The coach of the Cedar Springs varsity soccer team, Coach Avink, was thrilled with the team’s performance last week. “This was a great week for the guys to end their regular season! They had two awesome wins! We’re going into districts with an overall record of 11-7.”

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 was a special night for the team as they honored their senior players prior to the event. The senior players honored were Steven King, Cody Cook, Gabe Martins, Austin Mora, Jake Prahl, and Matt Gravelin. The Red Hawks hosted the Belding Redskins, ending the game early due to the mercy rule, with a score of 8-0. The offensive players maneuvered the ball skillfully during the game and defense protected their end of the field well, not allowing the Redskins many opportunities to score. The Cedar scoring began when senior Steven King dropped the ball over the goalie and landed it into the back of the net. (Assist: Jake Prahl). Cody Cook added a second goal as he ran through the Belding defense allowing a close shot into the net. With less than three minutes before the half, Zach Hawkins shot one into the net (Assist: Cody Cook) and Austin Mora connected with the ball for a fourth goal. (Assist: Tyler Hinton). The Red Hawks continued the scoring after the half, with two goals being credited to Robert Klein (Assists: Cody Cook and Aaron Dault). Kyle Szirovecz also contributed two goals, with the final goal being assisted by Austin Mora.

On October 14, the fans enjoyed the final game of the season at Red Hawk stadium, as they watched an aggressive match-up between the Cedar Springs Red Hawks and the West Catholic Falcons. The Red Hawks scored the first goal at the minute marker of 31:03, when Austin Mora finished off a well-placed corner kick that he received in front of the net from Jake Rickner. As the game continued both teams battled for the ball, yet the scored remained 1-0 at the half. Eight minutes into the second half, the Cedar momentum continued when Ryan Austin crossed the ball over in front of the net, allowing Kyle Szirovecz an open back door angle into the Falcon’s net. The win was truly a team effort. Cedar defense; consisting of a combination of Ron Fisk, Tyler Hinton, Aaron Dault, and Steven King; managed to shut down the Falcon’s offensive. Midfielders consisting of Austin Mora, Zach Hawkins, Robert Klein, and Jake Rickner held a strong position against the Falcon charge. Cedar goalie Kyle Coutchie had an outstanding game, as he made multiple saves during the event, allowing the Falcons only one goal from a break away late in the game. At the final buzzer, Cedar claimed victory over the Falcons with a final score of 2-1.
This team has shown dedication and teamwork as they consistently played their hearts out all season. Each one has improved their soccer skills over the season. They are truly an example of Red Hawk spirit and pride. The team has made us all proud of our Red Hawk Boys Varsity Soccer program.

It was a perfect fall evening when the boys Varsity soccer team arrived at Boomer Park Wednesday September 30 to work with younger soccer players in the area. “The team wanted a way to give back to the community and build up the soccer program,” explained Coach Kyle Avink. “So many of the kids on the team have been a product of these youth programs here in Cedar Springs and they couldn’t think of a better way to give back than by helping out and being a role model to these young kids.”

The guys got to work as soon as they stepped onto the field. They split up into groups and worked with the different teams that were out practicing. They were out running drills and teaching the kids everything they knew.

“It is so great to see these guys out here teaching the kids things they know, as well as sharing things they have been learning over the season. The way I see it, it’s a win-win opportunity for both sides!” remarked Avink.

“This experience is helping these guys realize the impact that they have on these young kids on and off the field. They have worked hard this season and have gone above and beyond to become a team, with a goal of taking the soccer program to the next level.” They are a great representation of the Cedar Springs community and we are proud of our Red Hawk soccer players! Keep it up guys!

Defender Aaron Dault sends the ball up the field.

The Grand Rapids Central Rams defeated the Cedar Springs Red Hawks on September 29, with a score of 6-3. Both teams battled aggressively for the ball, but the Rams offensive capitalized on several defensive openings. Two Cedar goals came from midfielder Zach Hawkins, with assists being credited to Gabe Martins and Jake Rickner. In the second half, Tyler Hinton found the back of the net with an assist from Austin Mora.

On October 1, there was excitement in the air at Red Hawk stadium as the stands filled with AYSO/CASSA  players and supportive fans to watch the Red Hawks take on

Goalie Kyle Coutchie gets his hands on the ball. Also pictured Tylyer Hinton.

Coopersville. A special feature of the event took place during half time as the AYSO/CASSA teams were introduced to the crowd. The Cedar varsity team came to the field fired up and gave the crowd something to cheer about as they shut out Coopersville with a score of 4-0. Within the first three minutes of the game, Cedar racked up two points on the scoreboard. Forward Robert Klein kicked in the first goal as he received the ball in front of the net from Jake Rickner. Forward Kyle Szirovecz quickly followed with a second goal as he made a back kick on the ball and blasted the ball into the net. (assist: Austin Mora). Kyle Szirovecz scored the third goal, as the Coopersville keeper came out for the ball, leaving the net open. (assist Robert Klein and Austin Mora). The final goal of the night occurred when defender Aaron Dault sent a long kick up to Zach Hawkins, who then drilled the ball into the net. At the end of the game, a fan commented, “This group plays with fire and enthusiasm. More importantly, they exhibit good sportsmanship, win graciously and use losing as a reason to improve. What a great group of players who are exciting to watch and who play as a team.”

