Cornerstone University - News

[Men's Soccer] Bang to attend Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:15:00 -0600

Habin Bang has committed to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013. Hickman played at Wilmington Christian Academy in Hockessin, Del.

Bang ttended St. Paul American School in Beijing…2011/2012 Wilmington Christian honors included 2010/2011…8 goals and 11 assists for 27 points…WC Most Valuable Player…2011/2012-All-Conference…2^nd Team All-State…Player of the Year…Club- played for PAJU FC in Korea …Trained at the Korean National Team Football Training Center.

[Men's Soccer] Dylan Durkee will be a Golden Eagle

Randy Strawser — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:10:00 -0600

Dylan Durkee has signed to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013. Durkee is a 6'0' defensive standout soccer player from Lakewood H.S. in Lake Odessa, Mich.

Lakewood High School…broke school's season record for assists with 19 and 11 goals…received best midfielder for the past 3 years and MVP this year…Varsity Captain…All Barry County and Ionia County First teams…All Area Team Division 3 – Lansing State Journal…All District Team…All Regional Team…All Conference Team…All State honorable mention…member of the National Honor Society and valedictorian for the Class of 2013…also played Varsity basketball and Track…mission trip to North Carolina to help rebuild after a devastating tornado.

[Men's Soccer] Josh Binnendyk chooses Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:00:00 -0600

Josh Binnendyk has signed a Letter of Intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013. Beinnendyk is a 5'11" defender from Grand Haven, Mich. Josh played at Western Michigan H.S. in Muskegon, Mich.

High School Accomplishments: three year starter as a defender for Western Michigan Christian High School…Sophomore year WMC won State Championship and was awarded All Area Honorable Mention and All District…Junior year WMC was State runner up and was awarded All District…Senior year was awarded All District, All Regional, All State Second Team, Individual All Academic Award, All Conference (in the River Valley Conference), and was awarded the Warrior Award given to the most exemplary player on and off the field.

Why Josh chose CU: "I was drawn to Cornerstone by the faith based campus and to further my Christian education. I am also very excited for the opportunity to play soccer for Cornerstone. I will be majoring in youth ministry and am very excited to attend CU in the fall."

[Men's Soccer] Nimmo selects Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:55:00 -0600

Garrett Nimmo has signed a Letter fo Intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013. Nimmo is a 5'7" midfielder from Livonia, MIch.

High School Accomplishments: Broke the school assists record…Division 4 First Team All-State in 2012…Division 4 All-District and All-Region in 2010, 2011, and 2012…Division 4 First Team All-Conference…4 Year Varsity Starter…Division 4 District Champion in 2010 and 2011…Division 4 Regional Finalist in 2010 and 2011…Played with USA Futsal team in Spain against Barcelona…Multiple Mission Trips to Detroit…Two Soccer Mission Trips to Jamaica where we led a soccer camp for the local kids…. Club Soccer: Vardar and Vardar Academy Developmental Player-2012-2013…MICHIGAN WOLVES '95-2011-2012…Waza East-2010-2011…son of Jeff and Dawn Nimmo (GRBC/Cornerstone Alums)…younger brother of Brian, 3-time All Conference player who played for Golden Eagles 2009-2012.

Why I Chose CU" I chose Cornerstone to pursue my calling into full time ministry while still playing soccer at a competitive level."

[Men's Soccer] Hamilton committs to Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:45:00 -0600

Eric Hamilton from Lathrup Villiage, Mich. has signed a Letter of Intent to play soccer at Cornerstone. Hamilton is a 5'10" defender that played at Southfield Christian High School. He plays for Vardar Soccer Club.

