KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College men's soccer team hosted Hope in an MIAA rivalry match-up on Tuesday evening (Oct. 11). The Hornets battled back after conceding the first goal, but a successful penalty kick in the 84th minute gave the Flying Dutchmen the 2-1 win.

On a rainy night at MacKenzie Field, Kalamazoo and Hope tried to get used to playing in the conditions for most of the first half. A stiff wind from the South aided the Flying Dutchmen in keeping the ball down in their offensive zone. Although the Hornets had more shots by two, Hope converted on a set piece to score the first goal in the 42nd minute. A corner kick went to the back post, and the scoring player scored in the opposite low corner. Kalamazoo then trailed at halftime by the lone goal.

The wind favored the Hornets for the second half, as the team had seven shots within the first 15 minutes. One of those was true for the equalizer in the 61st minute as Chad Ewing scored his first goal of the season. After Shun Yonehara slid a through ball to Ewing from midfield, all he had to do was make a defender miss and go near post for the goal. Kalamazoo kept the pressure on as the offense produced 15 shots compared to Hope's five in the second half. However, the Hornets were whistled for a hand ball in the box in the 84th minute, setting up an opportunity for the Flying Dutchmen to regain the lead. That is precisely what happened as the goal scorer deposited the ball in the lower left corner. Kalamazoo still had a chance as a red card forced Hope to play with 10 players, but the team's four last shots could not find the back of the net. 

Gavin Houtkooper made four saves on six opportunities in the loss. Kalamazoo finished with more shots (22-10), corner kicks (9-3), and fouls (20-15), while Hope had more saves (7-4).

The Hornets' next game will be on the road against Alma on Saturday (Oct. 15), with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m.