Cornerstone University - News

[Women's Soccer] Dykstra committs to Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:20:00 -0600

Cornerstone University welcomes Kristen Dykstra to the Women's Soccer program. Kristen Dykstra from Dorr, Mich. has signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013.

Kristen attends Hopkins High School in Hopkins, Mich. Kristen has played varsity soccer all four years at Hopkins. She was voted All-Conference, All-District, All-Region, and Honorable Mention All-State in soccer.

Kristen has also done very well in the classroom. She was on the Honor Roll each semester. She was a member of the National Honors Society. She was voted Student of the Month. She was also active with her church group.

Coach Strawser

"I am excited Kristen is going to be joining us. I think that she is a diamond in the rough. She really has a good understanding of the game and I think that she will improve a lot from the time she gets here."

Why she chose Cornerstone

"I love soccer and I want to be around people that feel the same and will show their Christian faith on and off the field by their positive attitude and sportsmanship."

Kristen is the daughter of Brent and Judy Dykstra of Dorr, Mich.

[Women's Soccer] Lamb will attend Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:35:00 -0600

Cornerstone University welcomes Megan Lamb to the Women's Soccer program. Megan Lamb from Gaylord, Mich. has signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013.

Megan has played varsity soccer at Gaylord High School for three years. She was an All-Conference and All-Academic player. She also played varsity basketball and was on the swim team.

Megan is also a member of the National Honors Society.

Coach Strawser

"I am glad that Megan has decided to come to Cornerstone to be a part of our team. I really like Megan because I think that she will be a great teammate and will be a player that will work hard and will improve. I look forward to see her grow both as a player and as a person."

Why she chose Cornerstone

"I became interested in Cornerstone after attending a college night at my high school during my sophomore year. After visiting the University and attending a Golden Eagle Day I found the Christian lifestyle and atmosphere to be a perfect fit for me. I am eager to be a part of the Women's Soccer Team where I feel that I will learn and grow as a teammate and player, in addition to growing into a stronger Christian."

[Women's Soccer] Siemasz signs with Golden Eagles

Randy Strawser — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:00:00 -0600

Cornerstone University welcomes Lexanna Siemasz to the Women's Soccer program. Lexanna Siemasz from Waterford, Mich. has signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013.

Lexanna has been a starter on the varsity team since her freshman year at Waterford Mott High School. She was an All-Conference and All-District player during her first three years at Mott. She is currently a captain on her team.

Lexanna has also done very well in the classroom. She was a KLAA Scholar Athlete, a member of the Waterford Foundation Select 50. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.

Coach Strawser

"I am excited that Lexanna is joining our team. She is a solid player and a good leader on the field. I know that she will be a great addition to our team. I look forward to seeing her develop as a person and as a player."

Why she chose Cornerstone

"I have chosen to come to Cornerstone and play for the Women's Soccer Team because I feel it's where God wants me to be. The girls are all really great and they make up a great team and family, two things that are very important to me. I believe Cornerstone is a good fit for me, and I will be able to contribute."

[Women's Soccer] Mohr signs to play soccer at Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:25:00 -0600

Cornerstone University welcomes Hayley Mohr to the Women's Soccer program. Hayley Mohr from West Olive, Mich. has signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013.

Hayley attends Fruitport Calvary Christian High School. Hayley is an All-Conference, All-District, and Honorable Mention All-State Goalkeeper at Calvary. She is a captain on her team. Hayley also excelled in basketball and volleyball at Calvary Christian. She was Honorable Mention All-State in basketball.

Hayley is also had a lot of success in the classroom. She has been on the Honor Roll all four years and served as National Honor Society President and Senior Class President at her school. She has also been involved in other activities such as Volunteering (No More Sidelines-sports for disabled children, Highway/Beach Cleanups, Clothing Drives, Missions Trips, Memorial Day Concerts for Veterans, etc.)

Coach Strawser

"I am excited that Hayley will be joining us. I think that she has a lot of potential and will be a great addition to our team. She has played many sports in high school and I think that she will be able to concentrate."

Why she chose Cornerstone

"Through much prayer I believe that God has led me to Cornerstone. I had hoped to go to a college that would challenge me both academically and spiritually so that I could grow in each of these areas. I think that Cornerstone is a place that will give me the opportunity to do just that. I also felt very welcomed by all the coaching staff and students I have met so far and am excited to build new relationships with them."

[Women's Soccer] Golden Eagles honored by NSCAA

Randy Strawser — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:20:00 -0600

Senior Anna Stegink and junior Amanda Van Laar have both been selected to the NSCAA All-Mideast women's soccer team. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America is the world's largest soccer coaches' organization that serves members at every level of the game in the U.S. Click here to see a full list of honorees.

