OK Gold Soccer Final Standings 2010

FHE Soccer will be running its annual youth soccer camp June 27-30, 2011.  The camp is open to all players entering Kindergarten through 8th Grade.

The camp runs Monday through Friday from 4-5:30pm in Hawks Stadium and will be staffed by coaches and players from the FHE Boys & Girls Soccer Teams.  All participants should bring a ball and wear shinguards.

The cost is $45 per player.  All proceeds directly benefit FHE Soccer.

For more information, please contact the FHE Athletic Office at 616-493-8838.

FHE Soccer Alumni News, 10/5/2010

Fred Smyser (FHE Class of 2010) continues to fare well at Olivet College.  The Comets are 7-2-1 and Fred is fourth on his team in total scoring.  Olivet plays two home games this week:  10/6 at 4pm versus Trine and 10/9 at 2:30pm versus Adrian College.

Ben Thomas (FHE Class of 2010) has played in 9 games to date, having started 5 of those.  His Tiffin Dragons are 5-5-0 overall and meet up with Urbana on 10/8 for their next match.

Lawrence Murray (FHE Class of 2010) is a member of nationally-ranked Calvin College (NCAA Div 3).  The Knights are 9-1-0 overall and have two games this week:  10/6 at Alma at 4pm, and a 2:30pm home game on 10/9 with Albion College.

Kyle Haverkate (FHE Class of 2010) is having a strong season at Aquinas College.  He has started 9 of their 11 games and the Saints have compiled a 9-2-0 record.  Kyle plays two home games this week:  10/5 at 4pm and 10/9 at 3pm.

Graham Wallace (FHE Class of 2010) is the #2 goalkeeper at Alma College.  Graham has been fighting an injury to his knee and has started one game this season.

Zach Myers (FHE Class of 2009) is having a fine season at Saginaw Valley State University.  The team is 6-3-2 on the season and Zach has tallied 3 goals and 1 assist, including the overtime game-winner at Davenport University on 9/25.

Zac Tolsma (FHE Class of 2008) is a starter for his Cornerstone University team.  The Golden Eagles are 4-5-1 on the year and have their next game in town on 10/13 at Aquinas College at 3:30pm.

The September 23 game at Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg has been rescheduled to October 4.  Kickoff and bus times remain the same.

A Look Back at Year 5:  2008

By Paul Rosenbrook

Fresh off a trip to the 2007 State Semifinals, where we lost a heartbreaker in overtime, the players worked hard through the off-season to prepare for the 2008 campaign.

We had graduated a wealth of talent from the year before.  With only four seniors, the team was young, but not inexperienced.  Returning starters Josh Schultz and Zach Myers stepped into captains roles for their Senior seasons and Alex Zuhl and Andrew Nesselroad (transfer from Creston) rounded out the fourth-year group.

The Junior class was especially strong, as returning starters included:  Ben Thomas, Brandyn Hockstra, Lawrence Murray, Kyle Haverkate, Fred Smyser, and Graham Wallace.  Adam Hoffhines, Zach Retterath, Miles Vincent, and Alex Stuart would play prominent roles in the 2008 team, along with Sophomores Mitchal Rosendall and Brandon Underwood.

Our opening match was at Rockford and was as frustrating a game as I can recall.  We outshot them 8-3 in the first half, but found ourselves trailing 2-0.  Zach Retterath scored in the 57^th minute, but we surrendered another goal three minutes later.  Brandyn Hockstra scored in the 70^th minute to get us within one, then we proceeded to bombard the Rockford goal.  We ended up losing 3-2, despite owning an 18-6 shots at goal advantage.

We had nearly a week off to stew about our opening game, then came out firing against Catholic Central in our conference opener.  We had no trouble finishing in this game, as we were up 4-0 in the first 16 minutes on two goals by Ben Thomas, one by Brandyn Hockstra, and one by Zach Myers.  Ben Thomas completed his hat-trick in the second half and Alex Stuart rounded out the scoring in our 6-0 win.

We continued our momentum in a conference game at Caledonia, where we played a fantastic match, winning 4-0.  We followed that with wins over Hastings (3-1), Wayland (9-1), and Ottawa Hills (9-0).

We met up with South Christian on September 11, 2008 for an epic home game.  South’s Joe Broekhuizen scored just 1:13 into the game, then sat back and defended for the most- part.  The strategy worked as they went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.  In the 56^th minute, Brandon Underwood served a ball into the 6-yard box and Mitchal Rosendall would finish to equal the score at 1-1.  The game remained tied, despite our relentless attacks on their goal, and we went to overtime.  Josh Schultz was fouled on the wing in the 107^th minute, set the ball for a quick free kick, and drove a beautiful ball across the box to the far post, where Zach Retterath was waiting to head in the game winner.  Fantastic finish.

After a couple of sub-par wins versus Middleville TK (5-2) and Catholic Central (2-0), we entered a particularly tough part of our schedule.  First up was Portage Central, always a solid team.  Brandyn Hockstra put us up on a ball slotted from the endline by Josh Schultz in the 6^th minute, but PC would equalize in the 34^th minute on a header from a corner kick.  The game remained a stalemate until Zach Retterath would again score a clutch goal:  Lawrence Murray lofted a free kick into the box that Retterath struck, on the volley, with the outside of his right foot to the lower right corner to win the game with 39 seconds left.

