15:04:57 EST

Leafs Set Three School Records, Six Personal Bests At National Championships
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – It's always best to peak at the end of the season when everything is on the line. A senior dominated Maple Leafs track and field team did just that as they smashed three more school records and posted six personal bests at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee. In the process, Goshen also grabbed another individual national championship as junior Tina Peters (Yellow Spring, Ohio) won her third-straight 3,000-meter race walk title. Peter's win helped the Maple Leaf women to their fourth-straight top 20 team finish. Goshen ended the event in 16th place – tops among Mid-Central College Conference schools – with nearly 80 schools participating. Just a junior, Peters already boasts four national title to her name &ndash...

MAR. 5-7 — Chege, Rumsey Reach Finals At Indoor Nationals

5 Mar 2009 15:10:49 EST

Seniors Narrowly Miss All American Honors At NAIA Championships
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – It's always best to peak at the end of the season when everything is on the line. A senior dominated Maple Leafs track and field team did just that as they smashed three more school records and posted six personal bests at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee. On the men's side, a pair of spectacular performances ended just short of All American honors in the distance events. After being part of three new school records during the regular season, senior Sam Chege (Nairobi, Kenya) shaved time off another mark on Saturday. After cruising to a second-place finish in his preliminary heat, Chege ran to a clip of 1:54.40 in the 800-meter final. While the time shaved more than a second of his own school record, Chege was just nipped at the finish line as he took seventh place. The senior finished just 0.21 ...

MAR. 4 — Seven Women Set To Compete At NAIA Nationals

4 Mar 2009 13:35:06 EST

Leafs Sending Program Record Nine Athletes To Indoor Championships
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College Track and Field Team announced today that a program-record nine student-athletes would compete in this week’s National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Indoor Track and Field Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee. The 44th annual men’s and 29th annual women’s championships will take place across three days as nearly 1,000 student-athletes from 105 schools compete in 42 different events. Hosted by the Johnson City Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, the action will take place in the Memorial Center “Mini Dome” on the campus of East Tennessee State University. Leading the way for the Maple Leafs is two-time defending national champion in the 3,000-meter race walk, Tina Peters (Yellow Springs, Ohio). The junior has a total of three national...

MAR. 4 — Chege, Rumsey Part Of Large Goshen Squad At Nationals

4 Mar 2009 15:10:36 EST

Maple Leafs Sending A Total Of Nine To NAIA Indoor Championships
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College Track and Field Team announced today that a program-record nine student-athletes would compete in this week’s National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Indoor Track and Field Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee. The 44th annual men’s and 29th annual women’s championships will take place across three days as nearly 1,000 student-athletes from 105 schools compete in 42 different events. Hosted by the Johnson City Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, the action will take place in the Memorial Center “Mini Dome” on the campus of East Tennessee State University. On the men’s side, a pair of first-time national qualifiers will take to the track in mid-distance events. Senior Sam Chege (Nairobi, Kenya) has chosen to focus on the 800 meters – seeded 12th in 1:55.49 – despite qualifying...

FEB. 25 — Indiana Wesleyan Ends Leafs Season In Quarters

25 Feb 2009 15:30:54 EST

Wildcats Defeat Goshen 45-66 In MCC Tournament First Round
Box Score MARION, Ind. – Upset bids are part of what makes tournament time so exciting in college basketball. Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, #2 seed Indiana Wesleyan made sure Goshen would not be celebrating as they took control early before rolling to a 66-45 win in a Mid-Central College Conference quarterfinal Wednesday night. Despite senior Kyle Laker opening the game with an inside basket, it was evident early on that it would be an uphill battle for the Leafs. Indiana Wesleyan immediately scored the next nine points to take a 9-2 advantage. Just minutes later, the Wildcats – ranked in the nation's top 10 for most of the season – went on a 9-0 spurt to give them a 20-6 lead less than twelve minutes into the contest. Goshen managed to keep the deficit steady for much of the half and even cut it to single digits with a Carl Steen field goal with 5...

FEB. 23-MAR. 1 – Coy Finishes Eight-Game Trip With Gem

23 Feb 2009 16:10:12 EST

Maple Leafs Struggle With Injuries, Offense On Long Road Swing
BABSON PARK, CLEARWATER, and SARASOTA, Florida – The Maple Leafs baseball team headed to Florida for Mid-Term Break and played eight games in the course of eight days on their Southern Swing. Feb. 29 - Bluffton University Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 As a rough week came to a close for the Maple Leafs, Goshen needed a big-time performance to close out the week-long trip with a win. And they got it via right-hander Aaron Coy. The junior retired the first 15 batters he faced on way to a complete-game two-hit shutout. Coy finished the day allowing just four base runners and struck out nine in his dominating performance. The first Bluffton batter to reach base was not until the sixth inning on a leadoff single. Coy quickly sat down the next three to end the inning. The only inning that Coy really had to work out of a jam was the seventh. With two outs, ...

FEB. 23 — Season Ends At Grace In MCC Tourney Play-In Game

23 Feb 2009 17:17:10 EST

Injury Plagued Year Wraps Up As Leafs Lose To Lancers 66-79
Box Score WINONA LAKE, Ind. – A long and injury-plagued 2008-09 season came to a conclusion for the Maple Leafs as they fell 66-79 to host Grace College in the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament Play-In Game Monday night. "As has been the story for most of this season, our team battled admirably but just did not have the depth to finish our opponents off," said head coach Steve Wiktorowski, in his seventh season at the helm of the Leafs. "Foul trouble really hindered our inside game and overall consistency." As was the case Saturday in a win over Spring Arbor, senior Krystal Duensing took charge early. The Granger (Ind.) native nailed a pair of 3-pointers in the first five and a half minutes as the Leafs took a 13-8 lead. The Lancers, however, immediately responded with a 7-0 run before the lead jumped back-and-forth for much of the half. &...

FEB. 23 — McCollum Named To All Conference First Team

23 Feb 2009 03:14:44 EST

Junior Earns Recognition After Averaging 22.9 Points A Game
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp GOSHEN, Ind. – The Mid-Central College Conference announced its all conference teams after the weekend's contest and junior Errick McCollum II was rewarded for his incredible season. The Canton (Ohio) native was named to the All MCC First Team for the second-straight season. The six-foot, one-inch guard was also named the conference's Newcomer of the Year as a freshman. McCollum finished the 2008-09 regular season second in the conference and fourth in the nation with 22.9 points a game. He scored 20 or more points in 20 of his 30 games, including a career-high 43 points against St. Francis. The junior led the Maple Leafs in scoring, rebounds (7.23), assists (3.27), blocks (0.77), and steals (1.83). The rest of the MCC FIrst Team was player...

FEB. 21 — Leafs Continue Tune Up For Nationals At Purdue

21 Feb 2009 16:40:25 EST

Goshen Has More Solid Individual Performances At Boilermaker Invite
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – With just two weeks before the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Tennessee, the Goshen College women's track and field teams continued to show why they will be a force to be reckoned with at the national championships. "Although we started mid-term break several members of the Maple Leaf track teams made their presence known on Saturday," said head coach Rick Clark. " Several female Maple Leafs also tuned up for nationals with good performances in the confines of Lambert Fieldhouse." Leading the way was senior Deanna Kronk. The Northwood High School product took second in the shot put with a throw of 41' 4 1/2". The 2008 All American in the weight throw followed that up with a third-place finish in the event as she launched the twenty-pound weight...

FEB. 21 — Greives Helps Give Duensing A Win On Senior Day

21 Feb 2009 16:42:20 EST

Sophomore Goes For 21 Points, 16 Rebounds In Victory Over SAU
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Playing in the final home game of her outstanding four-year career as a Maple Leaf, senior Krystal Duensing got some help from her teammates as they helped lift her and Goshen to a 72-61 win over visiting Spring Arbor University Saturday afternoon. "With this being Senior Day, our team really wanted to send Krystal out on a high note, and we responded with one of our most complete and consistent games since we've incurred all our recent injuries," said head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "I felt the big keys today were first half defense, and our overall shooting and rebounding. It was especially good to see us shoot with more confidence because that has been an area perhaps most affected by our injury situation." The confidence started early for the Maple Leafs as they jumped out to a quick 14-2 lead led by the lone senior herself, ...

FEB. 21 — Marian Hands Maple Leafs Another Narrow Loss

21 Feb 2009 17:58:41 EST

Goshen Drops Fourth-Straight, 60-61 In Indianapolis
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Maple Leafs could not stop their season-long losing streak at three games as they came out on the short end of another tight contest Tuesday night in Indianapolis. A 60-61 defeat at the hands of host Marian College meant that three of Goshen's last four losses have been by a combined six points. "We are all pretty frustrated right now as this is the third game in the last two weeks that has come down to one or two possessions and we are not making the plays down the stretch," said head coach Gary Chupp. "Last night we missed a game-tying free throw with 13 seconds left, had a 2-on-1 in the last six seconds we didn't convert on, and missed a great look from 18 feet to win it." In their final home game of...

FEB. 21 — Regular Season Ends With Loss At Spring Arbor

21 Feb 2009 16:42:38 EST

Goshen Falls To Cougars 67-83; To Head To Indiana Wesleyan
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The regular season ended on a bitter note as the Maple Leafs dropped their fifth-consecutive contest, 67-83 at Spring Arbor University Saturday afternoon. After dropping three of its last four by a combined six points, Goshen hoped that Saturday could provide some much needed momentum and confidence heading into next week's Mid-Central College Conference Tournament. A cold and snowy trip to Michigan turned into a slow start, however, for the Maple Leafs as they fell behind big early. Goshen allowed the host Cougars to shoot a sparkling 59% in the first half as they fell behind 29-44 by the intermission. "The difference in the first half was on the boards," said second-year head coach Gary Chupp. "...

FEB. 21 — More Records And National Qualifiers For Leafs At Purdue

21 Feb 2009 16:33:43 EST

Two More Program Marks Fall As Goshen Runs At Boilermaker Invite
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After seeing three school records fall in just three indoor meets this season, the Maple Leafs men's track and field team added two more to the list as they competed at the Purdue University Boilermaker Invitational this weekend. In one of the most outstanding indoor seasons in program history, senior Sam Chege played a major role in each of the record-breaking performances heading into the weekend. Chege made it four-straight weeks with a record-breaker as he took down the program mark in the 1,000 meters. Chege's winning time of 2:29.73 replaces the 2007 mark of teammate David Rumsey of 2:44.85. The time also hit the automatic qualifying mark for NAIA INdoor Nationals, which is coming up in just two weeks. Chege has now qualified in all three of the mid-distance events (800, 1,000, 1 mile), but will likely only compete in one at the national event...

FEB. 18 — Deep Marian Squad Runs Past Maple Leafs 74-53

18 Feb 2009 15:16:02 EST

Goshen Set For Regular-Season Finale Against Spring Arbor
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Playing with at least eight players for the first time in two weeks, the Maple Leafs came out strong against Mid-Central College Conference foe Marian College. In the end, though, depth was still an issue as a deep Knight's squad ran off with a 74-53 victory in Goshen Wednesday night. The Maple Leafs outstanding start including scoring the first nine points of the game as they held Marian scoreless for nearly five minutes. The Knights, however, would quickly respond with a 12-3 run to tie the game back up. "The story tonight was the last half of the first half," explained head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "We got off to a nice start and played right with them, but then I thought we became fatigued, went flat and really lost our focus, especially on defense. They moved the ball well and we started to stand on both ends of the floor." ...

FEB. 15 – Leafs Can't Hand #7 Union First Loss Of Season

15 Feb 2009 17:46:48 EST

Goshen Fights Back From Early Deficit Before Dropping Two Games
Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2 BARBOURVILLE, Kent. – While the Maple Leafs could not hand #7-ranked Union College its first loss of the season, the Goshen College baseball team clearly showed it would put up a fight. The Maple Leafs eight-hour road trip south got off to a rocky start after Saturday's double-header against Johnson Bible College was called off due to field conditions. While the cancellation gave Goshen an extra day of rest, it did not help Goshen slow down a hot Bulldog team who was coming off a sweep of Taylor University on Saturday. The highly-ranked Union College squad wasted little time proving their offense is among the nations elite as they put up nine runs on seven hits in the bottom of the first. Down big early on the road, the Maple Leafs could have packed it in. Instead, they began to slowly chip away at the lead. In the second inning, a pair...

FEB. 14 — Trojans Shoot Way Past Weary Maple Leafs 72-47

14 Feb 2009 18:58:33 EST

Goshen Continues To Battle, But Has To Few Weapons For Taylor
Box Score UPLAND, Ind. – Few teams can understand adversity like the Maple Leafs women's basketball team. Even fewer teams can say that – despite the results at times – they continued to give it everything they possibly had. Back at it on Saturday at #19 Taylor University, Goshen dropped a 47-72 decision, but once again showed the unique ability to press on despite all obstacles. "While we've had to play under some difficult circumstances lately, Saturday may have been the most difficult," seventh-season head coach Steve Wiktorowski admitted. "Yet, I felt the girls did a great job considering we played the game without either of our point guards against a very good defensive team on their floor." Senior Krystal Duensing , the Maple Leafs " Court Genera l", missed Saturday's game as she traveled to interview for...

FEB. 14 — Stats Oddly Similar As Leafs Fall 57-69 At Home

14 Feb 2009 16:12:26 EST

Goshen Struggles Against Highly-Ranked Defense Of Taylor
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Taylor University's second-rated defense in the country showed why they are so tough to beat as they limited the Maple Leafs to just 43 field goal attempts in a 57-69 Goshen loss Saturday afternoon. The Trojans – giving up just 58.4 points a game – have frustrated opponents all season long with their tenacious defense and slow it down offense. It nearly resulted in a win a month ago before the Maple Leafs pulled out a narrow 46-44 victory in Upland. This time around, Taylor succeeded. The Trojans started the game on a 11-2 run as Goshen began 1-of-5 from the field and turned the ball over three times in the first six minutes of play. While the Maple Leafs succumbed to Taylor's style of play – just nine...

FEB. 14 — Success Continues For Leafs At IWU Invite

14 Feb 2009 15:17:39 EST

Individual Performances Lead Way To Sixth-Place Finish in Marion
MARION, Ind. – Success continued to follow the Maple Leafs women's track and field team as they placed sixth overall on the back of several strong individual performances at the Wildcat Indoor Invite on Saturday. "Although the meet was used with an emphasis on individual performances for the Maple Leafs," head coach Rick Clark – in his 15th season – explained, "the women's team still placed sixth in a crowded field." Senior Deanna Kronk (Elkhart, Ind.) continues to position herself for another run at All American honors as she again hit national qualifying marks in the weight throw and shot put. Kronk won the shot put with a throw of 40-feet, 11-inches, while placing second in the weight throw with a mark of 51'6 1/2." "Deanna had another fine meet...

FEB. 14 — Third Record Falls In Third Meet At Wildcat Invitational

14 Feb 2009 14:41:24 EST

Chege Smashes Another Mark As Leafs Take Ninth At IWU
MARION, Ind. – Three weeks, three competitions, and the Maple Leafs men's track and field team has set three new program records. Even more impressive, senior Sam Chege (Nairobi, Kenya) has been in the forefront on each of the three record-breaking performances. On this occasion, Chege set a new Goshen College Indoor mark in the 800 meters as he led the Leafs to a ninth-place finish at the Wildcat Indoor Invitational on Saturday. "Although the meet was used with an emphasis on individual performances for the Maple Leafs," head coach Rick Clark – in his 15th season – explained, "the men's team still placed ninth in a crowded field." After breaking the Goshen College record in the mile at the Taylor Invitational last weekend, Chege wasted little time setting his sights on another mark. The senior shaved more than three seconds off ...

FEB. 11 — #11 Huntington Too Powerful For Maple Leafs

11 Feb 2009 14:32:13 EST

Highly-Ranked Foresters Get Revenge For Upset In Goshen
Box Score HUNTINGTON, Ind. – After upsetting Huntington University 45-42 in Goshen on January 10, the Maple Leafs knew that the highly ranked Foresters would be out for a little revenge. And Huntington succeeded, taking control early and forcing 28 Goshen turnovers on way to a 74-46 win Wednesday night. The Maple Leafs shot just 39% from the field and 2-of-13 from 3-point territory as they dropped the road Mid-Central College Conference contest. "Having upset them on our home floor a few weeks ago, we knew they would be very ready for this rematch in their gym," seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski said. "But we started out matching them early and got their best player in foul trouble." A lay up by Heather Hahn and a free throw by Cassie Greives gave the Maple Leafs an early 3-0 lead. By the time Huntington's leading scorer, Jenna Donaldson...

FEB. 10 — Leafs Comeback Falls Short Against Huntington

10 Feb 2009 13:44:49 EST

Rough First Half Sinks Goshen's Chances In 76-80 Defeat
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – As can often be the case in tough conference battles, Tuesday night's Mid-Central College Conference contest against Huntington University proved to be a tale of two halves. The Forresters dominated the opening period as they hit 20-of-29 from the field (69%) and led by as many as 17 points. The Leafs, however, shot 48% in the second half and caused 11 Huntington turnovers after the intermission. It was Huntington, though, that made plays and free throws when they needed them. The top free throw shooting team in the nation (81%) hit 16-of-19 in the game, including 9-of-10 in the final five minutes as they held on for a 80-76 win over the Maple Leafs. "I was extremely disappointed with how we approached this game," second...

FEB. 8-9 – Goshen Opens Season With Win At Metrodome

8 Feb 2009 21:58:48 EST

Maple Leafs Kick Off 2009 Campaign With 3-2 Victory
Box Score | Photo Gallery MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – What would be a better way to start off a season then playing at a Major League Baseball stadium? How about a win? The Maple Leafs made good on both counts as they picked up a thrilling 3-2 victory over Robert Morris College in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Twins. The victory is Goshen College's earliest win in the 51-year history of the program. The only time the Leafs have even opened the season as early as February 8 was in 1990 when head coach Devon Hoffman took his team to the University of Notre Dame and fell by a close 3-0 count. While the excitement of opening day baseball is always high, the extra incentive of playing indoors at the Metrodome had the Maple Leaf players literally jumping out of their cleats to get on the field. After weeks of indoor practice and a long bus ride, the...

