Friday, October 18 is the annual Night of Nets match for the Cornerstone University Men's Soccer team. The Golden Eagles will host Lourdes University starting at 7:00 p.m. at the CU Soccer Stadium. Long sleeve Night of Nets shirts will be for sale for $10 at the event, with each shirt also providing a bed net to Sub-Saharan Africa to help combat malaria.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Night of Nets movement is well recognized in the Cornerstone community. For the past eight years, the university has hosted several sports contests where every shirt sold also provides a bed net to families in Sub-Saharan Africa to help combat the deadly disease of malaria. In addition to Cornerstone, over 70 high schools and colleges from across the nation have joined the movement and hosted Night of Nets events. The schools' efforts have combined to send more than 35,000 bed nets to Africa. Perhaps the strongest partnership has been with Holland Christian high school, where the soccer team has participated in a Night of Nets event each year since 2013.
Holland Christian is coached by Dave DeBoer (CU '10), who played two years of soccer while attending Cornerstone. The connection between DeBoer and Cornerstone provided a bridge to bring the Night of Nets movement to Holland Christian. The event has become an annual tradition between the Maroons and their rivals from Holland High School. Over the years, the schools have pitched in well over 3,000 bed nets through their efforts.
Chip Huber, Associate Vice President for Student Development and Athletics at Cornerstone, has been at the forefront of Night of Nets since its inception. "I'm so thrilled to see our CU athletes leverage the power of sport to literally change and save the lives of so many around the world." Huber said. "It models in a tangible way what our vision for athletics as a Christian University could and should be. It's a joy to see our alums help take Night of Nets to their teams and schools as coaches and teachers."
Friday evening's match against Lourdes will be the fourth 'Night of Nets' for seniors Benjamin Stump and Joshua Busscher at Cornerstone, but seventh as teammates, as the duo also played in such games while at Holland Christian.
Stump, Allyn Anthony (CU '19), and Busscher played against their high school coach, Dave DeBoer (CU '10), in a recent Cornerstone Alumni game.
"I love being a part of something that goes beyond just a soccer game." Stump said. "This annual event is used to educate and help others in need, and most importantly save lives. Being able to go beyond ourselves and play for something bigger is a privilege."
DeBoer coached both players on the Holland Christian freshman team in the fall of 2012, then reunited with them for their two varsity seasons after being promoted to varsity coach. Busscher and Stump both played significant roles in helping the Maroons to a combined 37-5-3 record over their varsity tenure, including back-to-back district championships.
Needless to say, both players recognize the impact DeBoer has had on their soccer careers. "DeBoer's connections and experiences at Cornerstone were a huge part of my choice to attend CU, because I was able to get in-depth knowledge, as well as his vision and experience." said Stump. "As my high school coach for three years, he helped shape me into the player I am today" added Busscher.
Busscher admits his worldview has been expanded since being introduced to Night of Nets. "It's bigger than just soccer" he said. "When I got to Cornerstone and talked to some of my teammates who have visited Zambia and have seen first-hand what fundraisers like Night of Nets do, it started to mean a lot more to me."
The collection of Night of Nets shirts that fill the closets of both Busscher and Stump will serve as a memento for the impact they had not only on their soccer teams, but also on the other side of the world.
Men's Soccer Contact: Seth Walters
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