Our next game was at East Kentwood, the defending 2007 Division 1 State Champs and eventual 2008 State Champion.  We were very motivated for this game and wanted to use it as a measuring stick to see where we stood.  We exhausted every bit of energy in our bodies that night:  we won the transition game, won the 50-50 game, even held the edge in shots on goal (3-2).  It ended in a 0-0 tie, and we walked off knowing that on any given day, we had the talent to play with anyone.

Emotionally-spent from the previous night, we had our rematch with Caledonia.  We outshot them 36-11, but settled for a 2-2 tie, in which Scots goalkeeper Blake Higley tallied 14 saves.

Following wins over Hastings (5-1), Wayland (9-1), and Ottawa Hills (9-0), we again met up with South Christian.  We carried a 12-1-2 record into the game and had been ranked #1 in the state for the first time.  South Christian was also ranked #1 in the state for Division 3 that night.  It was a game that lived up to its billing and the atmosphere was fantastic.  South scored on a through ball in the 11^th minute and Zach Retterath equalized on a pass from Brandyn Hockstra in the 17^th minute.  South scored in the 54^th minute to take the lead and we sent the house at their goal for the remainder of the second half in an attempt to tie it up again.  But, it was South who would put the game on ice with 7:41 remaining on a counter-attack.  The final was 3-1.

Our final regular season game was an 8-0 win over Middleville TK and carried a 13-2-2 record into MHSAA tournament play.

We met up with Middleville TK again just five days later for our first District game.  Ben Thomas scored four of our first six goals that day and we won by a score of 8-1.

In our second District game, we outshot Lakewood 44-0 and finished the game 8-0, with eight different players scoring the goals.

We met up with Grand Rapids Christian in the District Final, the first meeting between the two teams.  We found ourselves in big trouble at halftime, down 2-0 after goals in the 11^th and 31^st minutes that came from long throw-ins, the trademark of that year’s GRCHS team.  We spent the week preparing ourselves to defend those throw-ins, but still managed to give up a goal on the first one!  Our Seniors were determined that their careers would not end here:  Zach Myers scored in the 47^th minute, Josh Schultz in the 65^th minute, and again in the 68^th minute as we took the lead on a long throw-in of our own from Brandyn Hockstra.  But the lead would last just 3:27 as GRCHS equalized in the 71^st minute to send the game to overtime.  The score remained tied through the overtimes and we went to penalties.  I recall turning to Assistant Coach Chris Barlow and telling him that we were sending up a ‘murderers-row of penalty takers’.  GRCHS made two of their first four PKs, and meanwhile, our guys continued to step to the penalty spot and calmly put their shots into the side-netting with cool finishes.  Lawrence Murray, Fred Smyser, Mitchal Rosendall, and Zach Myers all made their shots and we walked off District Champs after a 4-2 PK shootout result.

In our Regional game at Cedar Springs, we met up with Petoskey.  They were a hard-working group who prided themselves on winning in transition and owning the 50-50 balls.  They did just that, scoring in transition on a beautiful 1-2 combination to walk in 1v1 and finish past goalkeeper Graham Wallace.  We put a great deal of pressure on them in the second half, but were unable to muster many good scoring chances.  Petoskey would go on to win 1-0 and become state champs that season in Division 2.

We finished our season at 16-3-2 and a #4 final state ranking.  Zach Myers was named 1^st Team All-State and was voted MVP by his teammates after being 2^nd in team scoring despite playing the stopper position.  Juniors Ben Thomas and Lawrence Murray were named 2^nd Team All-State.

This is the fifth in a series about our program's history.  I hope this helps the current players and families understand how we got to where we are and link our present to our past...

The Boys Varsity Soccer Team at Forest Hills Eastern is looking to build upon its proud tradition.  Entering the 2010 season, the program has compiled a 97-34-8 overall record in its first 6 seasons, including 3 Conference Championships, 4 District Championships, 2 Regional Championships, and 1 State Championship Runner-Up season.

2009 was a banner campaign as the Hawks finished with an overall record of 19-4-0, a District Championship, and spent much of the season ranked #1 in Division 2.  A 2-1 late-season loss to OK Gold Conference rival South Christian (then-ranked #1 in Division 3) pushed FHE into a 2nd Place conference finish.  The team allowed a school-record low 12 goals in 23 games, while tallying 15 shutouts.

The Hawks look to re-load this season, as 9 new starters will join the lineup.  The team returns 10 lettermen, including returning starters Mitchal Rosendall and Brandon Underwood, Jon DeVries, Ryan Austin, Lucas Fix, Nick Richard, Matt DeVries, Ryan Scott, Kip Forness, and Grant Young.

Joining the team for their first year of Varsity action are:  Brendan McCoy, Jeremy Ireland, David Costigan, Tyler Suing, Nick VanderMyde, Colton Johnson, Alex Harrison, Spencer Hansen, Nick Hopkins, Nate Loree, Carlos Castello, and Thomas Stevenson.

Coach Paul Rosenbrook begins his 5th season at the helm, having compiled a 73-15-6 record in his first 4 seasons.

FHE Soccer Alumni News 9-23-2010

Zac Tolsma (FHE Class of 2008) has started all eight of the games his Cornerstone University has played.  Cornerstone's record stands at 2-5-1 and Zac has been playing at right back for his team.  Cornerstone's next game is on Saturday, September 25 at home versus Concordia (noon kickoff).