High School Accomplishments: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior - 3 Year Varsity Starter…Junior Year (2011)…1st Team All District…District Champions…Regional Finalists…Voted Most Valuable Defender by teammates…Captain…Freshman Year (2009) & Sophomore Year (2010)…1st Team All Conference (2010)…1st Team All District (2010)…District Champion (2010)…Regional Finalist (2010)…0.65 Average Goals Against (2010)…Voted Most Valuable Defender (2010)…Captain (2010)…2nd Team All Conference (2009)…1st Team All District (2009)…Club: CSA Wolves Academy U17/U18 (2011 - present)…Vardar (2010-2011)…2011 Michigan State Cup Semi-Finalists…MRL Premier…Captain…Waza East (2009 – 2010)…2010 Michigan State Cup Semi-Finalists…2010 Annendale Cup Champions (Virginia)…MRL Premier…Captain…Super-Y: Qualified for National Championships in Florida with Alliance Academy- (Summer 2012) …Trained with a PDL (semi-pro) team during the summer (IMG Academies)- 2011….played in Vienna and Austria over the summer of 2009 for a organization called People to People.

Academic Achievements…National Honor Society…AP Chemistry…AP US History…High Honor Roll (2010, 2012)…Honor Roll (2009, 2011)

[Men's Soccer] Mitchell signs with Cornerstone

Randy Strawser — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 -0600

Reid Mitchell from Plainfield, Ill. has signed a Letter of Intent to play soccer at Cornertone beginning in the fall of 2013. Mitchell is a 5'8" defender that played for and will graduate from Plainfield East H.S.

High School Accomplishments: Two Year Varsity Starter…Senior Captain…2012 Bolingbrook All-tournament Team…Helped team to first Regional Tournament appearance…2012 Team All-Defensive Player of the Year…2010 Bengal Pride Award. Academic honors: Illinois State Scholar…National Honor Society… BALC (Bengal Athletic Leadership Counsel)…DECA…Westbrook Student Leader…Peer Communication Leader…Mission Trips (India, Mexico, and New Orleans)…wants to major in Biology…younger brother of Tyler, who played for the Golden Eagles and was a 2012 Academic All American

Why I chose CU: "I chose Cornerstone because it's more than just about soccer at CU, it's about using the talents God gives us and glorifying him with them. I want to be a part of that."

[Men's Soccer] Golden Eagles sign Nick Hopkins of Forest Hills Eastern

Randy Strawser — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:00:00 -0600

Nick Hopkins has signed a Letter of Intent to play soccer at Cornerstone beginning in the fall of 2013. Nick proved to be one of the most talented goalkeepers in the state this season. A three-year varsity player at Forest Hills Eastern, Nick was named All Conference, All District, All Region and All-State 2^nd Team as a senior. He was named the team's MVP as a senior after posting a 0.84 goals-against average and notching 10 shutouts during senior season. He allowed just 14 goals in 18 games during his senior campaign.

Coach Bell on Hopkins: "We feel Nick certainly has all the tools to become a very good goalkeeper. He's big, strong, kicks the ball well and has a good presence in goal.

Nick says he chose Cornerstone because "he really felt that God led him here. I am excited to be able to play close to home and really like the coaching staff and their spiritual commitment. "

[Men's Soccer] Golden Eagles named to NSCAA All-Mideast Region Team

Randy Strawser — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:40:00 -0600

Five members of the 2012 Golden Eagles Men's Soccer team were honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America by being named to the All-Mideast Region team. Kyle Breckan, Jake Stanko, and Issac Grotenhuis were all named to the First Team whilce Matt Osorio and Treveo Hunt were named to the Second Team. Click here to see the full list of the 2012 All-Mideast Region team.

[Men's Soccer] Men's Soccer Grabs National Recognition

Aimee Luurtsema — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 12:50:00 -0600

The announcement was made on November 30 for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-Americans and Daktronics-NAIA All-American Scholar-Athletes. The Cornerstone men's soccer team placed four players on the NAIA Scholar-Athlete award.

Junior defender Mark Kunnen, senior midfielder Tyler Mitchell, senior defender Jesse Pipe, and senior defender Doug Sjoerdsma all represent the Golden Eagles for the prestigious honor. Student-athletes are nominated by their institution's head coach and must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status in order to qualify for the honor.

