In the first round of the MHSAA District Tournament, the Zeeland West varsity girls soccer team faced a familiar opponent in Zeeland East. Both teams struggled a bit in the hot and humid conditions, especially during the first half. Zeeland East had the first quality chance to sieze control of the match after being awarded a penalty kick shortly before the halftime break. However, the shot hit the post and bounced away from the goal. 

"The missed penalty kick seemed to give us a bit of new life. Until that point, both teams struggled to find consistent possession and rhythm offensively."

After drawing 0-0 in the first half, a Rylee Smith corner kick found the feet of Jordyn Klaasen at the top of the box. Klaasen calmly settled the ball before burying a composed shot into the side netting, and the Dux never looked back. Mya Frego added a late insurance goal after finishing a slotted ball back across the box from Smith.

"Defensively, we did a much better job of thwarting their quick counter attack, especially in the second half. Our defensive pressure in transition allowed us to regain possession quickly and maintain control of the match over the final 40 minutes. Offensively, we were very patient, poised and confident both on and off the ball, and really played intelligent soccer. Very proud of our girls and their match tonight - total team win!"

The Dux will face host Holland Christian next week Wednesday @ 5pm @ Holland Christian for the district semifinals.

The Zeeland West girls soccer team sent their 7 graduating seniors out with a dominant 5-1 win on senior night over Reeths Puffer in the second round of the OK Green soccer tournament. The win secures at least a second place finish in the conference standings, with a chance to compete for a share of the outright title against regular season champion Mona Shores.

Reeths Puffer took an early 1-0 lead on a corner kick, early in the first half. Less than 10 minutes later, Jordyn Klaasen knotted the score 1-1 after converting a penalty kick that was awarded after Sam Koppenol was taking down in the penalty box. The game was tied at the break.

In the second half, the Dux offense exploded for four goals, as the Dux dominated the midfield and kept Reeths Puffer chasing the game over the final 40 minutes. Klaasen crossed a ball into the box which took an awkward bounce off of a defender before falling at the feet of Sam Koppenol, whose one touch strike gave the keeper no chance at a save. Mya Frego got in behind the defense on the left side before serving a looping cross to the far post, where Caiti Grant was crashing the goal. Her sliding touch found the opposite post before crossing the line. Rylee Smith assisted on the final two goals. The first was a bouncing ball that split two defenders on the base line which Rachel McFall gathered cleanly before striking a beautiful half volley which found the back of the net. The last goal came off a short corner between Klaasen and Smith. Smith's slotted ball to the top of the box found Aileen Molina whose one time strike was pure, finding the net to end the scoring.

"Great atmosphere and energy tonight against a really good team on Senior Night. We have a very special and close knit group of seniors who have taken positive leadership and mentorship to a whole new level in our program. Could not be happier for this amazing team of young women - they are a privilege and joy to coach."

The Zeeland West girls varsity soccer team conceded an early goal to Wyoming in their opening match of the OK Green Conference Tournament before responding with 9 unanswered goals to end the game before regulation. Rylee Smith got the Dux on the board after her driven cross deflected off of a defender and into the back of the net. Rachel McFall made it 2-1 off of a nice slotted ball from Sam Koppenol. Koppenol then found Jordyn Klaasen for her first of 3 goals on the night. Mya Frego took advantage of another Smith cross and buried her shot to give the Dux a 4-1 lead at halftime.

After the break, the Dux had a strong start, scoring 5 goals in the second half. Klaasen intercepted an errant clear by the Wyoming defense before beating the keeper with her second goal of the night. She completed the hat trick off of a one time finish from a driven corner kick by Smith. Koppenol added 2 more assists (4 for the night) as she found Hannah Pleiman at the far post, driving a low shot between the keeper's legs. Clarice VanDort gathered a Koppenol shot/cross before scoring her first goal of the season. Kaylie Boersma scored the last goal off of deflected shot by Aileen Molina.

"Wyoming came out with a lot of energy and took advantage of an early opportunity. They are much improved from the beginning of the season, and their goal keeper played really well. We responded well and kept our poise. I was really impressed with our unselfishness offensively throughout the match, as 7 different players scored a goal tonight. Defensively, we tightened things up and made it difficult for them to break out of the midfield. A great team effort with solid contributions by everyone."

The Dux will host Reeths Puffer in the Conference Tournament semi-finals on Tuesday for Senior Recognition night.

The Dux varsity soccer team lost a close match against state ranked East Grand Rapids last night, 2-3. The Dux grabbed the early lead on a Rylee Smith corner kick. Smith's delivery into the box found the foot of Sam Koppenol, whose initial shot was blocked by their goal keeper. Hannah Pleiman pounced on the rebound making it 1-0.

East Grand Rapids tied the score off of a penalty kick midway through the first half. EGR took a 2-1 lead into halftime after scoring on a corner kick of their own.

A strong start to the second half netted the Dux the equalizer, after Pleiman made a great touch and turn near midfield before delivering a ball in behind the EGR defense. Smith held off the last defender before tucking it past the keeper in a one on one inside the penalty box. 

Unfortunately, a late turnover in the defensive third with 12 minutes to play secured the win for EGR.