Zach Myers (FHE Class of 2009) has also been a starter in all of his team's games.  Saginaw Valley State University has a 4-3-1 record for the season.  Zach has scored 2 goals and an assist (5 points), good for 2nd on the team in goals and 4th in points.  SVSU's next game is at Davenport University on Saturday, September 25 at 2:30pm.

Graham Wallace (FHE Class of 2010) is the #2 goalkeeper for Alma College.  Alma's record is currently 1-5-1.  Graham has one start to his credit, a 4-0 loss to Northwood University (NCAA Div 2) in which he tallied 9 saves.  Alma's next match is at home on Saturday, September 25 at 2:30pm versus Kalamazoo College.

Kyle Haverkate (FHE Class of 2010) is a starting back for Aquinas College.  Aquinas is 7-2-0 and just outside the NAIA Top 25 National Rankings.  Kyle's next game is at home on Saturday, September 25 versus Rochester College (kickoff is 3:30pm).

Lawrence Murray (FHE Class of 2010) is a member of Calvin College's team.  Calvin's record is 7-0-0 and is ranked #1 in the nation in NCAA Division III.  Lawrence has one appearance to date.  His team travels to Hope College this weekend for a 7pm rivalry game on Saturday, September 25.

Fred Smyser (FHE Class of 2010) is a starting midfielder for his Olivet College team.  Olivet has gotten off to a good start at 5-2-0 and Fred has been an impact player.  He has a goal and two assists on the year and is second on the team in shots.  He plays his next game at Albion College on Saturday, September 25 at 2:30pm.

Ben Thomas (FHE Class of 2010) has played in all of his team's games to date, starting four of those.  His Tiffin University team has a 3-3-0 record.  Tiffin's next game is on Friday, September 24 at home versus Ohio Dominican.

Great work, alumni.  We wish you continued luck in your upcoming matches!!!

Senior midfielder Mitchal Rosendall will be taking his talents to Kalamazoo in the Fall of 2011, having signed on with the Broncos of Western Michigan University.

In his first 3 seasons at FHE, Mitchal has scored 22 goals and tallied 9 assists.  He has appeared in 67 games, starting 42 of those matches.  He was twice named to All-Conference and All-District teams.

A Look Back at Year 4:  2007

By Paul Rosenbrook

We approached 2007 with a great deal of optimism.  We were returning all 11 starters from the 2006 team, along with 2005 starting forwards Eric Parks and Eric Fish.  Our Senior class was very strong and the Freshman players who had played such a prominent role the prior season now had a year under their belts.

Our starting lineup consisted of 5 players who had previously been named All-Staters:  Goalkeeper Graham Wallace, defender Andy Engle, central midfielders Scott Howard and Zac Tolsma, and forward Eric Parks.  Super Sophs Lawrence Murray, Kyle Haverkate, and Ben Thomas again filled starting spots, along with Junior standouts Zach Myers and Josh Schultz, and Senior Eric Fish.  Prominent reserves were Brandyn Hockstra, Fred Smyser, Mitchal Rosendall, Tyler Tooley, Zach Retterath, Miles Vincent, Alex Zuhl, and Adam Hoffhines.

We began our schedule in impressive fashion , winning our first 6 games by an average of 7 goals as we defeated Middleville TK (5-0), Byron Center (7-0), Otsego (6-1), Cedar Springs (9-1), Comstock Park (8-0), and Coopersville (9-0).  In that stretch, we outscored our opponents 44-2.

Our next game was with rival East Grand Rapids in a cold, rainy night at EGR.  Everything that could have possibly gone wrong, did.  We gave up two early goals before Eric Parks scored on a free kick, sending us into halftime down 2-1.  We played very poorly in the second half, still struggling to adjust to the wet conditions, and EGR ran all over us.  When the smoke cleared, we had been beaten 4-1.

We rebounded the next day with a 6-0 conference win over Wyoming Park, followed that with a 6-0 win over Wyoming Rogers, a pair of 8-0 victories over Sparta and Cedar Springs, and a 9-0 win over Comstock Park.

We played our last game in September 2007 in a game versus in-district rival Forest Hills Central.  FHC’s Potter scored on a service to the far post 16:28 into the game.  In the ensuing kickoff, Eric Parks touched the ball to Scott Howard, who proceeded to beat 4 of 5 FHC defenders on a direct run right up the middle of the park, scoring the equalizer just 11 seconds later.  To this day, it remains one of my favorite moments in FHE soccer, seeing Scottie’s emotion and determination take over, and watching it make its mark on the game.  Scott would score the game-winner on a header with just 3:49 left in the match, to send us off with a 2-1 victory.

Our next stretch of games included wins over Coopersville (8-0), Wyoming Park (6-1), a tie versus Portage Central (1-1), and wins versus Wyoming Rogers (8-0), Sparta (8-0), and South Haven (5-1).  We finished our regular season at 17-1-1 and had claimed the OK Blue title.

Our first Districts game was an 8-0win over Greenville, which included a Brandyn Hockstra hat-trick in a 15-minute span in the first half.

Our second Districts game was with Forest Hills Northern, a good team who packed the box defensively and looked to counter-attack, something they were quite adept at.  We went into the half 1-0 after Eric Parks scored on a free kick in the 33^rd minute.  Our midfield transitioned wonderfully from attack to defense, allowing us to continue our attacks and limit the number of FHN counters.  We outshot them 16-2 for the game, but the score stood at 1-0 until Scott Howard scored in the 62^nd minute and Miles Vincent on a backheel in the 80^th minute, ending the game with a 3-0 result.

