Home of Champions
Thrice as Nice!
The Hope College women’s basketball team forged a milestone in the Steel City as the third women’s NCAA Division III program in history to win three national championships, following up titles in 1990 and 2006.
The 2021-22 season provided an opportunity for a championship run that had been denied in both 2020 – when the Flying Dutch were about to host a sectional round – and 2021 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Cheered on by large numbers of fans in the arena and watching across the country, the 32-1 Flying Dutch capped a three-year journey by defeating the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 71-58, in the March 19 title game at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Two days earlier, Hope topped MIAA co-champion Trine University, 57-52, in the national semifinals.
Senior Sydney Muller was named the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by junior guard Ella McKinney. Senior guard Kenedy Schoonveld was selected as recipient of the Jostens Trophy for the most outstanding Division III women’s basketball player and player of the year honors from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com.
Please visit Hope online for additional celebration of the championship run including a photo gallery; coverage of all the games, and team and individual honors; and links to numerous media accounts.
Back 2 Back
It was a sweet repeat for the Hope College ice hockey team as the Flying Dutchmen skated to back-to-back American Collegiate Hockey Association national championships and the third ACHA title in five years and program history.
Hope downed the University of Michigan’s ACHA team, 2-1, in the championship game on March 15 in St. Louis, Missouri, at USA Arena-Centene Community Ice Center. Junior forward Colin Stecco scored the game-winning goal in the second period. Freshman goalie Maclane Schick made 22 saves against the Wolverines.
The victory capped a sterling 34-1 record for 2021-22, the most wins in a season since Hope hockey started in 1996-97. The Flying Dutchmen won four of their five games at the ACHA National Championship by one goal, including a 3-2 victory against the University of Arkansas in the March 14 national semifinals, a rematch of the 2021 national championship that Hope won in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Please visit Hope online for additional celebration of the championship run including a photo gallery, coverage of all the games and more, including a post-victory video interview with coach Chris Van Timmeren ’97.