FEB. 7 — Big Games From Greives, Hahn Not Enough Vs. St. Francis

7 Feb 2009 18:37:09 EST

Duo Combines For 52 Points, But Maple Leafs Fall 59-86 To Cougars
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Junior Heather Hahn and sophomore Cassie Greives combined for 52 points, but the Maple Leafs could not pull out a Mid-Central College Conference win as they fell 59-86 to visiting University of St. Francis Saturday afternoon. "Both Heather and Cassie did an outstanding job today," said seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "Cassie for the most part took her time inside and so she shot a very good percentage from both the field and the free throw line. She also did a nice job on the boards. Heather did a great job of spreading her offense out between the inside and outside and was strong with the ball when she put it on the floor." The final score line was not indicative of the type of game that was actually played out on the court, especially in the first half. The teams traded leads five times and posted tie scores seven times...

FEB. 7 — Leafs Fall An Inch Short In Overtime Thriller At USF

7 Feb 2009 17:54:02 EST

McCollum Posts Career High 43 Points In 88-89 Road Defeat
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Never before has an inch mattered so much in a basketball game as it did Saturday afternoon. As time wound down in overtime, junior Errick McCollum II attempted a long range shot. A 3-pointer would send the game into its second overtime period, while anything else would end the contest with a Mid-Central College Conference loss for the Maple Leafs. McCollum drained the shot and Goshen thought the shot would continue the game. Unfortunately, the referee ruled otherwise as he saw McCollum's foot on the line. His shot was ruled a two-point field goal as the Leafs fell one point short in a thrilling 88-89 overtime loss to the University of St. Francis. "This one hurts," second-year head coach Gary Chupp admitted. "...

FEB. 7 — First Full Team Event Yields Fantastic Results

7 Feb 2009 20:24:25 EST

Leafs Break One School Record, Take Four Titles, Hit Four Qualifying Marks
UPLAND, Ind. – As if last week's Findlay Classic – where the Leafs qualified five for the NAIA Indoor National Championships – was not enough, the Goshen College women's track and field team continued to make waves as they fielded a complete squad for the first time in 2009 at the Taylor University Invitational Saturday. As fifteen colleges competed at the event, the Maple Leafs picked up four individual titles, hit four more qualifying marks, and broke another program record. After breaking the Goshen College outdoor mark last spring, sophomore Peni Acayo wasted little time dispatching an 11-year old indoor record on Saturday. Acayo's jump of 36'11 1/2" won the event at Taylor and shattered the 1998 mark of Krista Nussbaum by more than two feet and also qualified her for the NAIA Nationals...

FEB. 7 — Chege Sets Program Mark In National Qualifying Time

7 Feb 2009 19:44:35 EST

Senior Runs Goshen's First Sub 4:20 Mile Indoors At Taylor Invite
UPLAND, Ind. – A week after making a splash with a new school record in the distance medley, the men's track and field team was at it again. They finished Saturday's Taylor University Invitational – a large indoor meet with 15 schools represented – with another school record and four top eight performances. This time, senior Sam Chege set a new program mark in the mile run, while also hitting the automatic qualifying time for NAIA Indoor Nationals. Chege, from Nairobi, Kenya, ran to a second-place finish with a time of 4:19.00. While he was narrowly edged out by last season's national runner-up – Joss Foss of Indiana Wesleyan – Chege managed to break the Goshen College record set in 1990 by Geoff Douglas of 4:22.24. It was the first time in program history that a runner had cracked the 4:20 mark. "It was a tight and exciting race...

FEB. 6 — 2009 Season Preview: Ready To Run

6 Feb 2009 18:56:38 EST

Maple Leafs Compete In First Full Event Of Season Saturday
Though the Leafs have lost several key athletes from 2008 due to graduation, the women’s depth remains consistent with plenty of returning talent giving the team an edge on their competition. The men, however, took a substantial blow losing their top competitors in three events. “Last year,” said the Maple Leaf’s head coach Rick Clark, “the women's team placed third in MCC which is the highest finish in program history. We have the capabilities to be as strong since we have almost everyone back with another year of experience.” Those not returning this season for the men’s team include discus national qualifier Justin Hochstetler, marathon national qualifier Jake Gillette, and top pole vaulter Luis Robledo. The men’s team may have taken a hit in talent, but this does not seem...

FEB. 6 — 2009 Season Preview: Ready To Run

6 Feb 2009 19:09:17 EST

FEB. 4 — Injuries, Illness Continue To Devastate Leafs Vs. Grace

4 Feb 2009 14:23:57 EST

Seven-Minute Stretch The Big Difference In Road MCC Loss
Box Score WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The Maple Leafs just can't catch a break as they continue to get devastated by injuries and illness. A team that has every reason to pack it in for the season, however, has been doing the exact opposite. While a seven-minute span cost them any realistic chance in a 56-82 loss at Grace College Wednesday night, Goshen continued to battle against all odds. "I was as proud of my team tonight as any team I have ever coached here," said head coach Steve Wiktorowski in his seventh year at the helm. "We have really been fighting through illness and injuries the last couple games and some of these girls were playing on fumes tonight, but they never gave up and continued to fight until the very end." The Leafs came into the contest with just seven active players with the recent knee injury to Kelsey Herschberger and the illness...

FEB. 3 – Maple Leafs To Open Season In Style This Weekend

3 Feb 2009 00:54:34 EST

Goshen To Play Robert Morris In 4-Game Series At Metrodome
GOSHEN, Ind. – With temperatures still hovering below freezing and snow covering the entire Goshen College Baseball Facility, the Maple Leafs are not waiting around to open their 2009 season. Instead, they are heading indoors. In an extremely unique opportunity, Goshen will open its season this weekend at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, home of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. "This is the earliest we have started the season in Goshen College history and it is nice to know what we are guaranteed not to get rained out after a nine-hour trip," said head coach Josh Keister. "Our guys are very excited about the opportunity to play in a Major League stadium, Hopefully, it will not only be a memorable experience, but a good way to jump start our season and get things going in a positive direction." The Maple Leafs will be playing a four-game...

FEB. 3 — For Second Time This Year, Leafs Upset #18 Grace

3 Feb 2009 13:15:54 EST

Goshen Takes Out Second-Place Lancers 88-75 In All Out Battle
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – How do you defeat a nationally ranked opponent? Take care of the ball, rebound, hit free throws, and make big plays down the stretch. The Maple Leafs executed each of those aspects as they took down #18 Grace College for the second time this season, 88-75 Tuesday night. Goshen forced the Lancers into 18 turnovers, while dishing out 16 assists on the offensive side. The Leafs also out rebounded Grace – ranked in the top five in the nation in rebounding margin – by a 39-33 count. "I felt coming in how we did on the boards was going to be key," explained second-year head coach Gary Chupp. "Even though we beat them at their place, we got out boarded by 20 – I knew they weren't going to shoot the ball...

JAN. 31 — Despite Injuries, Leafs Battle With #22 Bethel College

31 Jan 2009 14:17:05 EST

Shorthanded Goshen Starts Strong, Runs Out Of Gas In 54-66 Loss
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – With just seven players due to injuries and illness, the Maple Leafs fought for a full 40 minutes before finally dropping a Mid-Central College Conference contest 54-66 to #22 Bethel College Saturday afternoon. Facing a team ranked #22 for the second-straight time, Goshen expected to have to play its best basketball to compete. After already having a thin bench to injuries, the Maple Leafs got more bad news with junior Rachel Allen unable to go due to the flu and sophomore Kelsey Herschberger suffered a knee injury during practice Friday night. The injuries and illnesses left Goshen with just seven healthy players as they headed into the match up against a very strong Bethel squad. Five minutes into Saturday's contest, however, you would have thought the circumstances were switched as the Leafs scored the first 11 points of the game. "...

JAN. 31 — Second-Ranked Bethel Runs Past Goshen 91-59

31 Jan 2009 14:47:10 EST

Leafs Overpowered In Mid-Central College Conference Contest
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score MISHAWAKA, Ind. – When your team goes up against one of the top teams in the country, you not only have to play at the top of your game, but you often have to rely on the other team making some mistakes. Saturday was simply not one of those days where everything fell into place. Host Bethel College, ranked #2 in the NAIA DII national poll, paralyzed the Maple Leafs – in their third game of a four-game stretch against ranked opponents – with full court pressure and ran off to a 91-59 win in Mishawaka "We picked the wrong afternoon to play probably our worst game of the season, said second-year head coach Gary Chupp. "Bethel took it to us from the tip, and we didn't have any answers." It started early as the...

JAN. 30-31 — Distance Relay Team Kicks Season Off In Style

30 Jan 2009 18:46:37 EST

Quartet Sets New School Record With Performance At Findlay Classic
FINDLAY, Ohio – With just four Maple Leafs competition at the Findlay Classic, the Goshen College men's track and field team still managed to put an exclamation point on the season-opening event this weekend. The distance medley relay team of Sam Chege, David Rumsey, Alain Chaponniere, and Billy Funk broke a school record in the event, running to a time of 10:40.34. While they broke the Leafs 2005 record by nearly 20 seconds, they were narrowly edged out by a Cornerstone University grouping on this day. The distance medley relay pits four runners together as they run different lengths (400, 800, 1200, and 1600 meters) combining for 4,000 meters or nearly 2.5 miles. For the Leafs, this unique event also had a unique grouping of two seniors with two freshman. Senior Sam Chege (Nairobi, Kenya) led off the event with a time of 3:12.7 in the 1,200 meter portion. He then handed...

JAN. 30-31 — Maple Leafs Start Season With Big Bang

30 Jan 2009 18:18:47 EST

Five Goshen Athletes Qualify For Nationals As Partial Squad Competes In Ohio
FINDLAY, Ohio – The phrase "pace yourself" is often used in sports, particular around those that involve running. The Maple Leafs chose to ignore the warning and it paid off at this weekend's Findlay Classic. With just a partial squad competing, Goshen started its season off with a huge bang as five individuals hit qualifying marks for the NAIA Indoor National Championships. It was an experienced group that got the chance to head to Ohio on what turned out to be a fantastic weekend for seniors. Each of the five national qualifiers are seniors and will get a shot to head to Tennessee the first week on March to compete on the national stage. An All-American in the weight throw a year ago , Deanna Kronk (Elkhart, Ind.) launched the 20-pound weight 49-feet, 1 1/2-inches and will head to the...

JAN. 26 — Yoder Resigns Maple Leafs Head Coaching Post

26 Jan 2009 13:25:18 EST

After Fourth Season, Program Head To Take Time To Finish Degree
GOSHEN, Ind. – After four years as the head coach and four more as a player, the Goshen College women's tennis program will be without one of its most honored and influential individuals, Sarah Yoder. Yoder recently announced her resignation from her post as head of the program so that she can focus her full attention to finishing her teaching certification, Athletic Director Tim Demant announced this week. "We are very thankful for the energy Sarah has given to the women's tennis program," said Demant. "Both as an athlete here at Goshen and then as a coach, Sarah has been dedicated to making Goshen's women's tennis program the best it can be. We wish her well as she looks to finish up her teacher certification." In four seasons as the head coach of the Maple Leafs, Yoder amassed a 20-35 overall record. In 2006, she guided Goshen...

JAN. 24 — Upset Bid Comes Up Short Late Against #22 IWU

24 Jan 2009 17:04:37 EST

Goshen Plays Neck-And-Neck With Wildcats Before Falling 45-52
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – The Maple Leafs gave the No. 22 team in the nation, Indiana Wesleyan University, all that they could handle before finally dropping a 45-52 home Mid-Central College Conference contest Saturday afternoon. The game featured 12 ties and 13 lead changes as the highly ranked Wildcats finally broke through late with a stifling defense. Despite out shooting Indiana Wesleyan overall (41% to 33%), the Leafs were shut out (0-for-7) from beyond the arch for the first time this season. "It was a battle of two teams playing intense team defense," head coach Steve Wiktorowski commented. "We did a nice job of putting ourselves in a position to win against a very good and disciplined team today, but unfortunately we didn't show the same discipline at the end and so they walked out with the win." The Wildcats took the initial lead, but...

JAN. 24 — #9 Indiana Wesleyan Snaps Leafs Winning Streak

24 Jan 2009 01:26:35 EST

Wildcats Shoot 52% From The Field In 79-66 Win
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score MARION, Ind. – In the midst of a four-game stretch against teams ranked in the nations Top 25, the Maple Leafs had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 66-79 defeat at #9 Indiana Wesleyan University Saturday afternoon. Goshen's winning streak – while modest in number – was significant as it included wins over #15 Spring Arbor as well as a road win at Taylor University. Playing in Marion, the Leafs knew they were up against a monumental task, and although they could not find quite enough offense to keep pace with the Wildcats, Goshen continued to prove that they could play with the best in the nation. "I thought IWU played extremely well defensively in the first half - there is a reason they are a Top 10 team in the country...

JAN. 20 — Third-Straight Win Comes In Upset Of #15 SAU

20 Jan 2009 00:50:56 EST

Maple Leafs Defend Home Court In 69-65 Win Over Cougars
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – What a night in the Mid-Central College Conference! Tuesday night provided exciting games across the conference, including the University of St. Francis – fifth in the MCC – knocking off the No. 1 ranked team in the county, Bethel College, and eighth place Taylor taking No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan to the wire before falling by two. For Maple Leafs fan, though, none was more exciting than a 69-65 upset win over #15 Spring Arbor University. Led by senior Bryce Bow and junior Nate West Jr. , Goshen came ready to play right from the opening tip, scoring the first three points of the game and never trailing as they grabbed hold of their third-consecutive conference victory. "I was very pleased with the defensive energy we brought...

JAN. 17 — Quick Start Spoiled As Leafs Lose To Marian On The Road

17 Jan 2009 12:47:47 EST

Knights Hit Game Winner With 28 Seconds Remaining In 44-42 Victory
Box Score INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – It came down to the final seconds – or in this case final five minutes – but host Marian was able to find the game-winner as they knocked off the Maple Leafs 44-42 Saturday afternoon. After the Leafs made a 6-0 run to tie the game with 5:47 to play, the score remained 42-42 for an excruciatingly tight five-plus minutes before the host Knights finally found the net for the decisive basket. Goshen had a chance just before the buzzer, but the shot and the chance for a road win rimmed just out. "This team has made tremendous strides over the past three games and has shown so much more of a competitive side both at home and on the road mainly because of our commitment to better defense and rebounding," explained seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "While that is encouraging, this was a very tough loss because we clearly...

JAN. 17 — Leafs Win Second-Straight MCC Contest, 69-54

17 Jan 2009 00:43:39 EST

Laker Emerges As Goshen Knocks Off Visiting Marian College
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – The Maple Leafs took an early lead and never looked back as they cruised to a 69-54 win over visiting Marian College Saturday afternoon. With the victory, Goshen won its first back-to-back Mid-Central College Conference contests of the season. The biggest story, though, was the emergent play of senior center Kyle Laker . The Wayland (Mich.) native scored early and often as he tallied a career-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Laker was also 4-of-5 from the free throw line and grabbed nine rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. "Laker was just a force inside tonight and it was really a reflection of how he had practices over the last two days," second-year head coach Gary Chupp explained. "We are certainly a better...

JAN. 16 – 2009 Season Outlook: Growing Up

16 Jan 2009 14:48:08 EST

Maple Leafs Set To Open Season At Metrodome
GOSHEN, Ind. – Temperatures are well below zero in one of the coldest stretches in recent memory leaving baseball far out of the minds of most in the region. The Maple Leafs, however, have been hard at work with indoor practices for weeks. Why? Because Goshen opens its season in just over three weeks. Yes, three weeks. Not only do they open the season in three weeks, but they do it is unprecedented and spectacular fashion. The Maple Leafs begin the season with a four-game series indoors against Robert Morris College at the Minneapolis Metrodome, the home to Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins. After the once in a lifetime opportunity, Goshen will spend its weekends getting away from the bitter cold of the Great White North, hopefully, to some more playable areas in Tennessee and Kentucky. The Leafs then head for an eight-game Spring Break trip to Florida before attempting...

JAN. 14 — Lehman Announces Resignation As Head Coach

14 Jan 2009 17:51:47 EST

Program Head To Focus Attention On Academic Endeavors
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Head Coach of the Goshen College Volleyball Program since 2004, Jewel Lehman has resigned her post to focus on her role as the chair of the Physical Education Department, Director of Athletics Tim Demant announced Wednesday. The ninth head coach in the nearly forty-year history of the program, Lehman led the Maple Leafs to a 20-13 mark in 2008 and a berth in the Mid-Central College Conference Semifinals for just the second time in program history. “We are extremely thankful for the energy Jewel has put into the Goshen College volleyball program,” said Athletic Director Tim Demant. “Her passion for excellence and commitment to the girls will be greatly missed.” When Lehman arrived at Goshen in 2004, she held dual roles as a professor in the teacher education program and as volleyball coach. A year later...

JAN. 14 — Leafs Can't Pull Off Second-Straight Upset

14 Jan 2009 19:16:51 EST

Goshen Hangs Tough But Falls 62-71 To #15 Taylor University
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Looking to make it two wins over two top 15 teams in the matter of less than a week, a tough task for any team, the Maple Leafs fell a little short as visiting Taylor defeated Goshen 62-71 Wednesday night. "I felt most importantly tonight they we clearly competed for the second consecutive game against ranked teams," said seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "No doubt we are improving and gaining important confidence, yet we can still get a lot better." Playing against the 15th-ranked Trojans, the Maple Leafs continued to surprise even the top teams in the conference with their defensive pressure and long range shooting. Wednesday was no different as Goshen came out sizzling from 3-point range. Rachel Allen , Krystal Duensing , and Heather Hahn each hit 3-pointers as the Leafs grabbed a 9-4 lead six minutes into the game. ...