The District Final was a memorable one.  It was a re-match versus East Grand Rapids, who had thoroughly taken us apart earlier in the season.  EGR struck first, 10:15 into the game, to take a 1-0 lead.  The two teams were toe-to-toe in an intense midfield battle of 50-50 balls.  Freshman Mitchal Rosendall went up for a 50-50 ball and EGR’s Sam Joyce came through his back in an attempt to win the ball:  as the two players went up, they clashed heads, resulting in a gash to Joyce’s eyebrow and a large gash in the back of Mitch’s head.  Mitch left the facility to be attended to as the teams fought on.  Zach Myers scored in the 36^th minute to send the teams into halftime deadlocked at 1.  The second half was scoreless, despite both teams opening up their style of play and creating numerous scoring opportunities.  I will never forget:  with about 10 minutes left in the game, I felt a tap on my shoulder:  I turned around and Mitchal Rosendall was standing there, telling me he was ready to play.  He showed me the staples up the back of his head to close his wound and his father confirmed that the doctors had given him medical clearance.  I debated putting him back into the game after his injury, but finally sent him back onto the field, where he promptly proceeded to score the game-winning goal on a beautiful side-volley with just 1:57 left to play.  Storybook moment.

In our first Regional game versus Fruitport, we came out sluggish.  I could see it in warmups, the guys looked a little bit spent, perhaps from the emotional win we eked out against EGR last game.  Though we possessed the ball pretty well, we looked very reactive and lost the battle of 50-50 balls.  The halftime score was 0-0 and during the break, the guys and I implored each other to dig in and pick up our energy level for the second half.  We did just that and Brandyn Hockstra opened the scoring for us 6 minutes into the second.  8 minutes later, Fred Smyser capitalized on a 1v1 chance with the Fruitport goalkeeper.  Scott Howard rounded out the scoring 4 minutes after that, ripping a shot that caromed off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net.  In the first 18 minutes, we had put ourselves up 3-0, a score that would stand, and we were off to the Regional Final.  Here’s the MLive article on the game:  http://blog.mlive.com/advancenewspapers_news/2007/10/hawks_overcome_slow_start_to_b.html.

We met up with Northview in the Regional  Final at Cedar Springs.  They were a solid team, but we wasted no time in coming out with a sense of urgency this time.  We outshot them 11-1 in the first half, with a goal coming from Scott Howard, and went into halftime up 1-0.  Northview came out determined in the second half and outshot us for the half, but our defense stood tall, holding them off until Eric Fish would score in the 68^th minute to give us a 2-0 lead.  That’s the way the game ended and we reveled in the win.  We were on to our second Final Four in three years.

We entered the State Semi game on Halloween night with a 22-1-1 record and would face off with #1-ranked Unity Christian, who was 23-0-1.  A combined 45-1-1, the two teams definitely showed their quality in this one:  it is one of the best games I have ever coached.  Unity got on the board first after a tremendous volley by Travis Vegter from the top of the 18, just a beautiful goal.  Following the goal, Unity put loads of pressure on us, and it took awhile to regain our composure:  their attack came in waves, but we managed to hang on to the 1-0 deficit.  We played an absolutely brilliant second half, locking Unity in their defensive third of the field, but we just couldn’t find the net.  We went from our 4-4-2 formation to a 3-4-3, then to a 2-4-4 as we were desperate to score the equalizer.  Finally, with 1:36 left in the match, Scott Howard turned at the top right-corner of the 18 and lofted a shot into the far upper 90 to tie the game with his 22^nd goal of the season.  We carried the momentum into overtime, again trapping Unity in their defensive third, and peppered their goal with shots.  After one such attack, Unity played an outlet pass up its left flank, where it was carried into our end on a quick counter-attack:  the ball was served across the mouth of the goal, where Unity wing midfielder Robbie Schrier scored the golden goal on a beautiful diving header.  It was a heartbreaking defeat.  Here’s the newspaper article on the game:  http://blog.mlive.com/advancenewspapers_news/2007/11/unity_booters_turn_back_fhe_in.html.

What a season!  We finished 22-2-1 and scored the fourth-most goals in state history (139).  We allowed just 13 goals in those 25 games and totaled 16 shutouts.  Eric Parks set school season records in goals (28), assists (19), and points (75), and was named 1^st Team All-State.  Scott Howard was named 2^nd Team All-State and Zach Myers received Honorable Mention.

This is the fourth in a series about our program's history.  I hope this helps the current players and families understand how we got to where we are and link our present to our past...

Alumni News 9/15/2010

A pair of FHE Soccer Alumni made their collegiate debuts in the past week.

Lawrence Murray (FHE Class of 2010) saw action for his Calvin College Knights on Saturday, September 11 as they defeated North Central 3-0.  Calvin's record is 4-0 as they seek another run at the NCAA Division 3 National Championship after losing in last year's Final.

Goalkeeper Graham Wallace (FHE Class of 2010) saw his first action of the year for Alma College on Tuesday, September 14.  He started in goal against NCAA Division 2 Northwood University and was kept busy early and often in the 4-0 loss, tallying 9 saves for the game.