Coach Avink added, “We started out a little slow in the week, but ended on a very strong note! AYSO/CASSA night was a huge success. Thanks to all those who helped make that happen!” Come out and cheer on your Red Hawk varsity soccer team this week.

The Red Hawks started the week out strong on September 21, as they battled against Kenowa Hills. The Knights managed to kick in their lone goal quickly, but the rest of the game belonged to the Red Hawks as they pelted in a total of six shots for the night, giving Cedar the victory 6-1.

Cedar was on their game as their forwards dominated control of the ball, defense challenged any intruders in their territory and goalie Kyle Coutchie kept the net empty. Senior Cody Cook finished the first goal, heading the ball into the net. (Assist: Zach Hawkins). Forward Robert Klein added a second goal (Assist: Cody Cook). The Red Hawks scored again due to offensive pressure on the ball in front of the Knight’s net, causing the ball to be deflected off a Kenowa Hills player into their net. In the final minute of the first half, Zach Hawkins kicked a lofting ball over the goalie into the net. Goal five was credited to defender Ron Fisk as he ran up from the backfield and arched the ball over the fingertips of the goalie, dropping the ball in the net. With 38 seconds left on the clock, Cedar Cody Cook fought through the defense and blasted in the final goal.

On September 22, Cedar visited West Catholic to play the Falcons. The physical game challenged the offense, defense, and keeper skills as the Falcons continuously pressured the team at all angles. Cody Cook scored the only Red Hawk goal as the team worked their way through the defense, allowing a shot to be directed into the corner of the net. (Assist: Robert Klein). Even though Cedar’s goalkeeper, Kyle Coutchie, was credited with multiple saves for the game, by the end of the event, Cedar came up short by a score of 5-1.

The third game of the week (September 24) was a hard fought, aggressive match up between OK-Blue conference rivals Cedar Springs and Sparta. Cedar lit up the scoreboard with the first goal as freshman Kyle Szirovecz shot the ball into the corner of the net. With 2:22 left in the first half, Sparta headed in a corner kick, leaving the score 1-1. Six minutes into the second half, Cedar picked up the scoring, as Kyle Szirovecz scored on a penalty kick in the box. Shortly after, Kyle Szirovecz was once again tackled in the box. This allowed Cedar a third goal, as freshman Robert Klein booted in the penalty kick in the box. Sparta quickly added two more goals. Both scores were a result of penalty kicks being direct into a congested Cedar goal area allowing the ball to be knocked into the net. Sparta scored the winning goal on a penalty kick due to a handball in the box. Cedar fans left the field proud of the Red Hawk players for the determination and sportsmanship their team exhibited on and off the field.

“We are a different team than when we started the season,” said Coach Kyle Avink. “The guys have improved a lot and we look forward to some more exciting games!” Go Red Hawks!

Strong, reliable defense and goal tending, combined with offensive ball control and accurate passing resulted in two victories for the Red Hawks this week, as they kept their opponents scoreless.

Red Hawk #5 Tyler Hinton going for a header. (Also pictured #11 Austin Mora)

The Red Hawks hosted the Comstock Park Panthers on September 15 and the game ended with a shut out score of 5-0. The scoring began as Austin Mora blasted in a quick penalty kick from just outside of the box. Robert Klein directed in the second goal after receiving the ball from Austin Mora. Within minutes, Robert Klein pushed in another goal with the assist credited to Kyle Szirovecz. Robert Klein opened the scoring in the second half, giving him another hat trick for the season. (Assist: Austin Mora). Kyle Szirovecz kicked in the final goal as he directed the ball into the corner of the net. (Assist: Zach Hawkins).

The following night, the scoring was fast and furious as Cedar Springs finished the game early against Belding, due to the mercy rule with a final score of 8-0. About two minutes into the game, Jake Rickner scored on a breakaway, with an assist from Zach Hawkins. The second goal came within minutes, when a header by Austin Mora was deflected off the goal post and finished off by Kyle Szirovecz. Jake Rickner knocked in the third goal after receiving a sideline pass up from Austin Mora. Goal four was a result of a powerful shot at the net by Robert Klein, which the Panther goalie deflected, and then the ball was followed up by the quickness of Kyle Szirovecz. Cody Cook fought hard through the Belding defense and plowed in another goal. (Assist: Zach Hawkins). Robert Klein finished off the half, adding goal number 6, with another assist from Zach Hawkins. The Red Hawks continued their aggressive play after the half, as Robert Klein hit the back of the net yet again. (Assist: Zach Hawkins). The game was finished off with about 20 minutes remaining, when Zach Hawkins launched a shot from the 18 and placed the ball into the upper 90 leaving the Belding keeper without a chance. Cedar Springs goalkeeper Kyle Coutchie also made some outstanding saves for the night, including a fully extended grab nearly on the goal line.