JAN. 13 — Low Scoring Battle Results In Important Goshen Win

13 Jan 2009 19:15:13 EST

Maple Leafs Knock Off Host Taylor 46-44 In Mid-Week Contest
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score UPLAND, Ind. – In the ultra-competitive Mid-Central College Conference, every win counts, especially on the road. It was not the prettiest of contest, but the Maple Leafs picked up a crucial road conference victory as they defeated host Taylor University 46-44 Tuesday night. "I felt good about coming out of there with a win," second-year head coach Gary Chupp said. "We knew going in it would be a low scoring possession by possession game and that it would be a challenge." Chupp's assumptions could not have been more correct as neither team ever held more than a six-point lead and the squads combined for just 43 points in the first half. Albeit slow, Goshen actually got off to a good start as a Jeremy Pope 3-pointer and an ...

JAN. 10 — Leafs Drop Back-And-Forth Contest At Huntington

10 Jan 2009 01:00:26 EST

Nineteen Lead Changes Does Not End In Win For Goshen
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The Maple Leafs men's basketball team started a short two-game road trip with a 76-88 defeat at Huntington University on Saturday afternoon. The contest featured an incredible 19 lead changes and seven ties. In the end, Huntington's 67% shooting from long range, including 6-of-7 in the second half left Goshen on the short end. "I thought the intensity and effort were there today, we simply got beat by a good team that played extremely well," explained second-year head coach Gary Chupp. "To Huntington's credit, it seemed like they made us pay for every defensive mistake we made. They have so many guys that shoot the three that one breakdown on the ball or on a rotation resulted in three points." ...

JAN. 10 — Defense Sparks 45-42 Stunner Over #8 Huntington

10 Jan 2009 00:58:20 EST

Maple Leafs Pull Off Upset Behind Strong Team Defensive Effort
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – On paper the Maple Leafs – at 5-13 and winless in the brutal Mid-Central College Conference – weren't supposed to be able to play with NAIA DII #8 Huntington who was coming off a pair of wins over top 15 teams. On Saturday, Goshen threw the paper out the window. A gritty Maple Leafs squad turned up the defensive pressure and held the Foresters to a season-low scoring output in a 45-42 upset win. Not only was the win Goshen first MCC victory of the season, but it was also the Leafs first win over the Foresters since 2004, a span of eight games. Both teams were able to control the oppositions perimeter shooting as they combined for just 2-of-27 from 3-point territory. It was Goshen's ability to crash the boards (46-34) and apply pressure limiting Huntington to 27% shooting, however, which made the biggest difference in the game...

JAN. 7 — Hot-Shooting Cougars Sink Maple Leafs 69-100

7 Jan 2009 20:16:13 EST

Goshen Can't Find Way To Stop St. Francis Attack In Road Loss
Box Score FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Goshen College Maple Leafs ran into a buzz saw on Wednesday night as host University of St. Francis hit 13 3-pointers and outpaced the Leafs to a 100-69 win. "I didn't think that we played poorly tonight, it was more they played extremely well," Head Coach Steve Wiktorowski said of the Cougars, who hit 58% from the field and dished out 33 assists in the win. Despite the incredible numbers by St. Francis, the game began highly contested as the Leafs took the initial lead when freshman Stormy Holder knocked in a 3-pointer off a Krystal Duensing assist. After the Cougars responded with a long-range shot of their own, the lead changed hands six times in the next five minutes. With St. Francis trying to pull away, Duensing knotted the game back up at 19-19 with another Goshen 3-pointer. "We got off to a nice start...

JAN. 6 — St. Francis Steals Game From Leafs In Second Half

6 Jan 2009 03:14:07 EST

Visiting Cougars Rally To Defeat Host Goshen 81-67
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Hoping to continue their momentum from a big win over #25 Grace College on Saturday, the Maple Leafs started strong against Tuesday night against visiting University of St. Francis. The momentum, however, quickly disappeared in the second half as Goshen lost the lead and the game 67-81. "We played tonight exactly how we practiced last night," explained second-year head coach Gary Chupp. "After the Grace win on Saturday we thought we could relax, but we have to bring the energy every day to win in this conference." Both squads opened the game strong as they traded long offensive possessions and converted them into easy inside lay ups. With the score tied at 2-2, Goshen took the early lead on a 3-pointer from Jeremy...

JAN. 3 — Upset Special: Maple Leafs Knock Off #25 Grace College

3 Jan 2009 20:05:41 EST

Goshen Starts 2009 With A Bang, 74-66 Road Win
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score WINONA LAKE, Ind. – It came two days after the official start of the new year, but there could not be a better way to celebrate the turn of the calendar for the Maple Leafs than their 74-66 upset win over Grace College on Saturday. Calling the road victory "big" simply understates the accomplishment. The Lancers – ranked #25 in the latest NAIA DII national poll – were previously 20-3 in their just over year old Orthopedic Capital Center. Saturday's win marks the first Goshen win over a top 25 team this season – although they have beaten two teams just outside the rankings – and the first time they have knocked off Grace in Winona Lake since 2005. The win is also big because it is the Leafs first Mid-Central College Conference...

DEC. 31 — 2008 Season Review: Reaching New Heights

31 Dec 2009 14:39:22 EST

Maple Leafs Make History As They Continue To Improve
Photos: Season Highlights | Goshen Invite | MCC Tournament GOSHEN, Ind. – Returning the bulk of the roster from a much-improved 2007 team, expectations were starting to become optimistically high for those around the 2008 Maple Leafs volleyball program. Coaches and players alike would not be satisfied with competitiveness, but went seeking a top-4 finish in the very strong Mid-Central College Conference. It didn’t take long for the word to spread as in its first match of the season as Goshen shocked #17 Walsh College at the Cornerstone University Classic. The Leafs finished the event with a 3-1 record, while sophomore Peni Acayo was named to her first all tournament team of the year. Coming off the finest freshman campaign in program history – Acayo was named MCC and NAIA Region VIII Freshman of the Year &...

DEC. 31 — 2008 Season Review: Year Of Accomplishments

31 Dec 2009 14:50:36 EST

Spectacular Regular Season One Of Best In Program History
Photos: Hokum Karem | MCC Championships Videos: NAIA Nationals | MCC Championships GOSHEN, Ind. – A year after winning its first team title in a decade, the Goshen College men’s cross country team had one of its strongest regular seasons in program history. After taking third at their own Hokum Karem event, the Maple Leafs placed five runners in the top ten to win the team title at the Defiance College Invitational. Goshen swept the top three spots as Sammy Chege (Nairobi, Kenya) won the event in 28:12, Ben Bouwman (Woodridge, Ill.) was just a second behind and David Rumsey (Iowa City, Iowa) finished in 28:37. A week later, the Leafs made more noise as they took on some of the nations top programs – at all collegiate levels – at the Midwest Collegiate Meet. Goshen finished second among the NAIA ranks – ahead of nationally ranked Cornerstone...

DEC. 31 — 2008 Season Review: Gaining Experience

31 Dec 2009 18:27:10 EST

Young Squad Battles Through Tough Schedule
Photos: Season Highlights | Doubles Invite GOSHEN, Ind. – In college athletics there always comes a season where you field a young and inexperienced team due to the graduation of a number of your top student-athletes. This way that year for the Maple Leafs women’s tennis team. After the graduation of Laurelyn Foderaro and Dianna Diaz – combined for five All Mid-Central College Conference honors – Goshen competed with a team in 2008, which featured just one upperclassman. The losses forced Rachel Lanctot (Bristol, Ind.) – who played No. 3 singles as a freshman – to the top spot in the Maple Leaf lineup. After taking some lumps early, the sophomore rebounded, playing outstanding tennis on way to winning her final six singles matches of the regular season. Lanctot’s late-season...

DEC. 31 — 2008 Season Review: Stepping Up

31 Dec 2009 18:00:59 EST

Spectacular Second Half Nets Leafs Third At MCC Tourney
Photos: Season Highlights | Goshen Invite GOSHEN, Ind. – Expectations might have been lofty after the 2007 Maple Leafs took fourth at the MCC Championships and won the No. 1 doubles championships. After a 1-5 start to the 2008 season, however, those expectations had quickly faded for most around the program. When Bethel won 4-of-6 singles matches for a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Goshen on September 16, frustration set in for tenth-year head coach Stan King and his team. Or maybe it just woke them up, because the Maple Leafs did not lose another team match the rest of the season. After a clean sweep of Grace and Earlham at the Goshen Invitational, the Leafs came back with a 5-4 win at Marian on the strength of a three-set marathon victory by Chanuk Algama at the No. 5 singles spot. Wins over Grace, Huntington, and Defiance gave the Leafs...

DEC. 20 — IUSB Snaps Maple Leafs Home Winning Streak

20 Dec 2009 17:19:45 EST

Titans Knock Off Goshen 57-75 in 2008 Finale
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Maple Leafs home winning streak came to a halt along with the 2008 portion of its schedule with a 57-75 loss to Indiana University – South Bend on Saturday. The loss ended Goshen’s perfect 4-0 start to the season at the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center. Despite their impressive home mark this season, the Leafs were trying to end a five-game skid against the cross town Titans. “We got off to a pretty good start and did what we wanted to do offensively,” said seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski. “But then IUSB changed its lineup and really intensified their defensive pressure.” The changes sparked the Titans to a 10-0 run midway through the first half. The streak – coupled by IUSB’s 49% shooting in the opening half staked them to a 38-29 halftime advantage. &...

DEC. 17-18 — Florida Provides Excitement For Maple Leafs

17 Dec 2009 17:16:38 EST

Goshen Splits Pair Of Tight Ball Games In Pre-Christmas Trip
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp LAKE WALES and BABSON PARK, Fla. – Avoiding the ice-cold weather of the North, the Goshen College men’s basketball team headed to Florida for a two-game pre-Christmas trip this week. It turned out to be a thrilling two-day trip as the Leafs snuck out a 72-69 win over NAIA DII #28 Warner University a day before dropping a nail-biting 79-81 loss to a tough Webber International squad. The contests were the final non-conference games on Goshen’s schedule as the Leafs will return to conference play at the beginning of January. Goshen 72, Warner University 69 The Maple Leafs started their southern swing with an exciting 72-69 win over host Warner University. With the victory, Goshen snapped the Royals – ranked #28 in the NAIA...

DEC. 16-17 — Rough Two Days For Maple Leafs In Ohio

16 Dec 2008 20:38:22 EST

Team Deals With Distractions As They Drop Two Road Contests
COLUMBUS and BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Goshen College women's basketball team can't wait to get back home. Just days after finishing up semester final exams, the Maple Leafs spent a long two days on the road in Ohio. Without Head Coach Steve Wiktorowski, whose father passed away Monday morning, Goshen lost 48-61 to Ohio Dominican on Tuesday night before dropping a 69-77 contest at Bluffton University Wednesday. Adding to an already long trip, the Leafs got caught in the middle of a winter storm that has hit the midwest this week. Goshen will return to the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center, where they are a perfect 4-0 this season, on Saturday when they host Indiana University - South Bend. Ohio Dominican 61, Goshen 48 As the weather turned cold and icy Tuesday night, so did the Maple Leaf shooting as Goshen hit just 22% from the field in the second...

DEC. 13 — Greives First Half, Holder's Second Leads Leafs To Win

13 Dec 2008 20:13:30 EST

Maple Leafs Remain Undefeated At Home With 72-55 Victory Over Judson
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – The Maple Leafs used an aggressive defense to hold visiting Judson University to 29% shooting as they remained undefeated at the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center with a 72-55 win Saturday afternoon. After the teams traded baskets to open up the game, Goshen used a 11-3 run sparked by a 3-pointer by freshman Stormy Holder and a pair of inside hoops by sophomore Cassie Greives . The Leafs would keep the advantage for the entire half before stretching it to 12 with lay ups by Erica Emanuel , Greives, and junior Heather Hahn with five minutes to play in the period. "I thought we played a very solid first half coming off final exams in our zone defense," seventh-season head coach Steve Wiktorowski said. "Our effort on the boards kept them to one shot and they weren't hitting very well." In fact, Goshen ...

DEC. 9 — Hot Early, Leafs Use Late Run To Hold On Against Calumet

9 Dec 2008 18:41:32 EST

Goshen Needs 21-2 Second-Half Streak To Win 66-59 At Home
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – The Maple Leafs started the game hot, but needed a second-half run to come from behind for a 66-59 non-conference win over Calumet College of St. Joseph's Tuesday night. Hot might be an understatement as Goshen hit four 3-pointers, including two by junior Rachel Allen , in the first five minutes and scored the first 12 points of the game. The spectacular outside shooting display was sparked by a defense that caused six Calumet turnovers in the span. "Our press and some good 3-point shooting by Krystal Duensing and Allen got us off to a nice start, but we weren't able to maintain it and it was close at halftime," said seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski. After holding a significant lead for the entire half, Goshen missed seven straight shots and the Crimson Wave went on 10-0 run. The streak was capped by a pair of Lecreia...

DEC. 8 — Acayo Adds Two More Honors To Outstanding Season

8 Dec 2009 17:43:29 EST

Sophomore Named All American Honorable Mention, AVCA All Region
MCC Tournament Photo Gallery KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Even several weeks after the season ended, the honors keep coming for the Goshen College volleyball program and sophomore Peni Acayo. As the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship wrapped up this weekend in Kansas City, the All American Teams were announced. Sophomore Peni Acayo (Kampala, Uganda) was one of 36 players from nearly 300 institutions across the United States and Canada to be given Honorable Mention recognition. Just weeks after being named First-Team All Mid-Central College Conference , Acayo has also been selected by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as part of the 2008 AVCA NAIA All Mideast Region Team . "Peni is definitely worthy of the honors," said head coach Jewel Lehman. "She is...

DEC. 6 — Goshen Can't Stop #2 Ranked Bethel College

6 Dec 2008 02:10:54 EST

Leafs Lose 64-88 In Second Conference Game Of Season
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College Maple Leafs could not find a way to give visiting Bethel College its first loss of the season as the Pilots (11-0) went on for a 88-64 win Saturday afternoon. One of the most prolific offenses in the country – averaging 96.2 points a game – the Pilots had six players score in double digits as they consistently had the answer to any Maple Leaf run. The offense started early for Bethel as they scored the first 11 points of the contest, while Goshen started the game 0-of-9 from the field and found themselves in an immediate hole. After junior Errick McCollum hit a jumper to get them on the scoreboard at the 14-minute mark, the Maple Leafs went on a run to get back into the game. Goshen was ...

DEC. 6 — Two Poor Streaks Cost Leafs In 78-89 Loss To Bethel

6 Dec 2008 02:27:43 EST

Goshen Can't Pull Of Upset Of Rival Pilots In Mishawaka
Box Score MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Four Maple Leafs scored in double figures, but a pair of rough spells and hot-shooting from perennial Mid-Central College Conference powerhouse Bethel College was too much for Goshen as they lost 78-89 Saturday afternoon. "There were two stretches that were about two or three minutes long that cost us the game," explained seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "During both of those we lost our focus on defense and gave up too many offensive boards, several of which they turned into second chance threes." Fresh off an upset of #8 Indiana Wesleyan, Bethel opened the game strong with an 8-3 run. Goshen, however, immediately responded with a 14-8 streak which gave them a 17-16 lead midway through the opening half. The lead was short-lived, though, as the Leafs struggled from the field and with turnovers in the final minutes...

DEC. 2 — "Krystal" Clear: Duensing Leads Goshen To 70-54 Win

2 Dec 2008 20:46:07 EST

Senior Hits Six Three's, Scores 22 Points In Victory Over Illinois Tech
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – A big night from senior Krystal Duensing led the Maple Leafs to a 70-54 non-conference win over visiting Illinois Institute of Technology Tuesday night. The guard hit 6-of-8 from 3-point territory and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to tally a game-high 22 points. Duensing also registered five assists and four rebounds on the night. The Osceola (Ind.) native got the offense going early as she hit three straight from beyond the arch in a two minute stretch as she led Goshen to an early 12-7 lead five minutes into the contest. "We got off to a real nice start to the game as we came out shooting the ball well and our press made them take time off the shot clock," explained seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "But I thought we lost a little focus and passion the last five or six minutes of the half and let them pull almost...

DEC. 2 — Leafs Win Double-Overtime Thriller At Cornerstone

2 Dec 2008 20:43:43 EST

Goshen Takes 86-85 Non-Conference Win On The Road
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In what turned out to be the most exciting and nail-biting game of the season to this point, the Maple Leafs battled and held on for a double-overtime 86-85 victory at Cornerstone University Tuesday night. "I feel very good about the win, but it shouldn't have been quite as exciting as it turned out," second-year head coach Gary Chupp admitted. "We led throughout most of the game, and had an eight-point lead with a couple minutes left, but couldn't finish them off." Despite leading for most of the game, the Leafs trailed by as many as six early on as Cornerstone took the early advantage. Goshen tied the score several times, but did not take their first lead until a pair of Errick McCollum free throws led to...

NOV. 25 — #8 Indiana Wesleyan Too Much For Maple Leafs

25 Nov 2008 02:44:30 EST

Goshen Opens Mid-Central College Conference Play With Loss
Box Score MARION, Ind. – Facing off against the #8 team in the country – on their home floor – to tip off the conference campaign is always a tough task. Tuesday night proved to be just that as Goshen dropped their Mid-Central College Conference opener 39-52 at Indiana Wesleyan University. Despite the loss and a rough first half, the Maple Leafs proved to themselves and the rest of the MCC that they will not go down easily. Goshen out scored the Wildcats 32-30 in the second half, while cutting the deficit to as few as eight late in the game. "I felt encouraged as this was our third road game in five days against nationally ranked teams and we battled very hard and were very solid on defense overall," explained seventh-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "We got off to a good start but really struggled to score the last 10 minutes...