Alumni News 9/7/2010

Congratulations to Fred Smyser (FHE Class of 2010), who scored his first collegiate goal this weekend versus Marion College.  The goal proved to be the game winner for his Olivet College team, which moved to 1-1-0 with its 2-0 win over Marion.

Zac Tolsma (FHE Class of 2008) has started all four games for his Cornerstone University team.  Cornerstone's record stands at 1-2-1.

Zach Myers (FHE Class of 2009) has been in the starting lineup for his team at Saginaw Valley State University.  SVSU's record is 1-1-0 after its first two games.

The Hawks travel tonight to West Catholic in search of the program's 100th victory.  In its previous 142 matches, FHE is 99-35-8 (.739) with 558 goals scored, 171 goals against, and 66 shutouts.

The Hawks' 2010 team enters the game at 2-1-0, while West Catholic stands undefeated at 3-0-1 with quality wins over Grandville and Forest Hills Northern.

JV kicks off at 5pm with a Varsity start of 6:45pm in the stadium at West Catholic High School.

A Look Back at Year 3:  2006

By Paul Rosenbrook

Fresh off a State Championship appearance the previous season, we were ready to take on the world in 2006.  We had graduated some talented Seniors:  Rob Saliers, Andrew Kelly, Peter Wilder, Adam Kimo, Josh Quador, Zak Zeoli, Ian Hall, and Nathan Ritchie.  Coach Matt Roberts, the 2005 State Coach of the Year, moved on to become an assistant at Aquinas College.  This would be my first season as the Men’s Varsity Head Coach at FHE.

We were set to return seven starters from the ’05 team along with several key reserves.  However, in the weeks leading up to the season, we lost three key players to suspension for the season, meaning that we would be leaning on our outstanding incoming freshman class to get over the learning curve quickly.

We started 5 freshmen that season:  goalkeeper Graham Wallace, defenders Kyle Haverkate and Lawrence Murray, midfielder Freddy Smyser, and forward Ben Thomas.  A 6^th freshman, Brandyn Hockstra, was one of the first players off the bench.  We were very young in that aspect, but Juniors Scott Howard, Andy Engle, Zac Tolsma, and Sophomores Josh Schultz and Zach Myers were battle-tested and, along with our lone Senior Pat McManus, provided a foundation of leadership and confidence.

We opened the season with an 8-0 win over Byron Center, but would lose two of our next three games to begin the season at 2-2-0.  After a 1-1 tie with a talented EGR team, we found our stride.  We went 10-1-0 over our next 11 games, including two big wins over league rival Calvin Christian, to secure our first OK Conference Championship.

At this point in the season, we began to wear down.  We were looking a step slow as many players dealt with injury and fatigue.  We lost 2-0 to Portage Central, gave up a late goal in a 3-2 loss at Godwin Heights, and narrowly defeated Comstock Park before going into our final regular season game at South Haven.

South Haven was a talented team, ranked #3 in the state at 15-3-1, which had beaten us 6-0 the season before.  They had many talented players, including 5 who would be named All-State that season, and they had great team speed.  They scored 2 goals in the first 22 minutes and looked to be poised to open the floodgates, until Freshman Brandyn Hockstra entered the game as a substitute forward.  Hockstra scored in the 26^th minute off a pass from Josh Schultz to bring us within a goal at halftime.  In the second half, it was Hockstra again, as he buried a shot in the 46^th minute following a Zac Tolsma through-ball.  The score deadlocked, the game became a physical grind, as both teams racked up over 20 fouls apiece.  After two overtimes, the game ended in a 2-2 tie.

Our regular season ended at 14-5-2, and we had earned ourselves a #5 ranking in Division 3. 

Our first Districts game was hosted by our first-round opponent, Saranac.  We took a 4-0 lead into halftime, then proceeded to score four goals in the first 10 minutes of the 2^nd half to complete the mercy rule.  Scott Howard scored four of the team’s first six goals in the win.

In the District Semifinal, we met up with Godwin Heights, who had beaten us late in the season.  This time, we were ready to play:  we outshot them 13-4 in the first half, capitalizing on goals by Scott Howard and Zac Tolsma in the first 12 minutes.  However, it was Godwin’s hero from the last matchup, Carlos Esquivel, who tallied the next goal in the 34^th minute, to bring the halftime score to 2-1.  As Godwin looked to continue its momentum, it was FHE freshman Freddy Smyser who would change the course of the match with goals in the 44^th and 54^th minutes, giving us a comfortable 4-1 lead.  Scott Howard would round out the scoring in the 63^rd minute, capitalizing on a free kick opportunity.  We were on to the District Championship.

The District Final was a matchup of two teams who had gotten to know each other very well.  Calvin Christian and FHE had quickly established a rivalry, with this game being the 8^th matchup in our first 3 seasons.  The 2005 team had lost to Calvin in our two conference games, then beat them in the District Championship as part of our remarkable state tournament run.  This season, 2006, had us beating Calvin in our two conference games, and were again matched-up with them in the District Championship.

The District Final had to be moved from Calvin Christian’s home field to Grand View Elementary, due to an excessive amount of rain and flooding.  In another deadlocked, fierce battle, both teams went into halftime at 0-0, with shots even at 5 and corner kicks at 2 apiece.  In the second half, we brought our level of play up considerably, led by Junior Scott Howard, whose 9 shots equaled Calvin’s total for team shots at the end of regulation.  Still, both teams remained scoreless, and headed for sudden-death overtime.  With 2:53 remaining in the first overtime, a Calvin central midfielder received a ball and turned, striking a seemingly-harmless shot toward the far post:  however, in the wet conditions, the ball took an odd skip and found the net to end our 2006 tournament in heartbreaking fashion.