[Women's Soccer] Morse signs to play soccer at Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:25:00 -0600

Cornerstone University welcomes Shannon Morse to the Women's Soccer Program. Shannon Morse from Lake Odessa, Mich. has signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013.

Shannon has been a three year varsity player at Lakewood High School. She tied the school record for most goals in a season and set the school record for career assists during her time at Lakewood. She was voted All-Conference and All-District in both 2011 and 2012. She will serve as a caption in 2013.

Coach Strawser

"Shannon is a solid player and really good fit for our team. I think that she will be a player that will work very hard and will improve both herself and her teammates."

Why she chose Cornerstone

"I have decided to attend Cornerstone University because of its strong Christian community. I am looking forward to being part of the soccer team and the opportunity to learn in a Christ centered atmosphere."

Shannon is the daughter of Dean & Cathy Morse of Lake Odessa. She is pictured with her parents and her brother Matthew.

[Women's Soccer] Trio of Women's Soccer Athletes Recognized Nationally for Scholar-Athlete

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:20:00 -0600

The announcement was made Monday afternoon for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-Americans and Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar-Athletes. The Cornerstone women's soccer team placed three players on the NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

Senior forward Kelley Ritsema, senior defender Anna Stegink, and senior midfielder Morgan Vance all represent the Golden Eagles for the prestigious honor. The athletes must have had at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA and be nominated by their institution.

The Golden Eagles finished one of their most successful season this past fall with an 14-4 overall record, finishing tied for second in the WHAC regular-season after going 6-2 in conference play but losing a heartbreak loss in the opening game of the WHAC tournament to Aquinas College.

Click here to see full WHAC release.

[Women's Soccer] Strawser named WHAC Coach of Character

Randy Strawser — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:30:00 -0600

Women's soccer coach and sports information director Randy Strawser is the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) 2012 Coach of Character recipient. The Coach of Character Award honors a coach who demonstrates methods of teaching character through sport while instilling a tradition of athletic and community excellence. The award centers itself on the five core values of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character initiative: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.

Click here to read full release.

[Women's Soccer] Snowden signs with Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:55:00 -0600

Cornerstone University welcomes Allison Snowden to the Women's Soccer program. Allison Snowden from Kalamazoo, Mich. has signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013.

Allison attends Kalamazoo Christian High School in Kalamazoo, Mich. Allison has started in goal for the Comets since the 3^rd game of her freshman year. She was voted All-Conference, All-District, All-Area, and Honorable Mention All-State her first year. She was voted All-Conference, All-District, All-Area, and Second Team All-State in both her sophomore and junior seasons. She served as captain for her team last season and will be captain again in her senior season this spring. She received the WMU Female Athlete Leadership award this year. She also plays basketball at Kalamazoo Christian.

Allison has also done very well in the classroom. She has been on the Honor Roll each semester. She also loves to work with youth sports and helps coach younger kids. She went on a mission's trip last summer to Africa with her school science department. She helped teach kids about good hygiene and the importance of clean drinking water.

Coach Strawser

"I am excited that Allison will be joining us next year. She is a good goalkeeper and she is a great fit for our school and our soccer program. I believe that she will come in and compete for the starting position right away as a freshman. She just fit in nicely from the first time she came to visit."

Why she chose Cornerstone

"I am very excited to play Soccer for Cornerstone, I think I knew immediately that this is where God wants me to be at this time in my life. The coaches and team were so inviting and I felt I was at home. It is nice to know that school, coaches and team all love Christ and want to find his will for their lives, as I do. I look forward to playing soccer and hope to contribute to the team both on and off of the field. I am very passionate about soccer and the sense of team that I have felt is so awesome. It is wonderful to know that through prayer God will help you make the right choices and is exactly what I believe I have done in accepting the offer to play soccer for Cornerstone.

Allison is the daughter of Jim and Mary Snowden of Portage, Mich.

[Women's Soccer] Season comes to an abrupt end for Golden Eagles

Randy Strawser — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:45:00 -0600

The Golden Eagles started out very well today but they couldn't sustain the lead and ended the season with a 4-2 loss to Aquinas today. Kate Wiegman put the Golden Eagles up 1-0 in the 2nd minute of play by heading in a Kerri Hoffman free kick. The Golden Eagles struck again just 12 minutes later. Riley Steen played a ball across the face of the goal to Kerri Hoffman that vollied the ball into the goal from about four yards out. Cornerstone looked to be in complete control of the game but then the momentum began to swing and Aquinas made it 2-1 in the 37th minute and then tied the game just before the half to go into the locker room tied 2-2. Aquinas scored again in the 54th minute to make it 3-2 and then made it 4-2 just a few minutes later. The Golden Eagles came close to scoring again with about 20 minutes to play but a Saints defender saved the ball off of the line to deny Kerri Hoffman her second goal. The Golden Eagles pressed forward but just couldn't get a lot of quality chances after that and the game ended in a 4-2 loss. The loss marked the end of the careers of nine Golden Eagles (Kathy Butt, Kelley Ritsema, Riley Steen, Anna Stegink, Marissa Bliss, Jenna Wiersma, Nicole Ybema, Morgan Vance, and Paige Knott). They all left a mark on the program and were all instrumental in making this a great season for the Golden Eagles. Cornerstone finishes with the second most wins (14) in the history of the program.