The Golden eagles finished one of their most successful seasons this past fall with an overall record of 14-3-2. The men finished the WHAC regular season with a commanding first place position with a 10-1 record in league play. Cornerstone reached the finals of the conference only to end up losing in a tough penalty kick battle to Aquinas College.

[Men's Soccer] Grotenhuis receives Dr. LeRoy Walker Champion of Character award

Randy Strawser — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:20:00 -0600

Isaac Grotenhuis has been named the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) 2012-13 Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character Award recipient. The NAIA named the award after United States Olympic Committee President Emeritus Dr. Walker, who served as president through the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. Dr. Walker also was a former president of the NAIA. It recognizes a student-athlete such as Isaac who excels in athletics and academics, and is committed to the Champions of Character program's five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.

Click here to read the full release.

[Men's Soccer] Cornerstone falls in penaltly kicks to Aquinas

Randy Strawser — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:55:00 -0600

It was everything that was promised, plus some. Cornerstone and Aquinas split their two meetings this season with each team winning 1-0 in double overtime. Tonight was just more of the same as the teams battled to a 2-2 double overtime score and had to go to penalty kicks to decide the game. Aquinas struck first just 1 1/2 minutes into the game. Michael Gagnon beat a CU defender in the right corner and he whipped a ball into the face of the goal to Casey Higgason who finished it off with a header to the far post. The Saints had another great chance within a couple more minutes but Tyler Fischer put his shot over the goal. Cornerstone equalized in the 12th minute of play when Brian Nimmo took a through ball from Matt Osorio and beat the GK to the ball and chipped it over him into the goal. Aquinas struck again in the 32^nd minute. Tyler Fischer made a diagonal run into the box and received a pass from Michael Gagnon and he hit a left footed shot back towards the far post to make it 2-1. Cornerstone outshot Aquinas 9-7 in the first half of play. Aquinas put the Golden Eagles under pressure in the second half and controlled the play early in the half but GK Kyle Breckan played solid in the goal and kept a clean sheet through the period. Cornerstone equalized in the 84^th minute. Matt Osorio took a ball off his chest on the right side of the field and hit a volley over the back of the defense to Brian Nimmo who hit a shot from about 15 yards out into the left side of the goal to tie the score at 2-2. The teams played two scoreless 10 minute overtimes and had to go to penalty kicks. Cornerstone converted their first four penalty kicks but missed their last one and Aquinas made all five of their to win the game. Aquinas advances to the NAIA National Tournament with the win. Cornerstone's season comes to an end with a 14-3-2 record.

[Men's Soccer] Live streaming available for tonight's WHAC Championship

Randy Strawser — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:20:00 -0600

The men's soccer team will be playing cross town rival Aquinas for the WHAC Championship tonight. The two team split games this season with both teams winning 1-0 in double overtime. The game features #1 Cornerstone (9-1 in WHAC) against #2 Aquinas (8-3 in WHAC) in a game that should be a classic. Aquinas led the WHAC in scoring average (3.3 per game) while Cornerstone led the league in shutouts (9) and was second in goals against average. Cornerstone has the WHAC Defensive Player of the Year in GK Kyle Breckan and Aquins has the Offensive Player of the Year in Tyler Fischer who led the league in scoring with 25 goals. The game will be streamed live on the internet. Click here to watch the game.

[Men's Soccer] Cornerstone advances to WHAC final with 4-0 win over Marygrove

Randy Strawser — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 21:30:00 -0600

