The Hope College women’s soccer team has made rapid progress during fall camp under their new head coach Holly Van Noord.
The Flying Dutchmen had a head start in preparing for the 2024 season, with Van Noord serving as assistant coach to the retiring head coach for the past three seasons. Leigh Sears.
“They know me and we have built strong relationships,” Van Noord said. “Building that trust also helps a lot.”
In June, Van Noord, a record-setting goalkeeper for Liberty University and Hudsonville Unity Christian High School, was named the seventh head coach of the Flying Dutch women’s soccer team.
Sears – Hope’s winningest women’s soccer coach with 270 wins and six MIAA titles – took a full-time position as an instructor in the college’s kinesiology department.
Van Noord has coached the Hudsonville High School girls soccer team for the past six spring seasons. Hudsonville posted an overall record of 83-22-16 (.752) during Van Noord’s tenure and was the 2023 MHSAA Division 1 state runner-up.
Coaching staff
Head coach: Holly Van Noordfirst season
Deputy Head Coach: Elliot Slenk
Assistant Coach: Leigh Sears
As a student-athlete, Van Noord was a member of Liberty’s women’s soccer team from 2012-2016 and became the Flames’ first Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2014, 2016). Van Noord set a Big South Conference record with 34 career shutouts.
In high school, Van Noord set state records with 75 career shutouts for Unity Christian and 24 shutouts in a season in 2011. Van Noord led the Crusaders to three MHSAA Division 3 state titles and a second-place finish in Division 3.
Van Noord holds a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Liberty.
Squad 2024
The Flying Dutch’s 28-man roster consists of five seniors, eleven juniors, eight sophomores and four freshmen.
Hope returns with two All-MIAA First Team selections: senior forward Carley Wagasky (Grand Haven, Michigan / Grand Haven HS) and junior striker Ainsley Harris (Zeeland, Mich. / Holland Christian).
Wagasky was the Flying Dutch’s top scorer with nine points and 19 points in 18 games. She shares the captaincy with the experienced defender Gabby Chabala (Canton, Michigan / Dearborn Divine Child) and junior defender MEga McCauley (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Rockford).
Harris was Hope’s top player with six assists and was second with four goals in 18 games.
Experienced striker Margaret Owsiany (Westerville, Ohio / Westerville Central) scored four goals in nine games.
Wagasky and Harris are among five returning players who played all 18 games last season. The others are junior midfielders Liz Bellinger (Williamston, Michigan / Williamston), junior midfielder Lauren Ellinger (Fishers, Indiana / Hamilton Southeastern) and second-year goalkeeper Clara Feenstra (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville).
Feenstra (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) was selected to the All-MIAA Second Team in 2023.
The Flying Dutch have completed three transfers: senior goalkeeper Kendall Roberston (Jerome, Michigan / Western), junior defender Grace Fowler (Cumming, Georgia / Pinecrest Academy) and sophomore forward Kayla Cannon (Holland, Michigan/Holland Christian).
“They’re super hungry after the season and really want to keep going,” Van Noord said. “Work ethic will play a big part in that. I like to demand a lot from their positions. The players will get the opportunity to show what they can do. I’m looking forward to starting from scratch and pretending I don’t know them. That’s the beauty of preseason. They’ve laid a lot of foundations. I’m looking forward to putting that to the test and going up against good competition right away.”
Schedule 2024
The Flying Dutch open the season at Centre College (Kentucky) on Friday, August 30th at 7 p.m. The two teams played a 1-1 tie in their first meeting at Van Andel Soccer Stadium last season.
Hope’s first home game will be Monday, September 2, at 1 p.m. against Carleton College (Minnesota), which has participated in the NCAA Division III tournament the past two seasons.
The Flying Dutch will play seven more home games, including the team poster giveaway on Saturday, September 14 at 1 p.m. against Illinois Tech.
Hope’s first MIAA game will be on Wednesday, October 2nd at 4 p.m. at the University of Olivet.
The Flying Dutch, who finished second in the MIAA Preseason Women’s Coaches Poll, will host preseason favorite and 15th-ranked Calvin University on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
“We’ll have a wide range of competition,” Van Noord said. “I’m looking forward to our games because we can focus on what we want to achieve no matter who we’re playing against. That’s how I like to train: focusing on our identity and building on that. It will be fun to see them put to the test.”
