Above: Senior midfielder Marshall VanBelkum looks to collect a pass.
2020 at a Glance
- Roster size: 37
- Returners: 24
- Captains: Seniors Scott Brooks, Nathaniel Hentschel, Max Kuiper
- MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll: First
2019 Recaps
- MIAA Regular Season: The Flying Dutch recorded their second consecutive undefeated season (6-0) on their way to their second consecutive MIAA regular-season title. Hope posted a 12-3 record overall.
- MIAA Tournament: Hope won their first-ever MIAA Tournament title by defeating Albion College in a nail-biter, 6-5. In the championship game, freshman long-stick midfielder Brayden Blackburn scored the go-ahead goal for Hope with 3 minutes, 57 seconds remaining. The Flying Dutchmen then sealed the victory by forcing an Albion turnover in the closing seconds, despite being a man down due to a penalty. In the semis, Hope dominated rival Calvin University, 15-3.
- NCAA Tournament: With the automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship due to their MIAA Tournament title, the Flying Dutchmen were edged by John Carroll University in overtime, 7-6, in the first round.
ABOVE: Sophomore Brayden Blackburn, a second team All-MIAA honoree in 2019, celebrates with assistant coach Chris Scheldt.
2020 Men's Lacrosse Roster
The Flying Dutchmen roster consists of nine seniors, five juniors, 13 sophomores and 10 freshmen. A veteran squad leads young talent into the 2019 campaign.
Key Returner
Senior attacker Max Kuiper was named to the All-MIAA First Team in 2018 and 2019. He played in all 18 games for the Flying Dutchmen, leading the team in assists (33) while having the second most goals (36).
Key Returner
Senior defender Andrew Caris earned All-MIAA First Team honors in 2018 and 2019. Playing in every Hope game in 2019, Caris led the Flying Dutchmen in ground balls (76) and had the second most caused turnovers (32).
Key Returner
Cole Scheffler was instrumental to the Flying Dutchmen's attack as a face-off specialist in 2019. Sophomore Scheffler became an All-MIAA First Team Honoree in 2019 because of it as he led Hope in face-off percentage (66%/138-of-207).
Other Hope Players to Watch
Head Coach Michael Schanhals
Michael Schanhals has a long association with the program, first as an athlete, then as coach of the college's club team and now as head coach of the NCAA Division III program since the 2013 season.
Schanhals played goalie and attack on Hope's club team and was elected captain in 1990. He played post-collegiately as a member of the Grand Rapids LC, Shooters LC, and the Westside Blue Dragons LC.
In the fall of 2000, Hope made a move to compete in Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) as a part of the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association. Schanhals was named head coach at the beginning of the 2005 spring season. The Flying Dutchmen were the Central Division Champs in 2010, and Schanhals was named the CCLA Coach-of-the-Year in 2009.
Assistant Coach Bios
"The culture of the team is great. The guys really enjoy each other's company. They work together really well. They love each other. They are having a great time. Even on a random Tuesday in February at practice, they'll have the tunes going and they'll be smiling and there'll be high energy. So we're just trying to win every day like that, and then I think good results happen. But there's no guarantee. I'm really excited for the challenge, though, and I think the guys are, too." — Head Coach Michael Schanhals
Men's Lacrosse By the Numbers
- 2. Consecutive MIAA regular-season titles.
- 4. Consecutive winning seasons.
- 13. Men's lacrosse student-athletes who were named to the MIAA Honor Roll with GPAs of 3.5 or higher.
- 14. Wins during the 2019 season, second-most in program history.
Credits:
Lynne Powe and Steven Herppich