We finished our season at 16-6-2, earning our first conference championship (OK Silver) and a #4 final state ranking in Division 3.  Scott Howard led the team with a then-school record of 24 goals, earning 2^nd Team All-State.  Juniors Andy Engle and Zac Tolsma would be named All-State Honorable Mention, along with Freshman goalkeeper Graham Wallace, who finished the season with 12 shutouts and a 0.85 goals against average.

This is the third in a series about our program's history.  I hope this helps the current players and families understand how we got to where we are and link our present to our past...

A Look Back at Year 2:  2005

By Paul Rosenbrook

We returned to the practice field in August 2005 with a good deal of excitement.  We had gained a lot of experience in our first year and returned every player from the previous season.  We also added some talent in the form of some JV call-ups, the transfer of Sophomore Eric Fish from Waterford Mott HS, and Sophomore Eric Parks joined the team after spending the previous Fall playing for his club team.

We began our season with the christening of our beautiful new stadium on August 27, 2005 in a 13-0 win over Hart High School. 

The first half of the season was a roller-coaster ride as we struggled with consistency.  We would occasionally over-achieve in a game, only to follow that performance with an equally uninspired match and lose to a weaker team.  Through the first 12 games of the season, we had compiled a disappointing 3-7-2 record.

After four consecutive wins against lower-level teams, we travelled to Portage Central for a match that was truly David vs. Goliath.  PC was a top-10 Division 1 team with the player who would go on to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year that season, and we were a second-year Division 3 program with a losing record.  We decided to play a compact 5-4-1 formation to limit space and attacking opportunities for the Mustangs.  Eric Parks was dynamic as the lone striker, counter-attacking at every opportunity, effectively attacking in 1v2 or even 1v3 situations.  Shots on goal were even at two for the half, as both teams went into halftime scoreless.  Though we were spending much time in our defensive third under fire (corner kicks were 10-0 for the game), we still managed to limit their shots, and the game was still scoreless when Parks pinged one off the goalpost with just minutes remaining.  The game ended in a 0-0 tie.  At that moment, we walked off the field having built an incredible amount of chemistry and confidence, and the feeling that we could play with any team in the state.

After a heart-breaking 1-0 conference loss a few days later to Calvin Christian, despite having out-played them, we finished our regular season with three consecutive victories.  We finished the regular season with a 10-8-3 record, a great accomplishment considering we began the season just 3-7-2.  We were on a roll, with State Playoffs just around the corner.

We hosted our first-round Districts game with Northpointe Christian, who at 17-3-0 were ranked #4 in the state.  They had dominated us earlier in the season in a 6-3 game at their home field, but now they walked in to face a different team.  The FHE crowd was large and loud as a fog settled in just above the turf.  The game was an absolute battle, back-and-forth, highly-skilled, but with neither team able to gain an edge.  Finally, it was Eric Parks who broke the scoreless tie on a rebound inside the 18 with just 6:48 remaining in the game.  However, Northpointe equalized just 43 seconds later on a goal scored from a long throw-in.  Both teams continued to battle through the overtimes, but when the dust settled, the flow of play ended in a 1-1 tie and would move into a PK shootout.  After Northpointe scored their final PK to even the penalties at 3-3, Senior Josh Quador stepped up to the spot and buried a perfectly-placed shot to earn us the victory. 

We moved on to play Otsego in our 2^nd Round Districts match, a team who had defeated us in PKs at the beginning of the season.  We came out with energy and confidence, peppering their goal, but were held scoreless until Eric Parks scored in the 27^th minute.  After Otsego was reduced to 10 men following a red card, we played a bit more conservatively, looking to limit their attacking opportunities while we counter-attacked.  The game would end in a 1-0 FHE win, and we were moving on to the District Final.

The District Final game saw us matched with Calvin Christian, a talented team with whom we had built an almost bitter rivalry over the course of just two seasons.  They had edged us out for the OK Silver Conference Championship that season after a defeating us in a pair of 1-0 games.  In another rematch in which both teams played with every ounce of determination, it was FHE who would score the first goal this time around:  Eric Parks scored in the 27^th minute off a free kick into the 18.  Sophomore Ross Peterson, a converted field player who had become our starting goalkeeper, kept Calvin off the board by making 4 saves for the game.  As the time expired, we celebrated our first Districts Championship—one that was well-deserved as we were forced to play the top 3 teams in the draw and had overcome the odds by beating them all.

Our first Regional game was against Dowagiac at Calvin Christian, a field without lights.  The Regional game the day before (Comstock Park v. Parchment) had gone into overtime, and due to the lack of light, the teams had to return to the field prior to our game to play the 2^nd Overtime.  It appeared that light wouldn’t be a factor in this one, as FHE scored twice in the first 22 minutes on goals from Scott Howard and Eric Fish.  However, Dowagiac scored twice in the final 18 minutes to equal the halftime score at 2 goals apiece.  Neither team was able to find the net in the 2^nd Half, and as we played toward the end of the 1^st OT, it began to get very dark.  MHSAA representatives told us that if neither team scored a sudden-death goal by the end of the 1^st OT, both teams would again have to return the following day to finish the game.  As the seconds wound down, Eric Parks struck volley from the touchline, a high-arcing shot from 35 or 40 yards away…the goalkeeper struggled to track it in the near-dark conditions, and it fell neatly into the goal with just 0:02 seconds remaining in the game.  Needless to say, we all went a little crazy as we moved on to the next round with a 3-2 overtime victory.