"East Grand Rapids is state ranked for a reason. We held our own defensively for most of the match and did a good job of managing their speed and skill on the ball. Unfortunately, we made a couple of mental mistakes in crucial moments of the match that ended up hurting us. A match like this allows us to gain confidence as we head towards the end of the season. Really proud of our effort and poise tonight, especially in the second half."

The Zeeland West girls varisty soccer team earned a huge win over Reeths Puffer Tuesday, downing the Rockets 2-0. After a sluggish start, the Dux began asserting themselves midway through the first half, generating 3 or 4 really solid chances towards the break. The match was tied 1-1 at half.

Siobhan Michmerhuizen put the Dux up 1-0 after some great combination play near midfield resulted in a slotted ball through the Reeths Puffer back line. Rylee Smith drove towards the endline before slipping the ball back across the face of goal to a wide open Michmerhuizen. Sam Koppenol made it 2-0 off of a beautiful pass from Mya Frego.

"Defensively, we grew into the game and played with confidence and assertiveness, especially in the second half. Our midfield did a great job of being patient and distributing to both sides of the field tonight. Mallory Allen had a great outing in earning the shutout. Really proud of our reslience and poise, especially in overcoming a slow start. Great team effort and energy throughout the match."

The Dux improve to 5-3-1 and 5-2 in the OK Green. They are seeded second in the OK Green heading into the conference tournament next week. They host East Grand Rapids in non-conference action on Monday.

The Dux soccer team gave up an early lead and lost a tough match to Mona Shores, 1-4. Scoring the lone goal for the Dux was Jordyn Klaasen.

"Tonight's match was a tale of two completely different halves. We played outstanding the first 40 minutes - some of the best ball movement of the season. We were able to frustrate them and play our style of soccer. Unfortunately, we did not sustain it in the second half and allowed them to dictate play and possession."

The Zeeland West varsity soccer team got back on track Tuesday night, defeating Muskegon 5-0 in a shortened game due to weather. Hannah Pleiman scored the first goal off of a slotted cross from Siobhan Michmerhuizen. Mya Frego added the next two, the first coming off of a nice assist from Rylee Smith. Michmerhuizen added her second assist of the game on Freg0's second goal. Kayla Wyrick scored the third goal off of a nice combination play with Kaylie Boersma making the final set pass for the assist. Michmerhuizen tacked on the final goal off of a driven cross by Smith.

Mallory Allen secured her second shutout of the season, as the Dux defense did not allow a shot on goal. "Very solid team performance tonight. We were much quicker with our decisions on the ball and did a nice job of being patient and unselfish in the attacking third. Our midfield did a great job of changing the point of attack and finding our wings. Great momentum builder heading into our next match this week."

The Dux improve to 4-2-1 on the season (4-1 in the OK Green) and travel to Mona Shores on Thursday.

The Zeeland West girls varsity soccer team again showed some resiliency and battled back after going down 0-1 early in the first half against West Ottawa. Driven cross from the left side of the Dux attack found Hannah Pleiman in the center of the box. Pleiman used her chest to knock the ball down to the feet of Rylee Smith, who hammered the shot past the keeper, netting the equalizer. The Dux nearly took a 2-1 lead into halftime after Caiti Grant got behind her defender and slipped a ball back across the box to Smith, but the keeper made an outstanding save to keep the game level heading into the half.

West Ottawa took control of the match early in the second half, netting the eventual game winner less than 10 minutes after the break. The Dux comeback fell short, losing 1-2.

"West Ottawa is a talented team. We played well at times today and were dangerous, especially in the first half. We did not have a strong start to the second half. Kudos to them as they were more assertive and aggressive coming out of the break, and we never really recovered. Our team will learn from this and bounce back next week."

The Dux fall to 3-2-1 on the season and will host Muskegon on Tuesday, before making the trip to Mona Shores on Thursday.

The Zeeland West girls varsity soccer team defeated Holland 2-1 on Thursday night. Aileen Molina gave the Dux a 1-0 lead after gathering a centering nice pass from Jordyn Klaasen from about 25 yards out. Molina's long range shot slipped just under the crossbar over the outstretched fingertips of Holland's goalkeeper. The Dutch would earn one back off of a free kick from 35 yards out. Mallory Allen got her hands on the shot, but could not keep it from crossing the line and finding the net. The game was tied 1-1 at half.

In the second half, great combination play through the midfield resulted in a slotted ball played in behind Holland's back line. Caiti Grant drove a cross across the box where Rylee Smith fired it into the back of the net with her first touch.

"We made some adjustments at halftime and got back to playing a simpler style of soccer. We were more decisive yet patient with our decision making, which led to more opportunities in the attacking third. We possessed much better and were able to string some stretches of possession together in our attack. Defensively, we played solid and limited their looks on goal. We can build off of some of the things we did well tonight as we carry a little more momentum into the weekend."

The Dux improve to 3-1-1 on the season, and 3-1 in the OK Green. They travel to West Ottawa on Saturday in non-conference action. Game is at noon.