NOV. 25 — McCollum's Big First Half Not Enough In Loss To IWU

25 Nov 2008 13:15:23 EST

Junior Scores 21 In Opening Period, But Leafs Fall 55-78 To #14 Wildcats
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – A huge first half from junior Errick McCollum II was not enough for the Maple Leafs as they dropped their Mid-Central College Conference opener to visiting Indiana Wesleyan University 55-78 on Tuesday night. A 6-foot, 1-inch guard, McCollum hit 9-of-12 from the field in the first half for 21 points, but the Wildcats – ranked #14 in the NAIA DII poll – shot 50% for the game and had four players score in double-digits as they went on for the win. "The reason Wesleyan is so good is they have so many weapons – coming into the game we wanted to make it really difficult for (Jon) Moon, and (Carl) Steen did an outstanding job holding him scoreless," said head coach Gary Chupp. Moon scored a game-high 30 points in a loss ...

NOV. 22 — Bouwman, Harnish Have Solid Showings At Nationals

22 Nov 2009 14:53:07 EST

Maple Leaf Duo Finish 2008 Season In Wisconsin At NAIA Event
Complete Results | Video Highlights KENOSHA, Wisc. – Late November in Wisconsin hardly sounds like a runner's paradise. But for Maple Leaf cross country standouts Laura Harnish and Ben Bouwman , one final run to the 2008 season could not have come at a better place or time. After all, they worked tirelessly to earn their right to run in the NAIA National Championships at the Dr. Wayne E. Dannehl Cross Country Course in Wisconsin on Saturday. "Ben and Laura did a great job representing our program at the national meet," said fifth-year head coach Doug Yoder. "They didn't run their best times of the season, but ran very competitively. With the cold weather and the challenging course, they were able to be competitive in the outstanding field of runners." For Bouwman, it was his first trip to the NAIA event after running his best time of the year to finish eighth at the...

NOV. 21-22 — Trio Honored As Leafs Win Denison Tournament

21 Nov 2008 22:43:20 EST

Goshen Defeats Host 75-62 Before Defeating Hanover 68-62
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Maple Leafs continued to prepare for the brutal Mid-Central College Conference campaign as they traveled to the Denison University Tournament this weekend in Ohio. Head Coach Gary Chupp and his Goshen College squad will look to use the momentum from wins over Hanover College and host Denison, which led to the tournament championship, as they enter MCC play this week. The Leafs started the event on Friday night by cruising to a 75-62 victory over host Denison before hanging on for a 68-62 win over Hanover College (Ind.) on Saturday. Junior Errick McCollum averaged 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds on way to tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Senior center Kyle Laker was named the event's Defensive Most Valuable Player after tallying five blocks...

NOV. 21-22 — Two Ranked Opponents Knock Off Maple Leafs

21 Nov 2008 22:46:33 EST

#24 Aquinas, #15 Davenport Too Strong, Deep For Young Goshen Squad
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Maple Leafs continued their brutal preseason schedule as they took on two nationally ranked opponents at the WHAC/MCC Challenge in Grand Rapids this weekend. Goshen lost a 64-85 rematch against #24 Aquinas College Friday night before dropping a 34-69 decision on Saturday to #15 Davenport University. The Maple Leafs have already played four games against teams ranked in the top-25 in the NAIA DII poll this season. The road does not get easier anytime soon as Goshen opens up Mid-Central College Conference play on Tuesday at #8 Indiana Wesleyan University. Sophomore Cassie Greives averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the pair of losses and was named to the all-tournament team. "This was the third-straight week of Friday night/ Saturday noon back-to-back games with similar results, because of our lack of depth due to injuries," explained...

NOV. 18 — Poor Shooting Sinks Leafs At Kentucky Wesleyan

18 Nov 2008 15:47:01 EST

Goshen Falls To NCAA DII #22 Panthers 61-72 On The Road
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score OWENSBORO, Ky. – It was a long non-conference road trip to Kentucky for the Goshen College men's basketball team as they faced off against NCAA DII Kentucky Wesleyan College Tuesday night. The Panthers – ranked #22 in the NCAA DII preseason poll – were able to use their size and strength inside to make a second-half run that the Maple Leafs could not contain or come back from as they went on for the 72-61 win. "I was pleased with how we competed against one of the top NCAA DII teams in the country," said second-year head coach Gary Chupp. "They were extremely athletic and we went toe-to-toe with them for the entire game." The Leafs got off to a fast start, scoring the first six points of the game. ...

Nov. 17 — Three Maple Leafs Receive Post-Season Honors

17 Nov 2008 17:54:08 EST

Acayo, Herschberger, and Janssen Rewarded After Outstanding Seasons
MCC Tournament Photo Gallery UPLAND, Ind. – The All Mid-Central College Conference Teams were announced as part of the conference championship game on Saturday and the outstanding season by the Goshen College volleyball program was evident as three Maple Leafs received honors. Sophomore Peni Acayo (Kampala, Uganda) was named to the first team, while junior's Brittany Herschberger (Goshen, Ind.) and Ashley Janssen (Crawfordsville, Ind.) were both named to the second team. Goshen went 20-13 on the season, reaching the 20-win plateau for just the sixth time in program history. They also racked up a 4-4 record in MCC action before taking out #4 seeded Spring Arbor in the conference quarterfinals. It became just the second time in program history that the Leafs had reached the MCC Semifinal match. "I am very proud of the...

NOV. 15 — Maple Leafs Upset NAIA DII #28 Trinity Christian College

15 Nov 2008 18:48:43 EST

Four Goshen Players Score In Double Figures In 83-70 Upset Win
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Junior Nate West Jr. warmed up a little early for Saturday's match up against NAIA DII 28th-ranked Trinity Christian College. The 6-foot, 4-inch forward could be seen playing a little 1-on-3 against elementary school kids as part of the First Maple Leafs Family Fun Fest a couple hours before the 3 p.m. tip off ( click here for more information ). For those who were worried that it might wear down West, one look at his stat line would make you want set up regular schoolyard games before contest. Not only did West help lead the Leafs to a 83-70 upset of the Trolls, but he also hit an incredible 6-for-8 from the field, tallied 18 points, and grabbed 10 rebounds to register a double-double. Not to be outdone, high school teammate...

NOV. 14-15 — Leafs Split Pair Of Contests At Bethel College Classic

14 Nov 2008 13:39:18 EST

Young Goshen Squad Continues To Show Improvement Early In Season
MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Coming off a pair of tough losses at last weekend's Olivet Nazarene University Tournament ( click here for related article ), the Maple Leafs women's basketball team used a week of practice preparation for an improved performance at the Bethel College Classic this weekend. On Friday night, Goshen cruised past a very competitive Trinity Christian College squad 80-62. They followed that up with a solid effort against NAIA #20 Union College (Ky.), a team that is consistently ranked amongst the best in the NAIA. The Leafs move to 2-3 on the young season and will travel to Indiana Tech on Wednesday before another tough tournament this weekend. Goshen 80, Trinity Christian 62 Six first-half 3-pointers and 50% shooting from the field in the opening half staked the Leafs to a 40-25 halftime lead as they rolled against the Trinity Christian on Friday...

Nov. 13 — Goshen Run Ends In Semifinals At Top-Seeded Taylor

13 Nov 2009 14:47:46 EST

Outstanding Season Ends As Trojans Squash Leafs Upset Bid
MCC Tournament Photo Gallery | Video Highlights UPLAND, Ind. – The Maple Leafs volleyball team went into Thursday night's Mid-Central College Conference Semifinal as the underdog with nothing to lose. After host and top-seeded Taylor University found a way to win a back-and-forth first set, Goshen's upset bid faded along with their season as they lost 23-25, 16-25, 15-25. Despite the loss which ends their season, the Leafs have little to be ashamed of. The 2008 season was one of tremendous highs and accomplishments. Goshen began the season at the Cornerstone University Tournament where they knocked off NAIA #17 ranked Walsh College in four sets. They went on to win 20 matches for just the tenth time in program history. Then, just two days ago, the Leafs won just their second MCC Tournament game and advanced to the conference semifinals...

Nov. 11 — Leafs Take Out History, Spring Arbor In MCC Quarterfinals

11 Nov 2009 14:48:18 EST

Goshen Heads To Conference Semis For Just Second Time In Program History
MCC Tournament Photo Gallery | Video Highlights SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – What a difference a week can make. Just six days after getting swept away in their regular-season finale at Spring Arbor, the Maple Leafs were back in Michigan for a Mid-Central College Conference quarterfinal match Tuesday night. The story was much different this time around as Goshen extended its season with a 25-22, 29-27, 10-25, 25-17 win. "We were much more prepared physically and mentally for this match and it translated into confident play, points and a win for us," explained fifth-year head coach Jewel Lehman. "After the loss to Spring Arbor last week, we talked about what went wrong and why we performed so poorly. We had some clear areas of focus for practices prior to this match and the players were able make some adjustments to make sure they were ready as...

NOV. 11 — First Road Game Tough On Leafs; Fall To Davenport

11 Nov 2008 12:48:57 EST

Goshen Can't Rebound From Tough First Half, Davenport's Shooting
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After rolling off three-straight wins at the friendly confines of the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center, the Maple Leafs went on the road for the first time in the young 2008-09 season Tuesday night. They quickly learned how tough road games can be as they dropped a 82-92 decision to host Davenport University. When the Leafs have been successful so far this season, it has been when their defensive energy has created a spark for their offensive attack. An extremely athletic squad has fed off defensive stops and turned them into transition baskets. Unfortunately, Tuesday night, that was not the case. Goshen allowed Davenport to hit 50% from the field in the opening half – including 6-of-8 from long range – ...

NOV. 8 – Mounsithiraj Tells The Story After Leafs Fall 3-0 In Semis

8 Nov 2009 16:25:06 EST

Indiana Wesleyan Ends Goshen's Season In Conference Semifinals
MCC Tournament Photo Gallery | Video Highlights MARION, Ind. – In front of approximately 100 Maple Leaf faithful – who traveled nearly two hours and stood the entire contest through bitter winds, rain, sleet, and snowflakes – the Goshen College men's soccer season came to a halt with a 3-0 defeat to Indiana Wesleyan University Saturday night. The Wildcats scored early and withstood the Leafs constant mid-game attack before putting the game away in the second half to move into the MCC Finals against Bethel. Typically, a full game story with a detailed account of shots, goals, and chances would follow in the paragraphs below. But who better to tell the story – both of the loss and the positive state of the program itself – than eighth-year head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj. As told by a soccer coaching ...

NOV. 8 — Bouwman Extends Season With All MCC Performance

8 Nov 2009 14:52:34 EST

Junior Qualifies For NAIA Nationals As Maple Leafs Take Seventh
Photo Gallery | Video Highlights SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – It didn't appear like a day that would be conducive to fast times. However, with icy cold temperatures and a bitter wind, junior Ben Bouwman ran to a season best time to place eighth at the Mid-Central College Conference Championships on Saturday. The Woodridge, Ill. native cut nearly half a minute off his previous 2008 best from the NAIA Challenge ( click here for related article ) to finish with a time of 25:57. His time was good for eighth in the conference, earned him his second-consecutive all conference honor, and most importantly extended his season to the NAIA National Championships in two weeks. It will be Bouwman's first appearance at the national stage. "It is great to have Ben make it to nationals," said fifth-year head coach Doug Yoder. "He again ran with intelligence and great will, moving up through the ...

NOV. 7-8 — Goshen Drops Pair At Olivet Nazarene Tournament

7 Nov 2008 13:35:41 EST

Inexperienced Leafs Learning Through Tough Competition
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Head Coach Steve Wiktorowski knew that inexperience and a short bench might make things difficult at times during a brutal pre-season schedule. It proved to be true as the Maple Leafs took part in a very competitive field at the Olivet Nazarene University Tournament this weekend. After having already lost two returning players to injury this season, the Maple Leafs loss a 46-84 decision against NAIA #22 Aquinas College (Mich.) on Friday night before falling 76-93 to Indiana Tech Saturday afternoon. Freshman Stormy Holder (Anderson, Ind.) continued her strong start to the season as she was selected to the all tournament team. Aquinas 84, Goshen 46 The highly-regarded and highly-ranked Saints of Aquinas College came out of the gates quickly and forced Goshen into mistakes early in the tournament opener. "I thought our inexperience really...

Nov. 5 — Maple Leafs Fall To Spring Arbor In Regular-Season Finale

5 Nov 2008 17:07:06 EST

Losses Forces Return Trip To Michigan For First Round Of MCC Tournament
SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – After a disappointing 17-25, 17-25, 21-25 loss at Spring Arbor University Wednesday night, the Goshen College volleyball will be forced to make a return trip to Michigan on Tuesday for the first round of the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament. With the number four seed – and home court-advantage – on the line, the Maple Leafs struggled to get going as they were swept away by the Cougars. "It was a disappointing evening for all of us as we wanted to be peaking during this time," said fifth-year head coach Jewel Lehman. "We have had some rest since we didn't play this weekend, but we lacked mental preparation, focus, and desire." After a two and a half hour bus ride, Goshen was able to quickly shake off the rust and jump to a quick 5-0 lead in the first game. However, momentum...

NOV. 3 — Balanced Maple Leafs Rebound With 94-63 Blowout

3 Nov 2008 19:44:00 EST

Goshen Has Five In Double Digits In Win Over IU-East
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Eleven Maple Leafs entered the scoring column, including five in double-digits, as a balanced Goshen College men's basketball team routed visiting Indiana University - East 94-63 Monday night. The win was a perfect way to rebound from a tough 80-82 season-opening loss on Saturday against IU-South Bend ( click here for related article ). In their first contest of the season, Goshen struggled to find offensive rhythm. With just one day in between the two games, the Maple Leafs were able to make the adjustment and put a very consistent and varied attack together Monday night. "I thought we did a much better job tonight of moving the basketball on the offensive end," second-year head coach Gary Chupp explained. &...

NOV. 3 — Leafs Finish Season With Ninth-Place Regional Result

3 Nov 2008 16:10:07 EST

Bouwman, Rumsey and Adkins lead way; squad posts 12 runners under 30 minutes
Grand Rapids, MI — With a highly competitive, 140-man field comprising Saturday’s NAIA Region VIII Championship meet at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Goshen College men’s cross country team put up a very respectable showing in finishing ninth out of 14 teams. Goshen also placed 12 of its 14 runners under the 30-minute plateau for the first time in program history, concluding its season on a high note. “Our men’s team had a very good showing in a very tough field today,” said Doug Yoder, Goshen head coach. “Finishing ninth may not sound that impressive but as a team, we really ran well from top to bottom. As a coach, that’s what you’re always looking for.” Sophomore and All-Mid-Central Conference performer Ben Bouwman again led the way for Goshen, finishing 34th overall in a time of 26:34.73. Junior David Rumsey wasn&rsquo...

NOV. 1 — Leafs Open Season In Fine Fashion With 89-54 Rout

1 Nov 2008 17:59:33 EST

Goshen Looks Impressive In Debut, But Loses Another Player To Injury
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – If a three-minute span midway through the first-half of their season opener against Purdue University - Calumet was any indication, the 2008-09 Maple Leafs women's basketball team could be very dangerous. With the score tied at 12-12, Goshen went on an 11-point run, opening up a lead they would stretch throughout the contest as they went on for a huge 89-54 win. Freshman Stormy Holder (Anderson, Ind.) drained three of her five 3-pointers in the game during the run. "I thought this was an important win for us as they beat us last year at their place and this is the only home game we have in the month of November," said seventh-season head coach Steve Wiktorowski. "I also thought we did a good job of learning some things from our two preseason scrimmages and carrying them over into this game, especially our defensive rotations and blocking...

NOV. 1 – MCC Semifinals Next Step After 3-0 Win Over Grace

1 Nov 2008 18:52:11 EST

Leafs Will Head To Indiana Wesleyan After Solid Quarterfinal Showing
Video Highlights GOSHEN, Ind. – History has a way of repeating itself. Not only did the Maple Leafs soccer team continue their four-year run of shutouts over Grace College, but Goshen also extended its four-year streak of Mid-Central College Conference semifinal appearances with a 3-0 MCC Tournament Quarterfinal win over the visiting Lancers Saturday night. It was a small but important step for the Leafs as they push towards their ultimate goal of returning to the NAIA National Championships. The next step will be another familiar one as they will travel to Indiana Wesleyan University for the semifinals after the Wildcats netted an overtime winner in a 1-0 victory over Huntington. Knowing that Indiana Wesleyan was likely awaiting the winner, Goshen was able to concentrate on the task at hand and came out of a very physical...

NOV. 1 — Season-Opener Goes To IUSB As Leafs Fall 80-82

1 Nov 2008 14:07:08 EST

McCollum's 32 Points Not Enough As Goshen Starts Slow
Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. – Despite 32 points from junior Errick McCollum II, the Maple Leafs could not find a way to win their fifth-straight season opener as Indiana University – South Bend battled for a 82-80 victory over Goshen on Saturday. The Titans came out the more aggressive and organized unit as they jumped to a quick seven-point lead in the first five minutes. Senior center Kyle Laker (Wayland, Mich.) kept Goshen in it by scoring Goshen's first seven points on a 3-pointer and a pair of inside baskets. When Laker was forced to the bench because of an early second foul, IUSB stretched the lead to nine at 7-16. Seconds later, Junior Nate West Jr. got a layup in the lane becoming the first Leaf other than Laker to score. "You could certainly tell that was our first game offensively," said second-year head coach Gary Chupp. "I didn...

OCT. 31 — 2008-09 Season Preview: Taking The Next Step

31 Oct 2008 16:12:46 EST

Leafs Poised For Run After Year Of Transition
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp GOSHEN, Ind. – After a year of transition in 2007-08 – including a late-spring coaching change – the Maple Leafs men’s basketball team returns nine letterman and is poised to make a push toward the top of the powerful Mid-Central College Conference in 2008-09. Despite the late changes last season, Goshen was able to start the season 10-1, win 19 games, and knock off four nationally ranked opponents. In his second season, head coach Gary Chupp is confident that his squad can use that momentum to make that next step. “Following a successful campaign last season, I am excited to see how we will make the next step,” Chupp said. “In order to do that, we have to become more consistent on a daily basis and learn how to turn things...