[Women's Soccer] Several Golden Eagles earn WHAC Honors

Randy Strawser — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:40:00 -0600

The WHAC has released the 2012 Women's Soccer Honors and several Golden Eagles were picked for those awards. Senior Anna Stegink and junior Amanda Van Laar were both named First Team All-WHAC. It was Stegink's third time and Van Laar's second time being honored by the WHAC. Three others (senior Riley Steen, sophomore Kate Wiegman, and freshman Kerri Hoffman) were named Honorable Mention All-WHAC. Nine Golden Eagles (Marissa Bliss, Melissa McIntire, Kelley Ritsema, Maylani Siemasz, Riley Steen, Anna Stegink, Amanda Van Laar, Morgan Vance, and Nicole Ybema) made the All-Academic Team with a GPA of 3.25 or higher. Senior Kelley Ritsema was named to the Champions of Character team. Click here to see the full release from the WHAC.

[Women's Soccer] Women's Soccer Kicks Off WHAC Tournament with Third Seed

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:45:00 -0600

After finishing 6-2 in conference play, the Cornerstone women's soccer team finished tied with Indiana Tech for second seed. Following the tiebreaker, Indiana Tech takes the second seed spot after a 5-1 victory over the Golden Eagles earlier in the season. Cornerstone will enter the tournament in third place and will host Aquinas on Thursday at 4.pm.

[Women's Soccer] Cornerstone defeats Madonna 1-0

Randy Strawser — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 13:30:00 -0600

The Golden Eagles went into the final regular season game with the possibility of finishing as high as second and as low as fourth depending on the results of a couple games. Cornerstone did their part by defeating Madonna 1-0 but Indiana Tech also won which put the Golden Eagles in third place. Both Cornerstone and Indiana Tech finished 6-2 in the WHAC but the Warriors defeated the Golden Eagles head to head so they will get the second seed in the WHAC Tournament. Madonna out shot Cornerstone 7-4 in the first half of play but senior Kathy Butt came up big for the Golden Eagles in the goal to prevent Madonna from scoring. Cornerstone turned up the pressure in the second half and created more chances. Kerri Hoffman scored the lone goal in the 65^th minute off of a Kelley Ritsema cross. Madonna didn't have a lot of shots in the second half but they had three good chances in a short period of time in which Kathy Butt made some huge saves to keep them off the scoreboard. Cornerstone ended up out shooting Madonna 13-4 in the second half of play. The Golden Eagles improved to 14-3 overall and 6-2 in the WHAC. The Golden Eagles (3^rd seed) will return to action on Wednesday when they will host (#6 seed) Aquinas. Time will be determined later.

[Women's Soccer] Cornerstone falls to Davenport

Randy Strawser — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:25:00 -0600

The Golden Eagles had a chance to continue to play for the WHAC regular season title today at Davenport. Davenport had the chance to wrap up the regular season title and the top seed in the tournament and that is what they did by defeating Cornerstone 3-0. The Golden Eagles had some very good chances in the game but couldn't capitalize and Davenport made the most of their chances. Cornerstone outshot Davenport in both halves but Davenport is the team that converted. The Panthers got on the board with 10 minutes to go in the first half on a shot from just outside the penalty box. Davenport had some more chances right after that but didn't convert and the first half ended at 1-0. Cornerstone came out in the second half and gave up a couple of early goal to go down 3-0 but they continued to battle. The Golden Eagles pressed forward and had more chances but they just couldn't find the back of the net. Cornerstone will return to action on Saturday when they take on Madonna. Madonna is tied with Indiana Tech and Cornerstone with 5-2 records going into the last game. The Golden Eagles will kick off at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.

[Women's Soccer] Cornerstone Clashes with WHAC Leader, Davenport.

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:30:00 -0600

The Cornerstone women's soccer team returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to WHAC leader, Davenport. Head coach Randy Stawser and the Golden Eagles are currently 13-2 overall and 5-1 in the WHAC. Since starting 0-1 in the conference, Cornerstone has been on a five-game winning streak during league play. With conference winding down, the women's soccer team is currently tied for second place with Indiana Tech in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.