Fall 2009 Review
January 4, 2010
BY THE NUMBERS:
43 – Individual Contest Victories
10 – All Mid-Central College Conference Selections
3 – Event Team Titles
2 – Individual Event Titles
1 – NAIA All American
TOP 10 STORIES OF THE FALL:
Relieve some of the best moments and honors of the fall. Fans on Facebook voted in an online survey for what was the best of the best for the Maple Leafs over the past four and a half months and here are the results. View the top 10 moments of the fall.
SEASON REVIEWS
Volleyball (17-16, 4-4 MCC)
In a year full of ups and downs, Goshen lost twice to conference foe Marian in the Earlham College Classic and once more in Mid-Central Conference play, then rebounded to defeat the Knights in the MCC semifinals and advanced to the first conference championship game in program history. Junior Peni Acayo was named MCC Player of the Year and NAIA First-Team All American. Complete Review
Men’s Soccer (12-7-1, 6-2 MCC)
The Maple Leafs overcame a string of early-season injuries to run off six consecutive wins in September and October, gaining the second seed in the MCC tournament. The campaign ended with a loss to #3 seed Indiana Wesleyan – whom Goshen had defeated a week earlier – in the semifinals. Four players were named to the All MCC First and Second Teams; ten were named NAIA All American Scholar-Athletes. Complete Review
Women’s Soccer (5-11-1, 0-7-1 MCC)
Goshen’s 2009 season started auspiciously, as the team won five of its first eight games. Then the Mid-Central Conference schedule struck, and the Maple Leafs dropped seven straight contests, only salvaging a tie on senior night against Huntington. The team was named an NSCAA All Academic Team for the sixth straight year, and four players were named NAIA All American Scholar-Athletes. Complete Review
Men’s Tennis (5-7, 2-5 MCC)
The Maple Leafs finished 2009 with a 5-7 record, with three losses by a 4-5 tally. The season was highlighted by a 5-4 victory over Bethel, the first win over the Pilots in the 11-year tenure of Goshen coach Stan King. Benjamin Basnet was 13-3 at No. 5 singles, the second-best mark at that position in school history, and advanced to the finals at that position in the MCC tournament. No. 2 singles player Aaron Sutter was named to the All MCC team following the season. Complete Review
Women’s Tennis (4-8, 1-7 MCC)
After some tough early-season losses, Goshen took a four-match winning streak into the season-ending MCC tournament. The Maple Leafs were drawn against No. 1 and No. 2 seeds by virtue of their regular-season performances, and were eliminated on the first day of play with a seventh-place finish. Junior No. 1 singles player Rachel Lanctot was named to the All MCC team. Complete Review
Cross Country
The Maple Leafs battled illness and injury throughout the 2009 campaign. The men’s team saw senior Ben Bouwman take medalist honors in the first two meets before the team was saddled with injuries, finishing sixth in the MCC championship meet. Depth was an issue for the women, who started out similarly strong and finished fifth in the conference meet. Goshen graduates 12 seniors, including two former NAIA National Championship qualifiers, from this year’s team. Complete Review
Men’s Golf
Goshen will hit the links in both semesters of the 2009-10 academic year, with the MCC Championships moving to the spring. Undeterred by the switch, the Maple Leafs played in four matches this fall, where they were led by junior Phil Shenk with a scoring average of 87.25. The 2010 spring season will see the team playing in at least one additional meet before the conference championships. Complete Review