OCT. 31 — 2008-09 Season Preview: A Fresh, New Look

31 Oct 2008 16:14:59 EST

Maple Leafs Tip Off Season Saturday At 1:00 P.M.
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College women’s basketball team opens its season tomorrow – a 1 p.m. tipoff at home against Purdue University Calumet – but don’t expect to see the same team Saturday as you will in the heat of Mid-Central College Conference play in January and February. The player’s names and numbers will not change, but for a team with just four healthy returners, the early season should be a time of drastic improvement. “Foremost, this will be a team that will improve a lot and be much better in February than they were in November,” explained seventh-season head coach Steve Wiktorowski. “We have only one senior, but we have some good, young players that need a little time to learn their roles in our system and how to play together.” Despite the low number of returners, the Maple Leafs do return huge pieces ...

Oct. 29 — Goshen Wins Big Points In 3-1 Victory Over Marian

29 Oct 2008 18:56:20 EST

Showdown With Spring Arbor Up Next With Home-Court Advantage On Line
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College volleyball team won the big points when they needed them the most as they defeated visiting Marian College 26-24, 20-25, 30-28, 25-21 Wednesday night. It was the final home match of the regular season for the Maple Leafs, and with the win, they kept their hopes alive to host a Mid-Central College Conference Tournament Quarterfinal match. "This was a good win for us!" head coach Jewel Lehman said. "We are definitely playing a level above where we were last year and that is exciting. We are still young (no seniors) and so I believe the best is yet to come." Goshen started the match extremely fast, jumping to a quick 9-3 lead. The Leafs offensive attack was firing on all cylinders early, but Marian made some defensive adjustments that began to cause problems for Goshen. "At times we ...

OCT. 25 — Leafs Take 12th Among Nations Best At NAIA Challenge

25 Oct 2008 16:47:30 EST

Seven of NAIA's Top25 Take Part In Michigan Event
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – With seven nationally-ranked teams on hand – including four of the top six in the country – the Goshen College men’s cross country team performed well, finishing 12th in the ultra-talented field of 22 teams at the NAIA Cross Country Challenge on Saturday. In addition to a strong finish among the nations NAIA elite, the Maple Leafs made even more of a name for themselves within the Mid-Central College Conference ranks as only Indiana Wesleyan and Taylor finished in front of Goshen among the seven MCC teams participating. “They faired well in a very good field of teams,” said fifth-year head coach Doug Yoder. “We might not have been as close as we would have liked to have been to some of the other teams, but it gives us motivation going into our conference meet.” On an individual level, 11 of the Leafs 13 runners topped their season...

Oct. 24-25 — Maple Leafs Go 3-1 At Calumet Tournament; Take 3rd

24 Oct 2008 19:51:46 EST

Sophomore Peni Acayo Named To Fourth All Tournament Team Of Season
WHITING, Ind. – The Goshen College volleyball teams finished its 2008 tournament schedule this weekend as they placed third at the Calumet College Crimson Wave Invitational. With a 3-1 finish, the Maple Leafs took third place overall and continued a run of at least a .500 record in each of their five tournaments this season. Sophomore Peni Acayo also continued a run as she was named to her fourth all tournament team of 2008. “Overall, I am very impressed with the play this weekend,” said fifth-year head coach Jewel Lehman. “Since we have some injuries, we did not have the depth that I hoped and some players really had to tough it out on Saturday.” Goshen 3, Viterbo 1 (26-24, 20-25, 25-16, 25-22) For the fourth time this season, the Maple Leafs were able to win in their opening match of the tournament...

OCT. 23 — First Annual Purple And White Night Showcases Talent

23 Oct 2008 18:14:11 EST

Dunk Contest, 3-Point Shootout Part Of Team Introduction Event
Photo Gallery Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp GOSHEN, Ind. – A dance off, 3-point shootout, dunk competition, and a chance at winning $10,000 cash were a few of the energetic games, activities, and entertainment offered last Thursday night at Purple and White Night. The first-annual event – the formal introduction of the 2008-09 Goshen College basketball team – was designed to provided support and fired up campus for this year’s upcoming basketball season. Two students in particular showed their school spirit by painting themselves purple from the waist up. Underclassmen Peter Miller and Nathaniel Tann came up with the idea when their resident director, Jake Shipe, sent an email notifying the dormitory residents that he had extra paint left from the Purple Passion Party...

OCT. 23 — First Annual Purple And White Night Showcases Talent

23 Oct 2008 18:23:39 EST

Scrimmage, 3-Point Shootout Part Of Team Introduction Event
Photo Gallery GOSHEN, Ind. – A dance off, 3-point shootout, dunk competition, and a chance at winning $10,000 cash were a few of the energetic games, activities, and entertainment offered last Thursday night at Purple and White Night. The first-annual event – the formal introduction of the 2008-09 Goshen College basketball team – was designed to provided support and fired up campus for this year’s upcoming basketball season. Two students in particular showed their school spirit by painting themselves purple from the waist up. Underclassmen Peter Miller and Nathaniel Tann came up with the idea when their resident director, Jake Shipe, sent an email notifying the dormitory residents that he had extra paint left from the Purple Passion Party, a previous Goshen College event. “We thought it would be a good idea to get coated up [in purple...

Oct. 22 — Visiting Bethel Wins As Teams Join For "Pink Out" Night

22 Oct 2008 19:30:07 EST

Match Raises Funds, Awareness For Breast Cancer Research
GOSHEN, Ind. – With both teams, line judges, score table workers, and many fans clad in pink, visiting Bethel College swept past the Maple Leafs 25-17, 25-20, 25-17 in Mid-Central College Conference play Wednesday night. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, "Pink Out" was the theme of the night as rivals joined forces to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. The contests was the latest in a series of nine matches throughout the MCC in which all proceeds will go to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. To learn more about the Vera Bradley Foundation or to make a donation, visit www.verabradley.org . On the court, it was a rematch of two teams that saw each other at the Goshen Invitational less than two weeks ago. The Pilots of Bethel were able to repeat the three-set sweep on Wednesday. "In the...

OCT. 21 – Leafs Fall 0-1 To IWU In Regular Season Finale

21 Oct 2008 16:18:18 EST

MCC Tournament Right Around The Corner For Goshen
MARION, Ind. – Having already clinched home field advantage for the first round of the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament, the Goshen College men's soccer team was hoping to put another feather in its cap with a win over host Indiana Wesleyan University Tuesday night. As was the case twice last season, the Maple Leafs came up just short with a 1-0 loss. Goshen knew coming in that it would be an extremely tough task. The Cougars have played one of the toughest schedules in the NAIA, with five matches against top 25 teams, including an upset 6-2 win over then top-ranked Auburn- Montgomery. "We knew coming into this match that they would give us everything we could handle and more," eighth-year head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj said. "But i thought we did a great job keeping the game close early in the first half." The Leafs...

Oct. 20 — Goshen To Host Latest In Series Of "Pink Out" Nights

20 Oct 2008 17:16:21 EST

Wednesday's Match To Raise Funds, Awareness For Breast Cancer Research
GOSHEN, Ind. – As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mid-Central College Conference rivals have joined together to raise awareness and raise funds for one of this country’s worst diseases. All nine MCC volleyball programs have teamed up with the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer to form “Pink Out Nights,” six nights of great competition to benefit a great cause. While Goshen has already participated in one event at Grace College, the Maple Leafs turn to host the event is this Wednesday as they host rival Bethel College at 7 p.m. at the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center. At each of the designated “Pink Out Nights”, both teams will be sporting a custom designed pink jersey – supplied by event sponsors Russell Athletics and Sports Center – coaches will be clad in pink, and pink...

Oct. 18 — Injuries Catch Up With Leafs At Bluffton Tri-Match

18 Oct 2008 19:11:31 EST

Goshen Pulls Of Split With Mennonite Sister Institutions
BLUFFTON, Ohio – In volleyball, anytime a team competes in a tournament or multiple matches on the same day, they are going to have to rely on depth to be successful. The Maple Leafs have done a great job doing just that, posting no worse than a 2-2 record in tournaments this season. However, when injuries pile up, not even a team as talented as Goshen can handle the difficulties of multiple-match days. A roster plagued with injuries split a pair of matches showcasing Mennonite higher education as the Leafs fell 22-25, 26-24, 17-25, 18-25 to host Bluffton University before taking a 25-18, 25-11, 25-21 decision over Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday. "We were banged up going into this tri-match so the line up was a little different than we have had in the past," said fifth-year head coach Jewel Lehman. "We had few substitutions...

Oct. 15 — Leafs Show Determination In Road Win Over St. Francis

15 Oct 2008 19:11:08 EST

Goshen In Solid Position For Top-Four Finish In Tough MCC
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A goal of maintaining fourth place in the Mid-Central College Conference is no easy task with a competitive team like St. Francis standing in the way. However, Goshen held nothing back, crushing their competition 3-1, breaking their conference tie with St. Francis and allowing them to move one step closer to their goal of finishing in the top four this season. “We've set a goal to be in the top four so we can host the first round,” said Goshen coach Jewel Lehman, “and we know that bringing our ‘A’ game to every conference match is critical.” Beginning with an unsteady 20-25 loss against St. Francis in the first set, it appeared that the Leafs may fall short and become the Cougar’s third conference victim. But once they took the lead, Goshen could not be stopped as they took a 20-25, 25...

OCT. 15 — Leafs Battle Rain, Rough Start For 4-1 Win Over Taylor

15 Oct 2008 16:48:28 EST

Brennan Troyer Nets Two On Senior Night For Goshen
GOSHEN, Ind. – Twenty minutes into Wednesday night’s Goshen College men’s soccer match, things could not have been going much worse for the Maple Leafs and it appeared that visiting Taylor University may spoil senior night for Goshen’s seven seniors. Fortunately, the remaining 70 minutes would be about as good as it gets for the Maple Leafs as they eventually cruised to a 4-1 win in their regular-season home finale. The two teams took the field with rain pouring down at times, making for a very slippery and slick playing surface. With both teams having to battle the conditions, Taylor came out as the aggressor early on. “Right from the kick off, Taylor was putting on full pressure and throwing everything at us and we were not sure how to respond to how hard they came at us,” said eighth-year head...

OCT. 14 — Leafs Travel For Memorable Pre-Season Scrimmage

14 Oct 2008 19:39:47 EST

Goshen Players Play At Maximum Security Correctional Facility
Prospective Student-Athletes: Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will go straight to Coach Chupp IONIA, Mich. – As temperatures begin to cool down and leafs change color, college basketball swings into full gear as teams prepare for a grueling season with pre-season scrimmages. Much like any other season-opening scrimmage, the Goshen College men’s basketball team loaded a bus wearing sparkling new warm ups and shoes evident of a fresh new season. Players studied, listened to music, and rested while their stomachs churned in anticipation for their first contest of the season. Meanwhile, the coaching staff sat toward the front discussing options for the game and season with many questions and expectations left unanswered. That is where the typical ended for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The Goshen College basketball was not playing a...

2008-2009 Goshen College Baseball Commitments

13 Oct 2008 16:08:18 EST

New recruit signings to be added to this page as they occur - check back often!
Goshen, IN — Goshen head coach Josh Keister has added players to the Leafs' baseball program during the spring signing period. Check back to this page often for the most updated recruiting news throughout the summer months. To contact Coach Keister, call him at (574) 535-7748 or click here to send him an email. 2008 Rolling Meadows High School (Arlington Heights, Ill.) graduate Garrett Cannizzo signs a letter of intent to continue his academic and baseball careers at Goshen College beginning in the fall semester of 2008-2009. With Cannizzo at the signing are parents Russell and Pamela Cannizzo. 2008 Pike High School (Indianapolis) graduate David Stoesz signed a letter of intent to continue his academic and baseball...

OCT. 11 — Troyer's PK Save Sparks 2-1 Win Over Visiting Marian

11 Oct 2008 01:24:58 EST

High School Teammates Woodworth, Grant Score For Maple Leafs
GOSHEN, Ind. – As the regular season winds down, every play, every goal, every save, and every game is vitally important. Momentum can swing in an instant. The Goshen College men's soccer team used momentum from a few key plays to take a 2-1 decision over visiting Marian College Saturday night. "All year long, we keep telling each other that we need to win at home and tonight was no exception being it is a MCC contest and a must-win situation where we needed everyone to be ready for the match," said eighth-year head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj. And everyone was, except one. Unfortunately for the Leafs, that one was reigning MCC Defensive Player of the Year, junior Kyle Stiffney, who was suffering from severe flu-like symptoms all day long. In his place, inexperienced freshman Alain Chaponniere. "I was quite pleased with how...

Oct. 10-11 — Leafs Go 3-1 As They Host Goshen Invitational

10 Oct 2008 00:59:23 EST

Peni Acayo Named To Third All Tournament Team of Season
Photo Gallery | Results, All Tournament Team GOSHEN, Ind. – The Maple Leafs volleyball team came just one match short of winning the annual Goshen College Volleyball Invitational as they went 3-1 this weekend. "We had a wonderful time hosting our tournament this weekend," said head coach Jewel Lehman, who is in her fifth season at Goshen. "It is so much fun to play in front of our home crowd and we are pleased with our performance." Friday Won 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-22) over Taylor - Fort Wayne Won 3-0 (25-15, 25-22 25-14) over IU - East The Maple Leafs got their tournament off to a fantastic start as they won both of their matches on opening day. Goshen did not lose a single set as they swept Taylor - Fort Wayne and IU - East. Sophomore Peni Acayo...

OCT. 10 — Chege Wins Third Race of 2008 As Leafs Place First

10 Oct 2008 18:53:32 EST

Goshen Continues To Surprise Competition As They Win At Benedictine
LISLE, Ill. – The Maple Leafs men’s cross country team continues to surprise opponents and themselves alike as they won the Benedictine Eagle Invitational for the first time in program history on Friday. Goshen placed runners first, second, and fourth to finish with just 47 points and ahead of traditional powers North Central College and Mid-Central College Conference foe Marian College. “Sam (Chege), Ben (Bouwman), and David Rumsey are an awesome trio and proved this again on Friday,” said fifth-year head coach Doug Yoder. “They are not only running strong but extremely smart. They do not get sucked in to the early race flurry of going out fast and they run very patient and wait for the right time to take charge of the race.” Chege, from Nairobi, Kenya, led the way as he ran an average 5:21 mile to finish in 26:36.53. It was the third individual title for the senior...

OCT. 9 — Season Wraps Up In MCC Tournament Quarterfinals

9 Oct 2009 17:50:47 EST

Maple Leafs Finish Difficult 2008 Season In Conference Tournament
Complete Tournament Results MARION, Ind. – After finishing the Mid-Central College Conference round robin season without a team win and drawing two No. 1 seeds as opponents in the conference tournament, the Maple Leafs women’s tennis team knew it faced an extremely tough task. Despite playing some of their best tennis of the season, the Maple Leafs were unable to post any team points and finished the 2008 MCC Championships tied for eighth-place with the University of St. Francis. Indiana Wesleyan won the team event with 25 points, while Taylor came in second with 11. The top four players/pairs throughout the season – based on record – at each position (1-6 singles, 1-3 doubles) received seeds, while the remaining four entries were randomly drawn to face the seeded players. At No. 1 singles, sophomore Rachel Lanctot narrowly...

OCT. 9-11 — Leafs Take Third At Mid-Central Conference Tourney

9 Oct 2009 17:55:56 EST

Sashi Sabanathan, Joel King Named To All Conference Team
UPLAND and MARION, Ind. – The Maple Leafs men’s tennis team caught fire the second half of the season and that momentum carried them straight into this weekend’s Mid-Central College Conference Championships. Goshen finished the tournament with seven points and finished tied for third place. “The guys did a great job to finish off the season,” said tenth-season head coach Stan King. “We had hoped we would reach a higher level in the tournament than we finished round robin play with (5th place), and our third-place finish certainly met, and perhaps exceeded those expectations.” The single elimination tournament was divided into flights for each position (1-6 singles and 1-3 doubles) and awarded a point for each win, regardless of round or position. The top four players/pairs in each flight were awarded seeds with the remaining four players randomly drawn...

Oct. 7 — After Pre-Match Festivities, Leafs Go To Work In 3-0 Win

7 Oct 2008 15:28:04 EST

Goshen Dispatches Grace Following Pink Out Night For Breast Cancer
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Pre-game festivities brought the two teams together, but once the match begun, the powerful attack of the Maple Leafs clearly separated them from host Grace College in a 25-17, 25-17, 25-20 Tuesday night. Throughout the month of October, each of the nine Mid-Central College Conference members will host a "PINK OUT" night to raise awareness and support for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. Teams will wear specially designed pink uniforms, coaches and officials alike will be clad in pink, and fans can purchase pink t-shirts will all funds at gate receipts going to the charity. Tuesday's night's match was Grace's host evening with the Maple Leafs in town. Goshen's Pink Out night will be Wednesday, October 22 when they host Bethel College. "We took photos with Grace's team ...

OCT. 7 — Late, Tying Goal Almost Didn't Happen At Spring Arbor

7 Oct 2008 16:09:11 EST

Stiffney Puts in Equalizer After Game Clock Went Off Prematurely
SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – With Goshen down 1-0 and time running out, the official game clock flashed 00:00 and sounded the end of the match. Except ninety minutes had not yet been played. The head referee had to keep the final minute and a half on his watch after the clock went off. And that minute and a half proved to be one of the biggest ninety seconds in the Maple Leafs season. Off a Spring Arbor goal kick, freshman Dan Martin rose high in the air to win a header. Sophomore Bo Grant ran onto the ball from 45 yards out and dribbled toward the goal before dishing off to junior Kyle Stiffney. Stiffney out ran his defender, held him off, and calmly sent the ball past a charging Cougar goalie for the equalizer. The final-minute equalizer sent the match into overtime where neither team could find the net, which resulted in a 1-1 tie on ...

