Grace Women’s Soccer To Play Haiti
Holly Bennett and Grace College’s women’s soccer program will host the Haitian National Team on Aug. 25. (Photo provided)
The Lady Lancers, who have high expectations entering the 2012 season, believe they are more ready for their stiff test against Haiti’s national side.
“It is very rare for an NAIA team to be able to play any national team, so for us to play two national teams in one calendar year is pretty exciting,” said Grace head coach Michael Voss. “This game fits our mission in that we want to play national teams, but we also want to be playing for Christ.”
Voss, who currently serves as an assistant coach for Haiti, was instrumental in organizing the match. Haiti has competed against some of the top professional teams in American women’s soccer during the past year while playing in the Women’s Premier Soccer League Elite. They also lost a narrow 2-1 game against the University of Notre Dame on April 27.
According to Voss, Haiti’s women’s national team is one of the top qualifiers in the Caribbean region and should be one of the top contenders for the CONCACAF bid into the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
This will be the Lady Lancers’ second taste in the past year of international soccer. During the spring, Grace played the Cayman Islands U20 women’s national team as a part of its mission trip to the Cayman Islands.
The Lady Lancers look to field one of its most talented squads ever against Haiti and are fresh off tying the program’s win record in 2011. Grace finished 14-7-3 last season and returns 10 of their 11 starters in 2012.
“This game is a good next step for [Grace],” Voss explained. “The Haitian team is tough. They’re playing against big D-1 schools and pro teams. By all stretches of the imagination, it should be a really tough game for us.”
Admission will be charged at the gate into Miller Field. High school and club teams interested in attending should call Coach Voss for group rates at (574) 372-5100 ext. 6544.