The Regional Final at Calvin Christian saw us face Parchment.  We raced out of the gate as Eric Parks scored a hat-trick in the first 16 minutes of the match.  Senior Zak Zeoli put us up 4-0 with a goal in the 43^rd minute.  We began to take our foot off the gas as we lost focus and began to look toward our next match.  As a result, Parchment came roaring back with 3 goals, bringing the score back to 4-3 with 6 minutes remaining.  Reeling, we managed to hold them off as we won our first Regional Championship and tried to comprehend how we went from such a horrible beginning to the Final Four, all in one season.

The State Semifinal was played on November 9 at Shelby High School on a night in which the wind chill was near zero.  The winds gusted and occasionally the snow fell.  Our opponent was Elk Rapids, who at 18-5-2, were one of the finest teams around.  They pummeled us early, controlling possession and creating dangerous opportunities.  ER scored the first goal of the game in just the 6^th minute.  We were now faced with trying to come back against one of the state’s top teams and had to do so without our leading scorer, Eric Parks, who sustained a training injury.  We were barely clinging to that one-goal deficit when our offense came from an unlikely source:  Senior sweeper Rob Saliers struck a brilliant 35-yard volley in the 33^rd minute to equalize before the halftime break.  In the 2^nd half, Elk Rapids continued to pummel our goal mercilessly as we just tried desperately to stay in the game.  With 10 minutes left in regulation, it was Saliers again who settled the ball, attacked the open space in front of him as he crossed the center line, and hit a shot from 30 yards that very clearly was going to go well over the goal…the opposing goalkeeper was well off his line and didn’t even move, as he read the ball clearly going over his crossbar, but with one of the night’s frequent 40 mph gusts, the win knocked the ball nearly straight down and into the empty net.  We held on for dear life to our lead and the final whistle sounded, sending us into the State Championship game.  Following the game, the despondent Elk Rapids coach would state in an interview with the Grand Rapids Press:  “We out-everythinged them and they beat us”.

The State Final was played on November 12 at East Kentwood on a beautiful Fall day.  The stands were packed with the Forest Hills faithful as people from all of the district’s schools came to watch the Cinderella Story play out.  The opponent was Detroit Country Day, the perennial powerhouse who were the defending State Champs, and had laid claim to 10 other state championships at that time in their program’s history.  Despite being a bundle of nerves, our guys played their guts out.  The game was scoreless at halftime and the shots were even.  The 2^nd half was another story as DCD ratcheted up the pressure on our defense…Senior Zak Zeoli, normally a substitute, never came off the field in the 2^nd half, as he could strike a goal kick 60+ yards in the air and that was the only way we could release the pressure on our defense.  Time after time, they came at us and we turned them away repeatedly until they were finally able to get on the board with just 6:39 remaining in regulation.  The score remained 1-0 and we had a fantastic scoring chance with 0:10 seconds remaining as Scott Howard found Eric Parks’ head with a free kick, but the shot went just inches wide of the far post.

The clock had struck midnight, but it was a fabulous ride.  Our loss in the State Final was just our 2^nd in a string of 16 games.  This team was the perfect example of what can be accomplished when you have the right mix of chemistry, guts, confidence, and luck.  I still feel that sense of pride every time I walk past the banner hanging in the gym at FHE. 

In the days to follow our final game of 2005, several members of our team were recognized by the state.  Eric Parks, Rob Saliers, and Andrew Kelly were named to the All-State teams.  Coach Matt Roberts was named the Michigan Public High School Coach of the Year for Division 3.  And our team achieved our first state ranking, a #2 Final Ranking for the season.

This is the second in a series about our program's history.  I hope this helps the current players and families understand how we got to where we are and link our present to our past...

Former FHE goalkeeper Graham Wallace (FHE Class of 2010) finds himself in a battle for the #1 goalkeeper slot at Alma College.  The Scots play their season-opener at home on September 1.

Alumni News

Former Hawks defender Kyle Haverkate (FHE Class of 2010) has won a starting job for Aquinas College's season opener.  Kyle will man the right back position for his team against Walsh University on Friday, August 27.  Kickoff is at 4pm at Aquinas College.

Former forward Ben Thomas (FHE Class of 2010) will also be starting for his team in their opener, though in a different role than he is accustomed.  An accomplished goalscorer at FHE, Ben will be Tiffin University's starting right back versus Bellarmine University on Friday, September 3 in Louisville, KY.

A Look Back at Year 1:  2004

By Paul Rosenbrook

I look back on the first team at FHE with a great fondness.  As fate would have it, the Varsity soccer coach at FHE resigned about a week before the first practice and the school called Matt Roberts to offer him the job.  Though I had been planning on taking a season off from coaching, Matt talked me into filling the role of last-minute JV coach.

I remember arriving on the school grounds for the first time that August.  It looked very different than it does now:  there was no stadium, the grass had not yet totally filled in on the soccer fields, and the school was only partially assembled as crews worked feverishly to get the facilities ready for students.