OCT. 4 — Leafs Overcome Obstacles For Win Over Defiance

4 Oct 2008 16:09:32 EST

Injuries, Sickness Don't Prevent Goshen Win To End Regular Season
GOSHEN, Ind. – On Saturday, in the middle of Homecoming Weekend, the Maple Leafs men's tennis team overcame various obstacles ending with a strong 6-3 win over Defiance College. With the win, Goshen finished the regular season with a 7-5 record. Between the brief absence of number three doubles member Jordan Kauffman, the mild knee injury of Sheldon Good, and Chanuk Algama playing with a cold, the Maple Leafs were forced to make several late judgment calls in the lineup. This left coach Stan King unsure with the match’s outcome. Alongside the issues encountered “I didn’t know what to expect because the Defiance men’s team is out of season,” said King of his opponent, whose main season in NCAA DIII comes in the spring. The injury did affect Good’s performance in that “it definitely made me less mobile,” said Good. After competing in doubles, Good...

OCT. 4 — Players, Coaches Gather To Celebrate 50th Season

4 Oct 2008 16:09:11 EST

Reception Honors The Past, Celebrates The Future Of Leafs Program
Photo Gallery | Historical Timeline and Photos GOSHEN, Ind. – "What happened on this field, there is something very special to it, something that brings us together like nothing else could." The words of long-time Goshen College soccer player and follower, Galen Graber, resonated with young and old in the crowd as the program officially celebrated its 50th anniversary season with a pre-game reception on Saturday. "It is amazing how much detail is remembered and how vivid those memories are for these guys even down to specific goals," said Athletic Director Tim Demant. "They all have a story to tell." Their stories were told as all but one living coach was in attendance along with players from the original 1958 squad, the current Maple Leafs, and virtually every step in between. Friendships were renewed...

OCT. 4 — Second-Consecutive Singles Sweep For Goshen

4 Oct 2008 16:09:39 EST

Leafs Finish Regular Season With Easy 8-1 Win Over Defiance
GOSHEN, Ind. – Despite the blinding sun, Goshen College continued to make up for its slow start to the season as they went head-to-head against Defiance College at home, making the alumni proud for Homecoming weekend. The Maple Leafs repeated their victory over Anderson last Wednesday by dominated Defiance on the court, sweeping away the competition with a final score of 8-1. This win brings their record for the season to 3-9. Given last years match against Defiance ending 7-2 Goshen, Maple Leafs coach Sarah Yoder felt confident of her team's chances. The only struggle throughout the matched seemed to come from number one doubles team of Rachel Lanctot and Summer Hasan. This escalating match all came down to an intense tie breaker resulting in a 9-8 (14-12) loss for Lanctot and Hasan. &ldquo...

OCT. 3 — Chege Wins 8K At Great Lakes; Leafs Take Second

3 Oct 2008 16:10:07 EST

Senior Posts 15th Fastest Time In Program History; Bouwman Close Behind
ADRIAN, Mich. — Two weeks after shocking many in the NAIA with a seventh-place finish at the highly competitive Midwest Collegiate's (click here for related article), the Goshen College men's cross country team was back at it again, finished second at the Great Lakes Short and Long Course Championships. The unique event provided a nice mid-season change up for the Maple Leafs. The format essentially split each squad into two teams, with one running a short race (5K) and the other a long course (8K). The overall competition would combine the top three scorers from each team for the school's overall tally. Excelling on the long course, Goshen picked up just 24 points in the 8K and totaled 73 total points to place second. Calvin College – perennially one of the top teams in NCAA DIII – won the event with 44 points, while Mid-Central College Conference foe Bethel College took third...

OCT. 3 — Goshen Beats St. Francis 2-0; Third-Straight MCC Shutout

3 Oct 2008 16:09:11 EST

Maple Leafs Have Found Rhythm As Conference Schedule Has Begun
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Over the past few seasons, the Goshen College men’s soccer team has had the innate ability to raise their level of play when it was most needed. Friday afternoon was no exception as the Maple Leafs worked for a very important 2-0 Mid-Central College Conference win at Saint Francis. “We knew going in that it would be a really tough test to play such a good side on the road,” said head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj about playing Saint Francis, who was undefeated until a loss to Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday. “It was a real testimony to our side to come out with this well-deserved and much needed victory.” In the process of winning the contest, Goshen kept several streaks in tact. The Maple Leafs have scored in exactly half of their contests in 2008 and in each of those games, Goshen has come out with a ...

Oct. 3 — Maple Leafs Make Quick Work Of Purdue- North Central

3 Oct 2008 16:10:00 EST

Goshen Takes Non-Conference Tilt 25-20, 25-23, 25-18
GOSHEN, Ind. – Coaches and fans often worry about how teams will do coming off a long break. The Maple Leaf volleyball team – returning to action after a ten-day layoff – quickly put those concerns to rest as they rolled off a 25-20, 25-23, 25-18 non-conference win over Purdue University – North Central. In fact, they began the match as if they had no rust at all. Goshen jumped to a fast 11-1 lead and while the rust eventually showed in some mistakes, the Leafs easily held on for a 25-20 win in the first set. Goshen pounded out 18 kills in the first set, hitting an incredible 50% as a team. "Overall I was pleased with the way we played against PNC," said fourth-year head coach Jewel Lehman. "Since our last match we changed the line-up around a bit, so players seemed to be getting used to the new places a bit...

OCT. 1 — Leafs Sweep Singles Matches In 8-1 Win Over Anderson

1 Oct 2008 16:09:39 EST

Goshen Set To Finish Regular Season On Saturday Against Defiance
GOSHEN, Ind. – Cold, windy weather – a day after a long night on the road following a rough match – could not slow down the Goshen College women's tennis team as they breezed past visiting Anderson University 8-1 Wednesday afternoon. "This was a great win for us tonight," said fourth-year head coach Sarah Yoder. "I was worried that we might be a little flat coming off a late night last night and a tough loss to Huntington." The Maple Leafs completed their Mid-Central College Conference schedule as they lost 0-9 at Huntington on Tuesday. Things got off to a much better start on Wednesday as Goshen cruised to 8-2 wins at both No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. In a rematch from the Goshen Doubles Invitational at the No. 1 spot ( click here for related article ), While the pair of Rachel Lanctot and Summer Hasan were not able to pull out a ...

OCT. 1 — Huge Improvements Lead To Win At Goshen Invite

1 Oct 2009 17:24:50 EST

Leafs Take Team Title In Final Event Of The Fall Season
Photo Gallery MILLERSBURG, Ind. – "There is no place like home," or "Home Sweet Home." Pick the phrase of your choice, but the Goshen College men's golf team lived by it as they showed dramatic improvement in the Goshen College Invitational on Friday afternoon. The familiarity of Timber Ridge Golf Club was just what the Leafs needed as they shot a 316, nearly forty strokes off their season best of 355 at the Grace College Invitational ( click here for related article ). "We have been improving each practice, so I expected the guys to play better today," said first-year head coach Josh Hire. "But for us to come out and play this well today was a very pleasant surprise." Leading the way for Goshen was junior Shawn Martz, who played the front nine at one-over before turning in...

OCT. 1 — Maple Leafs Posts Second-Consecutive MCC Shutout

1 Oct 2008 16:09:11 EST

Goshen Wins 2-0; First Home Victory Over Huntington Under Mounsithiraj
GOSHEN, Ind. – Considering the success of the Goshen College men's soccer team in recent years, it is surprising that Wednesday night's regular-season contest against Huntington University would provide any sort of historical significance for head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj. But, then again, you may not realize just how competitive and balanced the Mid-Central College Conference is year in and year out. With a 2-0 win Wednesday, the Maple Leafs won their first contest against the Foresters at the Goshen College Soccer Complex. Despite two MCC co-championships under Mounsithiraj, Goshen had posted just a 0-1-2 record at home against Huntington. Much like many of those other matches, the Maple Leafs came in as slight favorites, but Huntington did everything it could to frustrate Goshen early. "We started out moving the ball...

SEPT. 30 — Maple Leafs Continue To Roll With 5-4 Road Win

30 Sep 2008 16:09:33 EST

Goshen Gets Best Of Huntington, Finishes 5th In MCC Round Robin
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – When things start rolling with any sort of speed, it is hard to get them to stop. You don't have to tell Goshen College men's tennis opponent that. They have seen it first hand. Huntington University became latest in line to be caught by a suddenly powerful Maple Leaf squad as Goshen "rolled off" its fifth-straight victory Tuesday afternoon. "This was a very sweet win," an excited head coach Stan King said. "Not only did it give us a fifth-place finish in MCC (Mid-Central College Conference) round robin play, but we played some very good tennis, especially in singles, when we had to in order to take home a team win." The match concluded the Maple Leafs regular-season MCC schedule for 2008, with the conference tournament coming up at the conclusion of next week. A loss on Tuesday would have had Goshen finishing sixth, a spot...

SEPT. 30 — Maple Leafs Reach Out To Community Through Clinics

30 Sep 2008 01:09:47 EST

Goshen Players And Coaches Put On Clinics For Local Elementary Schools
GOSHEN, Ind. – At six-foot, eight-inches, senior Kyle Laker literally soars over typical elementary school kids. His shear size and strength is enough to get attention just by walking through the door. But on Tuesday – and throughout the month of September – the roughly two-to-three foot difference in height between Laker and the average elementary school student seemed far less drastic than normal. Why? Because Laker and his Maple Leaf teammates were there for something that transcends size, strength, or age: basketball. The Goshen College men’s basketball team has spent the past month – along with long and rigorous days of conditioning – traveling around to each of Goshen’s elementary schools putting on free basketball clinics. Tuesday’s clinics at Waterford Elementary and Parkside Elementary were just the latest in the line...

SEPT. 27 — Miller's Efficiency Leads To 1-0 Maple Leafs Win

27 Sep 2008 16:09:11 EST

Sophomore Heads In Game-Winner In 87th Minutes As Goshen Beats Grace
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The words talent, passion, skill, or energy are often used as a means to separate a win from a loss. One word that often gets overlooked is efficiency. Sophomore Jonathan Miller knows a bit about efficiency. He played just five minutes on Saturday and had just one touch on the ball. But that one touch happened to be a header into the back of the net giving the Maple Leafs a vital 1-0 win at Grace College. "With another beautiful afternoon for a soccer match, we were able to pick up this all important MCC road win," said eighth-year head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj. "It was a great TEAM win and everyone stepped up to get this result." Despite the low-scoring 1-0 score line, the Maple Leafs offense was in high gear. Goshen pounded out 18 shots – seven on goal – in the opening half alone...

SEPT. 27 — St. Francis Sneaks Past Maple Leafs 5-4

27 Sep 2008 16:09:40 EST

Goshen Battles, But Falls Just One Match Short Of Win
GOSHEN, Ind. – Coming off their first win of the 2008 season – a 8-1 decision over Bluffton University ( click here for related article ) – the Maple Leafs were hoping that some positive momentum would push them towards their first conference win of the year. Unfortunately, visiting St. Francis had other ideas as they snuck past Goshen 4-5 Saturday afternoon. "We knew heading into this match that it would be close as we had a lot of similar scores as St. Francis against common opponents," said fourth-year head coach Sarah Yoder. "The difference in the match came at doubles where St. Francis was able to win two spots and that gave them the edge." The Maple Leafs lone doubles victory came at the No. 3 spot where junior Hannah Groff and sophomore Chelsea Wampler won 8-4. "Hannah had a great day, teaming with...

SEPT. 26-27 — Maple Leafs Take On Large Crowd At Bethel Classic

26 Sep 2008 16:08:44 EST

Goshen Takes 13th At Tournament Featuring Eight MCC Squads
PLYMOUTH, Ind. – The Maple Leafs golf team got a good look at their conference opponents as they joined eight of the nine Mid-Central College Conference squads played in the Bethel College Classic at Indiana National. Cedarville University won the event after carding a two-day total of 609. Beyond them, the MCC was dominate, as conference schools took second through eighth place in the 14-team field. "The weekend was a bit of a struggle for us," said first-year head coach Josh Hire. "The course was set up extremely tough and all the scores were high." Goshen finished the two-day event at Swan Lake Golf Resort in 13th place with a total of 738. Sophomore's Taylor TenHarmsel and Phil Shenk led the Maple Leafs with two-rounds totals of 180. "I was very pleased with Taylor on Saturday," explained Hire...

SEPT. 25 — Maple Leafs Get First Win Of Season Versus Bluffton

25 Sep 2008 16:09:40 EST

Strong Doubles Play Leads Goshen To 8-1 Victory Over Visitors
GOSHEN, Ind. – It started with solid doubles play, continued with consistent singles action, and ended in the first Maple Leaf victory of the season. It took longer than they would have liked, but a very young Goshen College women's team got its first win of the season as defeated visiting Bluffton University Thursday afternoon. "This was a great win for us today," said fourth-year head coach Sarah Yoder. "Our schedule has been so front-loaded with tough conference matches, so this break from conference play was much needed. Everyone on the team today got a win." The Maple Leafs took control of the match from the outset taking convincing 8-1 and 8-0 decisions in the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles spots, respectively. Rachel Lanctot and Summer Hasan closed out the doubles play with an 8-4 win, their second consecutive win at the No. ...

SEPT. 24 — Goshen Moves To .500 With Fourth-Straight Victory

24 Sep 2008 16:09:33 EST

Maple Leafs Get Best Of Grace College In 6-3 Road Win
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The Maple Leaf’s continued their winning streak – now at four matches – by claiming victory over Grace College 6-3 Wednesday evening, bringing their record to 5-5. With their No. 1 doubles team being defeated 8-5, Goshen was off to a bit of a rough start. Refusing to back down, The Leafs' No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams instantly turned the match around with winning scores of 8-5, 8-1. “Our No. 2 team fell behind 3-4 and our top team struggled with consistency,” said Goshen’s Coach Stan King, “ No. 1 wasn’t able to get things together before losing 8-5, but No. 2 went on a 4-0 run to take an 8-5 win.” Re-enforcing the comeback was Sheldon Good, a senior from Telford, PA and Jordan Kauffman, a sophomore from Goshen. Despite a slightly injured Good, the duo dominated Grace with a final score of 8-1. &...

Sept. 24 — #22 IWU Leaves Bitter Taste In Maple Leafs' Mouths

24 Sep 2008 16:10:01 EST

Goshen Falls In Three After Having Set-Point In First Frame
GOSHEN, Ind. – Momentum in a volleyball match can turn in an instant. With set point in the first frame – against visiting NAIA #22 Indiana Wesleyan – the Leafs made a few miscues and could not close out the Wildcats. What was a huge confidence booster for the highly-ranked Indiana Wesleyan squad, did the exact opposite to an upstart Goshen team. It depleted them. The Wildcats went on for a straight-set 27-25, 25-21, 25-15 victory to stay undefeated early in Mid-Central College Conference play. The missed opportunity and subsequent loss left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Maple Leafs, so much so that it forced numerous players to stay more than an hour after the match was finished to start work on correcting their mistakes. "We started out very strong tonight," said head coach Jewel Lehman. "...

SEPT. 24 — Perfect Night For Goshen Ruined By Bethel

24 Sep 2008 16:09:11 EST

Own Goal Midway Through Second Half Deciding Factor
GOSHEN, Ind. – A beautiful fall night, a large and vocal crowd – although just short of the all-time attendance record of 1,700 which the Leafs were trying to break – and a highly competitive rivalry game all were on hand at the Goshen College Soccer Complex Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the only thing that could possibly damper the mood – a loss – did. And in excruciating fashion. Midway through the second half, visiting Bethel College got the lucky fortunes of a Goshen own goal to hold on for a 1-0 win. "What a beautiful night for soccer and what a tough way to lose a match," said eighth-year head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj. "Both teams deserved a win, but I had no idea it would be like that." After a bit of a slow start by Goshen, teams traded small opportunities throughout...

SEPT. 23 — Algama's Win At No. 5 Singles Seals Goshen Win

23 Sep 2008 16:09:33 EST

Maple Leafs Get First MCC Win Of Season At Marian College
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – It took some time and perservation, but the Maple Leafs men's tennis team received their first Mid-Central College Conference victory of the 2008 season on Tuesday in Marian. With a pair of 4-5 losses in conference earlier in the season, Goshen has been plagued by eradic play at the bottom of the lineup. This time around – after a slow start in doubles play – the No. 5 spot for the Leafs was able to save them from another defeat. "We were fortunate to get this 5-4 win as it easily could have been another loss for us," said tenth-year head coach Stan King. "It was disppointing to go into singles play down 1-2, due largely to not playing to the level we are capable of." The Maple Leafs picked up their play in singles to take four of the six matches and the overall team result. With the overall match tied at 4-4, the...

SEPT. 23 — Despite Wins At No. 1 Singles And Doubles, Leafs Fall

23 Sep 2008 16:09:40 EST

Goshen Still Looking For First Victory of 2008 After 7-2 Loss
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College women’s tennis team went head-to-head with Marian College, stepping up its game and looking for its first win of the season. Though they showed steady improvement throughout the match, the Maple Leafs fell short of bringing home the win, allowing Marian to walk away victorious with a final score of 7-2. Goshen started strong in doubles play with an extraordinary win from sophomore Rachel Lanctot and freshman Summer Hasan as they faced Marian’s Loriann Laugle and Michele Sizemore. With Hasan’s returns and Lanctot’s ability to drive her opponent to the line, Marian was slowly left behind. Ending the match, Hasan volleyed the ball into her opponents chest allowing Goshen’s number one doubles team to pick up their first win of the season with a final ...

SEPT. 20 — Goshen Builds Confidence With Goshen Invite Wins

20 Sep 2008 16:09:33 EST

Maple Leafs defeat Earlham College 9-0 and Grace College 7-2
Photo Gallery GOSHEN, Ind. – There is a lot that could be said about positive momentum and confidence in sports. The Goshen College men's tennis team got a huge chunk of both as they cruised to the team title at the Goshen College Invitational on Saturday. After losing five of their first six matches of the season, the Maple Leafs defeated visiting Earlham College 9-0 and Grace College 7-2 as they hosted the three-team tournament. "It was great to get two wins today after only one in our first six matches," said tenth-year head coach Stan King. "I thought our guys played good tennis up and down the lineup, and I was pleased with the way we stayed focused even when match ups weren't very challenging." Perhaps the most exciting development for King and the Maple Leafs was the strong play of the No. 3 doubles pair of Sheldon Good and Jordan Kauffman...