The Zeeland West girls' varsity soccer team lost their first game of the season at the hands of Zeeland East, 2-3. After a late goal by Zeeland East in the first half, the Dux responded by netting an equalizer just before half. Mya Frego recieied a ball near midfield and slipped a ball in behind the ZE defense to Rylee Smith. Smith beat her defender and the goalkeeper with a shot to the near post,

The Chix jumped out to a 3-1 lead with 2 quick goals in the opening 5 minutes of the second half, before the Dux gained any sort of traction. Siobhan Michmerhuizen made it 2-3 after pouncing on a rebound off of another Rylee Smith shot to the near post. Mya Frego had a couple of great opportunities to grab an equalizer, but two consecutive shots caromed off of the post. Despite a desperate push late, the Dux comeback fell short.

"East executed their game plan better than we did tonight. In the first half, we exerted a lot of unnecessary energy that ultimately did not lead to success. We did a much better job of playing our brand and style of soccer in the second half, but we dug ourselves in a hole we ultimately could not climb out of by giving up two costly goals early in the second half. Despite the loss, we played well enough in the second half to give ourselves a chance to earn at tough win, but we fell just a bit short."

The Dux fall to 2-1 in the OK Green, and are 2-1-1 on the season. They return to action on Thursday when they travel to play Holland.

On Friday night, the Dux varsity women's soccer team needed another dose of late match heroics as they traveled to St. Joe and earned a hard fought 1-1 come from behind draw with the Bears. After a scoreless first half, the Bears struck first in the opening 5 minutes of the second half, on a slotted ball in behind the Dux defense. Both teams battled hard to establish possession through the midfield for the next 30 minutes, with neither team being able to create dangerous scoring chances. The Bears almost made it 2-0 with less than 10 minutes to go, but the shot hit the outside of the far post and rolled harmlessly out of bounds. 

Trailing a goal with less than 2 minutes to go, the Dux earned a throw-in deep in St. Joe's defensive end. Sam Koppenol received the throw-in and beat her defender to the end line, before lofting a hard cross towards goal. The keeper made the initial save but lost control as she went to ground. Caiti Grant pounced on the rebound opportunity tying the game 1-1.

"Defensively, we were very organized and dealt quite well with their speed and combination play offensively. They are a well coached and physical team. We matched up well with them defensively and had some great battles through the midfield. Even though we had a slow start offensively, I though we grew in confidence as the game progressed. Our resiliency and willingness to press in the final moments of the match gave us an opportunity to tie the game. St. Joe is a very talented and organized team. A solid defensive effort and timely goalkeeping kept us in the game, and our ability to capitalize on an opportunity late in the match earned us the draw . Very happy with the result and the perseverance of our team tonight."

The Dux are 2-0-1 on the season and will return to OK Green Conference action when they cross "The Path" to take on Zeeland East on Tuesday.

The Dux varsity soccer team defeated Grand Rapids Union 3-2 at Houseman Field on Thursday night. The Dux siezed control of the match early, dominating possession and dictating the pace and style of play. Rachel McFall's early goal off of a cross from Rylee Smith gave the Dux another strong start. Jordyn Klaasen added the second goal off of a nice combination with Hannah Pleiman. 

Grand Rapids Union earned their first goal after converting a penalty kick midway through the 2nd half. Union grabbed the equalizer with just over 4 minutes to play, making for an exciting and dramatic finish. With under 10 seconds to go, the Dux capitalized off of a throw in, resulting in a couple of rapid fire chances as time wound down. Caiti Grant's fired a shot that bounced off of the keeper and onto the foot of Rylee Smith, whose last touch of the ball found the back of the net as time expired.

"Our girls showed a lot of early season resiliency tonight, especially after Union tied the game late. Credit to Union for burying their chances. We had more opportunities and possession over the course of the match than Union, but we didn't finish some of our early chances. We could have gotten down after the equalizer, but we didn't. Our girls continued to fight until the end, generating 3 really solid chances in the final 3 minutes before netting the game winner. Really good experience for our team this early in the season."

The Dux are 2-0 in conference play (2-0 overall) and travel to St. Joe tomorrow night for a non-conference battle.

The Zeeland West girls varsity soccer team got off to a fast start en route to an 8-0 victory in their season opener at home against Wyoming Tuesday night. Mya Frego and Sam Koppenol each scored a hat trick, while Jordyn Klaasen converted a penalty kick and Rachel McFall added a goal as well.

The Dux were unselfish in the attack, assisting on 7 of the 8 goals. Klaasen led the team with 4 assists, while Rylee Smith, Koppenol and Caiti Grant each dished out an assist.

Defensively, the Dux had a strong showing and did not give up a shot on goal the entire match. Mallory Allen earned her first career shutout as a starting goal keeper.

"For most of the match, we were able to move the ball pretty decisively and did a decent job of changing the point of attack. We were aggressive through the midfield which allowed us to generate numerous scoring chances in a variety of ways tonight. Overall, our girls should be pleased with their performance and the outcome of tonight's match. A solid start to a challenging week."

The Dux are 1-0 in the OK Green, and 1-0 overall for the season. They return to action Thursday night when they travel to Grand Rapids Union for another OK Green Conference match, before heading to St. Joe on Friday for a non-conference match.