About 25 players showed up for the first day of practice.  We spent the day playing 11v11.  The team was tentative, nervous, and the play was less-than-stellar.  The group was very young, as the first year at FHE did not have a Senior class.  We had a decent group of players, but no real identity yet.  After recruiting some friends who had never played the sport before, 15-player rosters were set for both the Varsity and JV teams.

We were to play all of our games on the grass fields, which were in such rough shape that as I coached, I carried a screwdriver around to pry the giant rocks from the ground each practice.  I recall pulling hundreds and hundreds of rocks.  One half of the field was always as hard as concrete, but the other would flood every time it rained.  On top of that, the field was extremely small at 98 yards long by 45 yards wide, but we called it home.

The first game was against Spring Lake, a game we played at home.  We had a small ribbon-cutting ceremony headed by then-AD Tom Walters, then kicked off.  Spring Lake had a very strong program and we had been together for a week.  The result was an 11-0 loss, a school record that still stands as our worst defeat, but something important happened that day:  our program was born and the players never quit.

The players’ character and Coach Matt Roberts’ emphasis on discipline and hard work carried us through that season.  It built a strong foundation on all of the right things.  We stressed camaraderie and accountability and the players bought in.  The schedule wasn’t overly difficult in our first year and we were not yet a part of any conference.  We were very up and down as we gained experience and worked to catch up with other programs in the area.

The season ended with a home loss in our first District game to Calvin Christian by a score of 4-0, a game in which we thought we played very well.  We ended with a 8-10-0 record, scoring 51 goals and allowing 61. 

Juniors Andrew Kelly (forward) and Rob Saliers (sweeper), who served as team captains, were named to the All-District team.  Kelly was our leading scorer with 12 goals and 12 assists.  Saliers was named Team MVP and Peter Wilder was Most Improved.  Other standouts included Juniors Ian Hall, Adam Kimo, Josh Quador, AP Roeters, Zak Zeoli; Freshmen Andy Engle, Scott Howard, Phillip Norris, Ross Peterson, Zac Tolsma, and Kenny VanTuinen.

FHE Soccer was born and with no Seniors, the team had a year under its belt and was set to return its entire roster for the 2005 season.

This is the first in a series about our program's history.  I hope this helps the current players and families understand how we got to where we are and link our present to our past...

The Forest Hills Eastern soccer program is very proud of all of our alumni and the tradition that they have established.  Seven members of past FHE Men's Soccer teams will be playing collegiately this Fall and have begun to report to their respective schools.  We thank them for their hard work in helping to make us successful and wish them the best of luck in their upcoming seasons!

Zac Tolsma, Class of 2008, begins his 3rd season at Cornerstone College (NAIA).  Zac was a 4-year starter for the Hawks and was Honorable Mention All-State his Junior season.  For Zac's game schedule, please click here:  http://www.cugoldeneagles.com/schedule/0/5.php.

Zach Myers, Class of 2009, will play his 2nd season at Saginaw Valley State University (NCAA Div 2).  Zach started all 4 years at FHE and was a 1st Team All-State selection as a Senior.  For Zach's game schedule, click here:  http://athletics.svsu.edu/sports/msoc/2010-11/Schedule.

Graham Wallace, Class of 2010, will be joining the team at Alma College (NCAA Div 3) this Fall.  Graham was a 4-year starting goalkeeper, earning All-State honors twice.  For Graham's game schedule, please click here:  http://www.alma.edu/athletics/msoccer/schedule.

Kyle Haverkate, Class of 2010, will be in his first season with Aquinas College (NAIA).  Kyle, a 4-year starter on defense for the Hawks, was a 3rd Team All-State selection in his Senior year.  For Kyle's schedule, please click here:  http://www.aquinas.edu/athletics/mens_soccer.html.

Lawrence Murray, Class of 2010, will be joining Calvin College (NCAA Div 3) after Calvin's run to the NCAA Championship game last year.  Lawrence was a 3-year starter and 1st Team All-State selection his Senior year at FHE.  For Lawrence's schedule, click here:  http://www.calvin.edu/sports/mens/soccer/schedule.htm.

Fred Smyser, Class of 2010, will be taking his talents to Olivet College (NCAA Div 3).  Fred was a 4-year starter in the midfield for FHE and was named to the All-District team twice.  For Fred's schedule, please click here:  http://www.olivetcollege.edu/athletics/msoccer/schedule.php.

Ben Thomas, Class of 2010, begins his first season at Tiffin University (NCAA Div 2).  Ben was a 4-year starter a FHE and was a 1st Team All-State selection in his Senior year.  For Ben's schedule, please click here:  http://www.gotiffindragons.com/schedule/0/5.php.

Past collegiate players from FHE include Scott Howard, Class of 2008 (Hope College, NCAA Div 3) and Eric Parks, Class of 2008 (Cornerstone University, NAIA), and Andy Engle, Class of 2008 (Alma College, NCAA Div 3).   All three players were All-State selections while at FHE.

Senior midfielder Mitchal Rosendall will be taking his talents to Kalamazoo in the Fall of 2011, having signed on with the Broncos of Western Michigan University.

In his first 3 seasons at FHE, Mitchal has scored 22 goals and tallied 9 assists.  He has appeared in 67 games, starting 42 of those matches.  He was twice named to All-Conference and All-District teams.