The Golden Eagles got off to a golden start today as they went on to defeat Marygrove 4-0 to advance to the WHAC final. Senior Brian Nimmo beat his man down the left side of the field and he dribbled down the end line and laid a ball back across the face of the goal to senior Jake Stanko that directed the ball into the right side of the goal with his thigh to make it 1-0 just 1:02 into the first half. Senior Brice Snellink made it 2-0 in the 18th minute of play by heading in a Richard Moylan corner kick. Issac Grotenhuis had a chance to make it 3-0 late in the half on a through ball but his shot just missed to the right of the goal. The Golden Eagles took a 2-0 lead into halftime. The teams came out in the second half with high intensity. A key moment in the game when Marygrove leading scorer Jordan Berry was taken down just outside the penalty box. Marygrove was awarded a free kick from the spot of the foul but Berry was given a yellow card for language or dissent on the play. A few minutes later the referee stopped play to came over to warn the Marygrove bench for talking and then went back out to the field. On the way back out Berry was given a second yellow for dissent and was ejected from the game. Marygrove then had to play a man down for the remainder of the game which was a tall task at that point. Cornerstone's third goal came off of a penalty kick by Matt Osorio. Isaac Grotenhuis had been fouled right in front of the goal as he attempted to volley a ball into the goal. Grotenhuis then made it 4-0 in the 83rd minute of play. Grotenhuis took a through ball and cut the ball across two defenders into the middle of the field at the top of the box and blasted a shot past the Mustang GK to finish off the scoring for Cornerstone. The Golden Eagles got off 19 shots to Marygrove's 5 shot in the game. Cornerstone advances to the WHAC Final on Friday night when they will host Aquinas (5-4 winner over Northwestern Ohio in PK's) at 7:00 p.m. Cornerstone split their two games this season with each team winning their game in double overtime.

[Men's Soccer] Golden Eagles defeat Crusaders 1-0 in OT

Randy Strawser — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 20:15:00 -0600

The Golden Eagles still remembered the stinging loss to Madonna last year in the first round of the WHAC playoffs and they faced them again in the first round of the 2012 playoffs tonight and it turned out to be another nail biter. Cornerstone almost took an early lead when Richard Moylan hit a shot in the 3rd minute that GK John Boudreau just got his hand on and deflected the ball off the crossbar for a corner kick. Cornerstone dominated play early in the game. The Golden Eagles outshot the Crusaders 16-4 in the first half of play but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Madonna came out in the second half and kept Cornerstone locked in their defensive half for much of the period and had some very good chances but they couldn't convert either. Cornerstone out shot Madonna 8-6 in the second half but Madonna probably had the better of the chances around the goal. The Golden Eagles switched gears in the overtime period and put a lot more pressure on the Crusaders. The Golden Eagles got off 3 shots in both overtime periods and Senior Matt Osorio converted on a header in the 106th minute of play. Osorio headed a Tristan Esprit cross on goal and a Madonna defender could not clear the ball out and the ball went into the goal for a thrilling 1-0 overtime win for the Golden Eagles who improved to 13-3-1 on the season. #1 Cornerstone will host #5 Marygrove (2-1 OT winner over Indiana Tech) on Tuesday night at 7:00 for the WHAC Semifinal game. #3 Northwestern Ohio will face #2 Aquinas in the other Semifinal game.

[Men's Soccer] Golden Eagles well represented on All-WHAC teams

Randy Strawser — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:40:00 -0600

The Golden Eagles had another fantastic season and many individuals received WHAC honors for their efforts this year. Coach Mark Bell was named WHAC Coach of the Year for guiding the team to it's second consecutive WHAC regular season title. Senior GK Kyle Breckan was named WHAC Defensive Player of the Year. Breackan anchored the defense and gave up just 17 goals on the season. Cornerstone also had four field players that made First Team All-Conference with Breckan. Seniors Isaac Grotenhuis, Jake Stanko, Matt Osorio, and Trevor Hunt were all voted to the First Team by the WHAC coaches. Senior Brian Nimmo was voted to the Second Team. Several Golden Eagles also made the All-Academic team including: Mark Kunnen, Brian Nimmo, Nate Weflen, Justin Schoepke, Jesse Pipe, Doug Sjoerdsma, and Tyler Mitchell. Kyle Breckan was also named to the Champions of Character team. #1 Cornerstone will host #8 Madonna on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the WHAC Quarterfinal.