SEPT. 20 — Leafs Serve Notice to MCC At Midwest Collegiate's

20 Sep 2008 16:10:07 EST

Goshen Finishes 7th While Chege First NAIA Runner To Cross Line
KENOSHA, Wis. — What was intended to be a preview of the NAIA National Championship course and a hopeful look at the future became much more for the Goshen College men's cross country team as they participated in the Midwest Collegiate Meet on Saturday. Going into Saturday's meet at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wis., the objective was to get some big meet experience and to see the national championship course, hoping that a Maple Leaf runner would be able to qualify later this season. Instead, Goshen served notice to the rest of the NAIA that they will be a force to be reckoned with. Senior Sam Chege led the charge as he finished seventh overall in a time of 26:25. Chege's finish was the top among NAIA runners and ahead of perennial powers Josh Foss (26:36) of Indiana Wesleyan and Wes Muller (26:38) of Cornerstone University. "We had a great...

Sept. 20 — Goshen Finishes Manchester Tournament At 2-2

20 Sep 2008 16:10:01 EST

Maple Leafs Lose A Pair of Heart-Breaking Five Set Matches
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – When a team plays four matches in two days against multiple opponents, they often struggle to play consistently at the highest level possible. Such was the case for the Goshen College volleyball team as they went 2-2 at the Manchester College Tournament over the weekend. After opening the tournament with an easy three-set win over Calumet College, the Maple Leafs went on to lose a pair of heart-breaking five-set contests against Alma College and Huntington University. The Maple Leafs rebounded Saturday afternoon with another straight-set win over host, Manchester College. Sophomore Peni Acayo continued her early assault, pounded out 53 kills in just three matches played while being named to the all tournament team. vs. Calumet College: 25-23, 25-18, 25-17 Win The Leafs got off to a great...

SEPT. 19-20 — Leafs Take On Two Of The Nations Best

19 Sep 2008 16:09:11 EST

Goshen Drops Contests To #7 Southern Nazarane and #19 Mid-Continent
GOSHEN, Ind. – There is little chance of competing with the best teams in the nation when the postseason comes if you have no experience against top teams during the regular season. In fact, with the talent and depth of the Mid-Central College Conference, the chances of the Maple Leafs men's soccer team even making it to the postseason are slim without the experience of a brutal non-conference schedule. That is exactly why Goshen spent the past weekend at the Bethel College Tournament. Despite two losses, the Maple Leafs played two national ranked quads and gained valuable experience heading into this week's MCC opener. Goshen opened the tournament on Friday against NAIA #7 Southern Nazarene University, taking them into overtime before falling 0-1. "Coming into the match against the number seven team in the country was...

Sept. 16 — Mental Toughness Leads Goshen To Road Win

16 Sep 2008 16:10:00 EST

Leafs Take Long 25-22, 25-22, 25-27, 28-30, 15-8 Decision From Huntington
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – It took a hour and a half bus ride each way, five long sets, and a lot of grit and determination, but the Maple Leafs got their first Mid-Central College Conference win of the season in a 25-22, 25-22, 25-27, 28-30, 15-8 win over host Huntington University Tuesday night. After starting the conference season with a tough three-set loss to defending MCC co-champions Taylor University ( click here for related article ), Goshen came out strong against Huntington to open a two-set lead. "We played fairly well the first two games. We were a bit ahead for most of the games and did a good job of pushing through to the end," explained fourth-year head coach Jewel Lehman. "They had a lot of rowdy fans in the gym, but our players stayed focused most of the time. Mentally, we are much tougher than last year." ...

SEPT. 16 — Leafs Start Fast, Hold On For Win Over Manchester

16 Sep 2008 16:09:11 EST

Goshen Nets Three In First Half In 3-2 Non-Conference Win At Home
GOSHEN, Ind. – "A Tale of Two Halves" could have been the title of a book detailing the events of Tuesday night's match between Goshen and Manchester. First Half: Pumped full of energy for their home crowd, the Goshen College Maple Leafs scored just eleven minutes in and added two more first half goals to open a huge 3-0 halftime lead. "What a great start for us this evening," eighth-year head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj said. "We came out with lot of intensity and energy and we created lots of chances and shots on goal in the first half." Goshen controlled possession from the start with a smooth, short passing game. In fact, the Spartans of Manchester had no substantial possession in the Leafs half of the pitch during the first 15 minutes of the match. Possession does little good, however...

SEPT. 16 — Leafs Battle Through First Two Events Of Season

16 Sep 2008 16:08:44 EST

Inexperienced Squad Takes To Links In Fort Wayne and Warsaw
FORT WAYNE and WARSAW, Ind. – After taking over as the head coach late this summer, Josh Hire knew that things would be tough early on. Hire's goals for this season have been focused on improving each day, having fun, and beginning the building process of a program that has been struggling the past few years. Hire has taken over a team which finished eighth at the 2007 Mid-Central College Tournament, saw four-year head coach Cory Furman depart in October, and came together this fall with little knowledge of the coach, and visa versa. A large task, but one that Hire has taken on with dedication and passion. Hire and his Maple Leafs squad finally got their first chance to compete as they took part in invitationals at St. Francis University and Grace College in the past week. At the St. Francis Invitational on Thursday the Leafs ...

SEPT. 15-16 — Two MCC Matches In Two Days Too Much For Leafs

15 Sep 2008 16:09:32 EST

Goshen Falls 0-9 To Indiana Wesleyan, 4-5 To Bethel College
MARION, Ind. and GOSHEN, Ind. – Two tough Mid-Central College Conference matches in the span of two days – after limited time on the courts for the past few days due to poor weather – proved to be a bit too much for the Goshen College men's tennis team as they dropped matches to Indiana Wesleyan (0-9 on Monday) and Bethel College (4-5 on Tuesday). Monday's contest at Indiana Wesleyan pitted the Maple Leafs against the first-place Cougars and Goshen quickly found out why they are undefeated in MCC play. "They set the tone for the match in doubles play, taking handily all three doubles matches," said tenth-year head coach Stan King. "They proceeded to the singles matches where they continued their strong play." The closest match of the day was at No. 2 singles where junior Joel King battled before falling 5-7, 3-6. "Joel played very competitively...

SEPT. 15-16 — Lanctot Wins First Match At Top Singles Spot

15 Sep 2008 16:09:39 EST

Sophomore Has Played Well At Spot After Playing No. 3 Singles in 2007
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College women’s tennis team faced Bethel College at home on Tuesday, hoping to claim its first win of the season. Though weather conditions proved better than previous matches, Bethel finished strong with a score of 8-1 leaving Goshen 0-6 for the season. An unexpected illness of newcomer Belane Wondimu may have slightly hindered Goshen’s performance. According to Head Coach Sarah Yoder, Freshman Wondimu was scheduled to compete in both singles and doubles. Due to her absence, quick adjustments were made in the lineup. Freshman Menan Assefa was chosen as a last minute replacement for Wondimu’s doubles match. Though the match was lost, Menan “did a great job”, said Yoder. The highlight of Tuesday’s match was Sophomore Rachel Lanctot’s 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Bethel’...

SEPT. 13 — Depth Key To Leafs Win At Defiance Invitational

13 Sep 2008 16:10:07 EST

Five Goshen Runners Finish In Top 10 At First Traditional Meet
GOSHEN, Ind. — Last season, depth and balance carried the Maple Leafs men's cross country team to a fourth-place Mid-Central College Conference finish. On Saturday, Goshen showed that depth will again be a major factor in its success as five Maple Leafs finished in the top ten and Goshen took the team title at the Defiance College Invitational. "We had a very good start to our regular season meets," said fifth-year head coach Doug Yoder. "Obviously winning the overall team title and having swept the one through three spots is awesome." The Maple Leafs made things look easy – despite the wet, muddy, and sloppy conditions – as they had the first three across the finish line. Senior Sammy Chege won the event in 28:12, while junior Ben Bouwman was just a second behind to finish second (28:13). Senior David Rumsey took third in a time of 28:37 to become the third Goshen...

SEPT. 11 — Rain Shortens Match, Doesn't Stop Leafs From Win

11 Sep 2008 16:09:32 EST

Goshen Sweeps Manchester 7-0, Gets Surprise Visit
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – Rain could not possibly dampen the spirits of the Goshen College men's tennis team Thursday afternoon. And why would it? the Maple Leafs were able to finish enough matches to get their first win of the young season, a 7-0 sweep over host Manchester College. Add to that a surprise visit by Goshen College President Jim Brenneman and the Leafs barely felt a drop of the rain that eventually ended the match early. "The team has been hungry for its first win of the season, so this one was special," tenth-year head coach Stan King said. "The players also felt very honored to be visited by President Brenneman who stopped by to watch part of the match and visit with the players." Brenneman had meetings during the day at Indiana Wesleyan and made a detour to watch the Leafs play before heading back to Goshen. On the court, things got off to a fast...

SEPT. 11 — Maple Leafs Can't Find Answer To Strong IWU Squad

11 Sep 2008 16:09:39 EST

Lanctot Continues Transition From #3 to #1 Singles Spot For Goshen
GOSHEN, Ind. – A strong and deep Indiana Wesleyan University team was too much for the Maple Leafs women's tennis team to handle as Goshen lost 0-9 to the Cougars Thursday afternoon. "They have an outstanding team," said Sarah Yoder, who is in her fourth season as head coach of the Maple Leafs. "Their depth was just too much for us today," she added of the Indiana Wesleyan squad, which has lost just three individual matches in running off a perfect 4-0 Mid-Central College Conference record. The best match of the day for the Maple Leafs came at the No. 1 singles spot where Rachel Lanctot lost a 6-4, 6-0 contest to Julia Hedgebeth. "Rachel played a great match," explained Yoder. "She was neck and neck with Hedgebeth throughout the whole first set. It was an impressive match as they both exchanged powerful, ...

Sept. 10 — Leafs Give Defending Co-Champions Tough Test

10 Sep 2008 16:10:00 EST

Goshen Falls In Three To Taylor, Earns Respect In Process
GOSHEN, Ind. – Head coach Jewel Lehman knew that hosting defending Mid-Central College Conference Co-Champions Taylor University would be a tough task for her team as they opened their conference campaign. She was right, but the Maple Leafs fought tenaciously, giving the visiting Trojans all the could handle in a 19-25, 20-25, 24-26 defeat. "We were in the first two sets up until about 15-18 points and then we let them get a bit of a run," said Lehman, who is in her fifth season at the helm. "Against a tough team like Taylor there is little margin for let down." An experienced Taylor squad used superb passing and efficiency to make runs late in the first two sets. With Taylor simply not making mistakes, the margin of error was extremely slim for the Maple Leafs and despite some strong defensive efforts...

SEPT. 9 — Third Set Not Friendly To Leafs In Loss

9 Sep 2008 16:09:40 EST

Wampler, Groff Continue Solid Doubles Play
GOSHEN, Ind. – Sometimes things just do not go your way. Today was one of those days for the Goshen College women's tennis team. A trio of three-set matches went the way of visiting Indiana Tech as the Leafs could only manage one point in losing the overall match at the Goshen College Tennis Complex Tuesday afternoon. "It was a disapointing day for us," said Sarah Yoder, who is in her fourth year as the head coach. "We just were not able to win the important points when we needed to." The Leafs played much better throughout the lineup taking three of the matches to three sets, including two set tiebreakers. Perhaps the match of the day, sophomore Chelsea Wampler lost the first set 6-7 (7-2) in the tiebreaker, then bounced back for a 6-4 win in the second set before finally falling 4-6 in the deciding set in the No. 6 singles...

SEPT. 9 — Sabanathan Wins Three-Set Thriller; Leafs Fall

9 Sep 2008 16:09:33 EST

Goshen Continues To Show Improvements Early In Season
GOSHEN, Ind. – Coaches, players, opponents, and fans alike can recognize the potential of the Goshen College men's tennis team. It will take a while to see what that potential will result in as a young team continues to find its form. Despite a 1-8 loss to Indiana Tech on Tuesday, the Maple Leafs were able to show glimpses of that potential as they played some of their best tennis of the early season. "It is never nice to lose, but we lost to a strong team and I was pleased with our play in most matches," said tenth-year head coach Stan King. For the second-consecutive match, sophomore Sashi Sabanathan went the distance in the No. 1 singles spot. Only three days after losing to the defending MCC champion in three sets ( click here for related articl e), Sabanathan came out on top in another epic match: a 6-4, 4-6, 10-4 win for the Columbo, Sri Lanka native. Despite...

SEPT. 6 — Maple Leafs Outmatched By Strong Taylor Squad

6 Sep 2008 16:09:40 EST

Young Goshen Team Can't Knock Off Undefeated Trojans
UPLAND, Ind. – A very young and inexperienced Goshen College women’s team was overmatched by undefeated Taylor University 9-0 on Saturday. “Taylor has a very strong team, top to bottom,” said head coach Sarah Yoder. “Our closest matches came at No. 4 and No. 5 singles as well as No. 3 doubles. On another day these matches could have gone our way.” The closest singles match of the day came in the No. 5 spot where freshman Laura Krabill was looking for her second win in two collegiate singles matches. The Tiskilwa, Ill. native battled, but fell just short in a 4-6, 5-7 defeat to Kelly King. At the top of the singles rotation, the Trojans simply had too much firepower for the young Maple Leafs, which have just one upperclassman on the roster. “Taylor has one of the ...

SEPT. 6 — Super Subs Play Huge Role In 4-1 Victory For Leafs

6 Sep 2008 16:09:11 EST

Goshen Gets First Win As Substitutes Score Three Times
GOSHEN, Ind. – "We need to play our system, to play our style of soccer." Head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj kept pounded those words into his team. And tonight, they got the message. On a picture-perfect fall night, the Maple Leafs played their style of game, which included patiently knocking the ball around, creating scoring chances, and putting away the opponent. On this night, it resulted in a 4-1 win over visiting Cornerstone University. The win could not have come at a better time for Goshen as it snapped a three-game skid to start the season. "It was a big win for us," said Mounsithiraj, who added, "The pressure of winning starts to build up on the guys and it is nice to get things going in the right direction." From the opening moments of the match, you could sense a change in the Leafs...

SEPT. 6 — Leafs Play Better Despite Loss To Taylor University

6 Sep 2008 16:09:33 EST

Last Year's Champions Sweep Past Goshen Men
GOSHEN, Ind. – The 2007 Mid-Central College Conference team and individual champions were on display as Taylor University swept past the Leafs Saturday afternoon. “Though we were blanked in this one, I felt like we played better tennis as a team than we did in our last outing against Spring Arbor,” said tenth-year head coach Stan King. “We were reasonably competitive in all our matches except one of the singles matches.” The Trojans got things off to a solid start after taking all three doubles matches by 8-4 scores. The Leafs battled in each contest, but the experience of a conference champion team allowed Taylor to make runs to put Goshen away. “Taylor certainly has a solid team, and could easily be our stiffest conference opponent this year,” added Yoder. After dropping the first set 6-2, junior Joel King made a nice run...

Sept. 5-6 — Goshen Goes 2-2 At Chicago Crossover Challenge

5 Sep 2008 16:10:01 EST

Leafs Continue To Prove They Can Compete With The Best
CHICAGO, Ill. – Another weekend tournament for the Maple Leafs and another solid overall performance against top-notch competition. While Goshen was only able to pull out a 2-2 record at last weekend's Chicago Crossover Challenge hosted jointly by Saint Xavier University and Illinois Tech, the Leafs were able to continue to prove to themselves and the competition that they can play with the best of them. After starting the Cornerstone Tournament a week ago with a bang – a 3-1 win over nationally ranked Walsh College ( click here for related article ) – this weekend's tournament started on a different note: a 25-26, 27-29, 11-25, 20-25 loss to Trinity International University. "We started out the match strong, taking the first game by a fair margin," explained fourth-year head coach Jewel Lehman. "The second...

SEPT. 3 — Beautiful Night Had Everything But A Win For Leafs

3 Sep 2008 16:09:11 EST

Goshen Falls To Olivet Nazaren 2-0, 0-3 Early In Season
GOSHEN, Ind. – In front of the typical packed house and a breeze that cooled off an otherwise hot and muggy day, it turned into a beautiful night for the ‘beautiful game’ at the Goshen College Soccer Complex Wednesday night. The beautiful night extended all the way until the 62nd minute when visiting Olivet Nazarene University broke the scoreless tie before holding on for a 2-0 win. The win kept the Tigers undefeated at 3-0, while Goshen is looking for their first win early in the season. “This was a tough loss for us tonight playing a home opener against a very good ONU side,” said eighth-year head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj. “In the first half, I though we did a great job keeping them off the scoreboard, but we were struggling a little with their size and speed. We just can not get anything going on the front third and spend ...

SEPT. 2 — Singles Play Dooms Leafs Against Spring Arbor

2 Sep 2008 16:09:33 EST

Goshen Wins 2-of-3 In Doubles, But Falls 4-5 Overall In Season-Opener
Goshen, Ind. – Winning two of the three doubles matches to start the contest was a good sign, but the Maple Leafs struggled in singles play as they dropped a narrow 5-4 decision to visiting Spring Arbor University on Tuesday. The match was the official home, Mid-Central Conference, and season opener for Goshen who will look to regroup before hosting Taylor on Saturday. “It was a disappointing way to start the season, but hopefully we can bounce right back,” said head coach Stan King, who is in his tenth season at the helm of the Maple Leafs. “Hopefully, we can benefit from the lesson’s learned today.” Things got off to a great start for Goshen as Sashi Sabanathan and Chanuk Algama paired up for an 8-4 win in the No. 1 doubles spot, while Joel King and Aaron Sutter won by the same score at No. 2 doubles. Down 3-7 in the final doubles match, Sheldon Good and...

SEPT. 2 — MCC Season Gets Underway At Spring Arbor

2 Sep 2008 16:09:40 EST

Leafs Fall 2-7 In First Head-To-Head Competition Of Year
Goshen, Ind. – Just three days ago, first-year players were going through New Student Orientation on the same day as their first collegiate competition – the Goshen College Doubles Invitational. Three short days and the Maple Leaf women’s tennis team were back at it again. This time around, they traveled to Spring Arbor, Michigan for their Mid-Central Conference opener after attending classes on the first full day of the semester. It certainly has been a whirlwind start to the semester and season. In the conference opener for both squads, Spring Arbor was able to pull out a trio of three-set victories in singles play to win the match outright 7-2. Despite the score line, it was a solid first outing for the young Maple Leafs, who feature just one upperclassman. “This was a great first match for us as the match was within...