Score! #13 Freshman Robert Klein kicks in a goal! (Also pictured # 5 Tyler Hinton)

“The guys have had a really solid week with some impressive game play!” said Coach Kyle Avink. “We look forward to an exciting week ahead as we face some tough teams, including our second match-up in conference game with our Spartan rivals as they face off on Thursday September 24 at  Sparta.” Please come out and cheer on this exciting team as they take on GR Central and Coopersville this next week. Keep up the heat!

Red Hawk Jake Rickner clearing out the ball. Also pictured are Bo Cook, Lee Tompkins, and Tyler Hinton

Exciting and entertaining! That’s the understatement of the week as the Red Hawks faced off their opponents this week. On Wednesday, 9/9/09, the Red Hawks traveled to Fremont. Numerous shots ricocheted off the goal posts and crossbars. Although the Red Hawks defense was frequently tested, the Cedar team prevailed with a score of 4-1. The offensive line (consisting of a combination of Robert Klein, Kyle Szirovecz, Jake Rickner, Lee Tompkins, Gabe Martins, Ryan Austin and Brandon Goodenough) was aggressive and utilized its speed, crisp passing and ball control, to keep most of the action in Fremont’s end of the field. At the minute marker of 20:31, forward Brandon Goodenough scored the only goal of the first half with an assist from Zach Hawkins. Captain, defender Ron Fisk opened the scoring in the second half at the 22:54 mark as he ran the ball up the field and blasted the ball into the Fremont net. Cedar’s third goal came from a penalty kick in the box shot in by Robert Klein. Shortly after, Gabe Martins punched in a fourth goal with an assist credited to Jake Rickner and Robert Klein. Fremont scored late in the game. An unusual Cedar foul call, within the Cedar box, resulted in a hurried turnover to Fremont and a quick kick into an undefended goal. The following night on 9/10/09, Cedar Springs battled against Forest Hills Northern at home. Although the Red Hawks played hard through out the game, the Forest Hills Northern team dominated the ball and continuously challenged the skills of the Red Hawk team. Throughout the event, pressure was kept on freshman goalie Kyle Coutchie as he made multiple saves, yet the FH Northern offensive managed to knock in seven goals verses 2 goals for Cedar. The Red Hawks first goal was booted in by junior Jake Rickner with an assist from freshman Robert Klein. The second goal came from the quick moves of freshman Kyle Szirovecz.  Reflecting back over the game, Coach Avink and the Cedar fans can be proud of their team as they never gave up and in fact even seemed to turn up the heat a degree in the last half of the game. Way to persevere Red Hawks! Keep the heat on high! Coach Avink added, “I think the guys learned a lot from the games this week, I couldn’t be more proud of the way they have come together as a team! It’s fun to watch.” You too should come out and cheer on your home team next week as they travel away and face off against Kenowa Hills, West Catholic, and Sparta!

The Cedar Springs Red Hawks varsity soccer team started out the week strong on August 31, as they hosted Wyoming Rogers. In the first ten minutes of the match, Cedar scored four goals. Forward Robert Klein scored the first goal when he followed up with a rebound kick, which was the result of the Wyoming Rogers goalie bobbling a powerful shot from Kyle Szirovecz. Goal two came from Cody Cook as he connected with the ball and pushed it into net. Goal three was booted in on a break away from Robert Klein, who then followed up with the team’s fourth goal, when he received the ball from Kyle Szirovecz. The Red Hawks weren’t done, however, with Zach Hawkins scoring a goal, and Jake Rickner scoring two before the half was complete. The game ended about eight minutes into the second half due to the mercy rule, after Zach Hawkins scored another goal, making the final score 8-0. Goal assists were credited to Cody Cook and Jake Holtrop. It was definitely a team effort.

Red Hawk Gabe Martins controlling the ball

The following night on September1, the Cedar team went head to head against Grand Rapids Central on their home turf. The energy could be felt during the entire game as the two teams aggressively battled back and forth. Once again with a quick start to the game, Red Hawk forward Kyle Szirovecz blasted the ball into the net with an assist from Robert Klein. GR Central returned the challenge and recorded two goals of their own. But with 15 minutes left in the first half, Cedar tied the score when Gabe Martins powered a PK past the Rams goalie. The Cedar team came back from the half fired up with speed and determination. Cheers came from the Cedar fans when Ryan Austin found the back of the net with an assist coming from Gabe Martins, giving the team the lead. Gabe Martins quickly followed up with a fourth goal assisted from Austin Mora. Zach Hawkins continued the momentum as he made a run through the offensive line shooting the ball into the net. With just over two minutes remaining GR Central kicked in the final goal of the night. But at the buzzer, Cedar struck victory with a score of 5-3.

Cedar Springs Defenders Steven King and Ron Fisk

The team’s final game of the week took place on September 3, when they traveled to their first away game against Coopersville. The Coopersville team out scored the Red Hawks 3-0 in a spirited game dominated by Coopersville defense. Coach Avink commented, “The guys are learning a lot already this season. We’ve had a good week with some very solid wins! Win or lose, we look at things we did well and things we need to work on so that we can move on to the next game better than we were before!”

Come out and support your Red Hawk team this week as they play Comstock Park at home on September 15 at 6:45p.m. and on Sept. 16 they will travel to Belding. Go Red Hawks!