AUG. 30 — Leafs Take Third At Goshen's Hokem Karem

30 Aug 2008 16:10:06 EST

Another Deep Goshen Squad Looks For Another Solid Season
Photo Gallery GOSHEN, Ind. — The Maple Leaf men's squad could not repeat its first-ever win in the Goshen College Hokum Karem from a year ago ( click here for related article ), but they were able to post a strong overall performance in their first event of the year. For the second-consecutive season, fifth-year head coach Doug Yoder has fielded a deep roster of 16 men. A season ago, that depth was key to the Leafs entire season – including a fourth-place finish at the conference championships – and that depth will again be a major factor in the 2008 season. It should come as no surprise to Goshen fans that leading the way on Saturday was 2007 All Mid-Central Conference selection Ben Bouwman. The junior teamed with senior David Rumsey to take third place overall in a time of 51:02.00. In the unique event, runners pair up with a teammate and alternate running one-mile increments...

AUG. 30-31 — Partial Squad Warms Up At Blueberry Festival

30 Aug 2008 16:09:32 EST

Top Four Maple Leafs Get In Early Action At Local Tournament
Plymouth, IN — It was not the typical collegiate team match that they are familiar with, but for head coach Stan King and his Maple Leafs, they wouldn't mind getting used to the results they saw this weekend at the Blueberry Festival. The top four members of the 2008 squad took their games to the local tournament as a warm up for the start of Mid-Central Conference schedule and came away with 7-4 records in singles play and a 3-2 mark in doubles matches. Both those marks are numbers that would spell success in head-to-head conference match ups. Goshen will need to repeat that success in order to compete in the top half of the conference standings with MCC action beginning on Tuesday. "This two-day tournament was a good way to get going into the season for our top four players," said King. "We played solid tennis, while staying focused in spite of all the festival activities...

AUG 30 — Day Of First As Maple Leafs Host Doubles Invitational

30 Aug 2008 16:09:39 EST

Four Freshman Take Part In New Student Days, First Collegiate Competition
Photo Gallery GOSHEN, Ind. — Saturday was a day of firsts for half of the Maple Leaf women's tennis team, and it made for a long day at that. With four of the eight players on the 2008 roster being first-year students, half of Goshen's student-athletes spent part of their day taking part in New Student Days activities and the other part playing in their first collegiate matches. The first in line at 8:30 a.m. to make it through registration lines, freshmen Summer Hasan, Menan Assefa, Laura Krabill, and Lindsay Goodman rushed to the tennis courts to prepare for the annual Goshen Doubles Invitational. They were on the courts shortly after, warming up for a 10:30 a.m. start. After playing three doubles matches – with a quick snack in between – the Leafs were back on their way to attend meetings and...

AUG 29-30 — Mounsithiraj, Leafs Not Panicking After Slow Start

29 Aug 2008 16:09:11 EST

Maple Leafs Drop First Two Contests Of 2008 To Calvin And Hope
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A little bit of irony, a long line of players and staff, and a ton of hard work went into Friday's season-opener for the Goshen College men's soccer team. Countless players, coaches, and staff have contributed to the fifty years of Goshen College Soccer. It seemed quite fitting, then, that fifty years after Goshen lost their first-ever match to Calvin College in 1958, the Maple Leafs were right back where it all started to kick off the 2008 season. That 1958 team played just two official matches, so it seems odd that just two days into the season, the 2008 version already has the same record as that first squad finished, 0-2. Current head coach Thavisak Mounsithiraj is not panicking after his team opened up with back-to-back losses against Calvin College and Hope College. As any coach would, Mounsithiraj realizes that...

AUG. 29 — 2008 Season Preview: The 50-Year Tradition

29 Aug 2008 16:09:11 EST

Can Leafs Make It 20 Conference Titles In Golden Year?
GOSHEN, Ind. – With 19 Mid-Central College Conference titles, winning has become more than just a dream for the Goshen College men’s soccer team. It has become an expectation. After back-to-back co-championships in 2005 and 2006, the 2007 Maple Leafs fell just short of making it three straight – although they did manage to make a postseason run that ended in the NAIA Region VIII Championship game. Head Coach Tavi Mounsithiraj and his 2008 squad are focused on regaining their championship swagger in what is the 50th Anniversary of the program. “Every year we go in with the goal to finish first in the conference standings and put ourselves in good position to win the conference tournament,” explained Mounsithiraj, the eighth-year head of the Leafs. They will have to do it without one of the deadliest strikers in the history...

Aug. 29-30 — Leafs Make Huge Splash In Opening Tournament

29 Aug 2008 16:10:00 EST

3-1 Record Includes Win Over #17 Walsh; Acayo Named All Tournament
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Maple Leaf volleyball team wasted little time making a statement of what they are capable of in 2008. Returning most of the key parts from the first winning season in three years, expectations around the Goshen College volleyball program were higher than in most years. But few expected quite what the Maple Leafs had in store as they defeated NAIA #17 Walsh College in their season-opener and went on to a 3-1 record at the Cornerstone Classic this weekend. On strength of game record and point ratio, the Leafs took 2nd place in the ten-ten tournament, which featured national ranked Walsh as well as Malone College and host Cornerstone who both received votes in the NAIA preseason poll. Talk about turning some heads. A team that wasn't picked to finish in the top five in the Mid-Central Conference takes out some of the ...

AUG 28 — 2008 Season Preview: Youth Is Served

28 Aug 2008 16:09:39 EST

Young Squad Fills Holes Left By Graduating Seniors
GOSHEN, Ind. — How often have you heard someone say, “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Much like any other athletic program, as the Goshen College women’s tennis program transitions from 2007 to 2008, there definitely is a bit of both. The bad news: The Maple Leafs graduated their top two singles players in Diana Diaz and Laurelyn Foderaro. The pair also teamed up to play at the number one doubles spot for Goshen. “Diana and Laurelyn not only held those top spots,” said fourth-year head coach Sarah Yoder, “they were highly successful there, bringing in a lot of team points.” In fact, the pair accounted for the lone Maple Leafs points at the 2007 Mid-Central Conference Championships. Foderaro reached the championship round at the No. 2 singles spot and the paired up for a second-place finish at ...

Aug. 27 — 2008 Season Preview: On The Brink

27 Aug 2008 16:10:00 EST

2008 Team Looks To Continue Progression From Strong '07 Season
The 2007 season was a momentous one for the Goshen College volleyball program. The Maple Leafs had their first winning season since a 17-15 finish in 2004, while also picking up more conference wins than in the two previous seasons combined. What may prove to be the most important part of a solid 2007 campaign was how it sets the tone for the future of the program. The 2008 version of the Maple Leafs returns five starters, including all three players who received post-season recognition from the very strong Mid-Central College Conference. Head Coach Jewel Lehman has not settled for the status quo as she had gone out and recruiting several impact players that will enter the rotation immediately. “We combine a strong core of leaders along with four new players who are working hard and stepping up their game...

AUG. 12 – Keister Announces 2008-09 Recruiting Class

12 Aug 2008 14:59:56 EST

This Year's Crop Features Four Locals, Blend of Pitchers and Hitters
2009 Signing Photos GOSHEN, Ind. – Looking to add some young talent to a crop of players that has gained valuable experience in the past two seasons, Goshen College Head Baseball Coach Josh Keister announced his 2008-09 recruiting class on Tuesday. “I’m extremely excited about this year’s incoming class,” explained Keister. “We have a good mix of local kids as well as some guys from new areas that we haven’t recruited from before. The class is well balanced with a good mix of pitchers and position players.” The class includes four local standouts in Goshen’s Jon Sevison, Jimtown’s Jason Crocker, Shane Davis of Elkhart Memorial and Andrew Shields, who graduated from West Noble in 2007. Crocker and Davis will step in immediately to compete for jobs in the starting rotation, while Sevison and Shields...

JULY 28 — Mounsithiraj Adds To 2008 Class With Frederick

28 Jul 2008 16:09:11 EST

Incoming crop to near dozen as Leafs look to return to national tournament
GOSHEN, Ind. – Two seasons ago Coach Mounsithiraj and the Maple Leafs got their first taste of the NAIA National Tournament since the 1977 season. A win away from a second-consecutive appearance last year, Goshen desperately wants to get back this fall. To those ends, Coach Mounsithiraj has brought another bit of tradition and talent to the 2008 squad with the signing of Bloomington High School North standout Charlie Frederick. A three-year starter for the Cougars, Frederick was captain and named all conference his senior season while leading North to that state semifinals. In his three seasons, the Cougars won three regional championships and made three semi-state appearances. "Charlie played on a very good high school team and a very good club team," explained Mounsithiraj. "He has a great knowledge of the game and best of all ...

JULY 17 — Josh Hire Selected As New Head Golf Coach

17 Jul 2008 16:08:44 EST

Local PGA Professional Takes Helm of Men's Program
GOSHEN, Ind. – Local Professional Golf Association of America (PGA) head professional Josh Hire has been selected as the new Head Men’s Golf Coach at Goshen College, Athletic Director Tim Demant announced Thursday. “I am extremely excited to have Josh join our staff,” said Demant who began work at the head of the Maple Leafs earlier this month. “His experience, character, and desire to impact the live of our student-athletes will be a tremendous asset to them and our program.” Hire has spent the past three-plus years as the head professional at Timber Ridge Golf Club in Millersburg, Indiana, which has served as the host to the Goshen College Invitational. “I look forward to fostering integrity, honesty, and hard work in young adults through the Goshen College golf program,&rdquo...

JUNE 20 — Chupp Names Neal Young Assistant Coach

20 Jun 2008 16:08:30 EST

Former Anderson University Standout Joins Coaching Staff
GOSHEN, Ind. – Former Anderson University and Delta High School (Muncie, Ind.) standout Neal Young has been named an assistant coach for the Goshen College men’s basketball program, head coach Gary Chupp announced Tuesday. "I am excited to have Neal join our basketball program as one of our assistant coaches,” said Chupp. “Throughout the interview process, Neal stood out on a lot of different levels. He brings a tremendous passion for teaching the game of basketball that is contagious, and I have no doubt that he will make an immediate contribution, both on and off the court." Young has had one-year stints as a men’s basketball administrative assistant at Anderson University, head coach in the 17 and 16-under divisions of the Anderson Heat AAU program, and as an advance scout for Mid-Central Conference foe Indiana Wesleyan University. &...

JUNE 20 — Leafs Finish Recruiting Class With Three More Additions

20 Jun 2008 19:59:47 EST

Pair of transfers and join volleyball, track star Herschberger for 2008-09
GOSHEN, Ind. —Goshen College women's basketball coach Steve Wiktorowski has announced the commitments of three new players to the program. Joining next year's recruiting class will be transfers Rachel Allen from Danville Community College in Illinois and Erica Yost from MCC rival Huntington University. Allen will also participate on the women's track team for Coach Rick Clark. Former Fairfield High School standout Kelsey Herschberger , currently a member of the Goshen College volleyball and track teams, has also committed to play basketball next season. Allen is a 5'6” guard from Westport, IN, who scored over 1,000 points and set a school record in the 100-meter hurdles at South Decateur High School. Last season at Danville she averaged 4.5 points on 40% shooting and led the team in steals. She will have two years of eligibility remaining. ...

MAY 29 — Leafs Add Rebecca Staveteig To 2008-09 Roster

29 May 2008 16:08:41 EST

Illinois standout led team to three regional championship, 89-19 record
GOSHEN, Ind. — The good news keeps pouring in for the Goshen College women’s basketball program and head coach Steve Wiktorowski. Just a week after adding Anderson standout Stormy Holder (click here for related article) to the 2008-09 roster, Wiktorowski announced Thursday the signing of Rebecca Staveteig of McHendry, Ill. A 5’9” guard, Staveteig played three years of varsity ball at Johnsburg High School, which went 89-19 while winning three Fox Valley Conference and regional championships in her tenure. As a captain her senior year, Staveteig was named all conference, a McHenry County All-Star, and advanced to the state 3-point competition while leading Skyhawks to the state elite eight. "We feel very fortunate to pick up Rebecca late in the year.” Said Wiktorowski. “She doesn't have gaudy stats because she comes from a very successful ...

MAY 20 — Goshen Steals Two-Sport Star Stormy Holder

20 May 2008 16:08:41 EST

Holder to play basketball and softball for the Maple Leafs
GOSHEN, Ind. — A storm is coming. Fortunately, this storm is on the Maple Leafs side. Stormy Holder, a two-sport standout from Anderson Highland High School (Anderson, Ind.) has signed a national letter of intent to continue her basketball, softball, and academic careers at Goshen College as announced by head basketball coach Steve Wiktorowski on Monday. “We are very excited about Stormy committing to Goshen College and she should have an immediate impact on both our basketball and softball programs,’ explained Wiktorowski of Holder, who was recently named Anderson Highland Female Athlete of the Year. “I was attracted to Goshen College because of their very strong, established nursing program and also the incredible team chemistry I felt when getting to play with some of the girls from the basketball team,” explained Holder of her decision. “Goshen has...

MAY 16 — Yoder Adds Another Strong Player In Summer Hasan

16 May 2008 16:09:39 EST

Newton, Kansas star to join Maple Leafs in fall of 2008
GOSHEN, Ind. — A program that recently graduated two of the most successful players in school history – in Dianna Diaz and Laurelyn Foderaro – was certainly in need of some rebuilding, and quickly. Goshen College Head Women’s Tennis Coach Sarah Yoder has been able to do just that as she announced the signing of Summer Hasan to a national letter of intent on Friday. The signing of Hasan, from Newton, Kans., comes just over a week after the news of Illinois standout Laura Krabill officially joined the Maple Leafs ( click here for related article). “Summer brings a wealth of tennis experience both on her high school team as well as in USTA (United States Tennis Association) competition,” explained Yoder. “With the loss of three key seniors this year, she will immediately...

MAY 2 — Leafs Land Former Northridge Star Justion 'Bo' Grant

2 May 2008 16:09:11 EST

Three-time All District performer signs with Goshen College
GOSHEN, Ind. – Looking to continue the winning tradition of the Goshen College men’s soccer program, head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj has announced the signing of former Northridge High School (Middlebury, Ind.) standout Justin ‘Bo’ Grant. “This is very exciting news to have Bo coming to Goshen after spending a semester at Indiana University,” said Mounsithiraj of Grant, who will be eligible to compete with high school teammate Luke Woodworth in the fall. “I think Grant will come in and compete for us right away.” The midfielder was a three-year starter for Northridge, who won the section and regional championships each of Grant’s three years as a starter. Leading the Raiders to three semi-state games, Grant was named All Northern Lake Conference three times and to the all-district team twice. &...

MAR. 31 — Yoder Announces Signing of David Horst

31 Mar 2008 16:10:07 EST

Dalton High School (Ohio) standout to join Maple Leafs
GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen College Interim Athletic Director and Head Cross Country Coach Doug Yoder has announced that David Horst has signed a national letter of intent to continue his career at Goshen. Horst, a standout distance runner at Dalton High School (Dalton, OH), will participate in cross country and track for the Maple Leafs in 2008-09. "David is a good developing runner that will be one of our top 10 runners," said Yoder, of his first official signing for the 2008-09 squad. "He will only get better as he matures and gets stronger." Horst will complete a successful tenure at Dalton this spring, including improving his five-kilometer times by almost six minutes in his four-year career. Horst, who will join sister Tessa on the Goshen cross country team in the fall, was also successful in the classroom. Part of the National Honor Society, Horst also serves as Senior ...

MAR. 10 — Colorado Standout Miller Inks With Maple Leafs

10 Mar 2008 16:10:00 EST

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Goshen College volleyball program continues to position itself for a strong showing in the Mid-Central Conference as they announced the signing of Colorado standout Indigo "Indy" Miller today. Miller, a three-year letterman at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs becomes the second student-athlete to sign a national letter of intent for the 2008 season, following six-foot outside hitter Katelyn Yoder of Mason, Mich. ( click here for related article). A captain for the Spartans as a senior in 2007, Miller helped Doherty to a pair of 5A – large school classification with schools of enrollment over 1,400 – top ten finishes in the state in her tenure. "Her strong high school experience, playing front and back row, has prepared her for play at this level," explains Maple Leafs Head...

FEB. 29 — Elkhart Truth Profiles Goshen Freshman Peni Acayo

29 Feb 2008 16:10:00 EST

ELKHART, Ind. — Earlier this week Eric Bixler of the Elkhart Truth newspaper produced a video story on Goshen College volleyball standout Peni Acayo. Bixler, a 2007 Goshen College graduate, played four years of collegiate soccer, including two for the Maple Leafs. Now part of the etruth staff, Bixler also helped cover Goshen athletics and ran updates of www.GoLeafs.net through the recent transition of the sports information department. From Uganda to Goshen College: Volleyball standout speaks for Measles Initiative By: Eric Bixler, www.etruth.com Peni Acayo is 7,000 miles from home, but still finding a way to help people there. When the freshman volleyball player from Kampala, Uganda, arrived on campus this fall, she was surprised by the friendliness. “People would say 'hi' to me or smile...

JAN. 8 — First 2008 Recruit Signs With Goshen College Volleyball

8 Jan 2008 16:10:00 EST

GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen College Women's Volleyball Coach Jewel Lehman announces the signing of the first 2008 volleyball recruit: Katelyn Yoder, a six-foot tall outside hitter from Mason, Mich. Yoder, a four-year varsity athlete and two-year team captain, led the Mason High School Bulldogs to the league championship in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. "Katelyn is a great fit for Goshen College and the volleyball program here. We are pleased to sign such a talented and versatile student-athlete and we look for her to make an impact right away," Lehman said. "While we experienced some success this past year, we have to keep increasing our level of play. Katelyn's work ...