a birdseye v i e w I (left) A b i r d ' s eye view showcases t h e newest a d d i t i o n s to H o p e ' s c a m p u s , V a n A n d e l Soccer S t a d i u m a n d DeVos Fieldhouse. V a n Andel S t a d i u m was d e d i c a t e d o n S a t u r d a y , O c t o b e r 17, 2009, with a c o m m u n i t y celebration that i n c l u d e d s c r i m m a g e s a n d soccer w o r k s h o p s f o r y o u n g c h i l d r e n t h r o u g h o u t t h e day. r e a d y t o play | (left) C e l e b r a t i n g t h e c o m m e n c e m e n t of t h e dedication day a r e David a n d Carol V a n A n d e l a l o n g with t h e m e n ' s soccer team, r e f e r e e s a n d ball c h i l d r e n . T h e t e a m played Kalamazoo College u n d e r t h e s t a d i u m lights a n d e n d e d with a fireworks display.
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a gracious thank you I (left) P r e s i d e n t B u l t m a n recognize a n d a p p r e c i a t e t h e d o n a t i o n s m a d e by David a n d Carol V a n A n d e l a n d m a n y o t h e r d o n o r s to m a k e t h e soccer s t a d i u m possible d u r i n g a d e d i c a t i o n in m i d - O c t o b e r . Both t h e m e n ' s a n d w o m e n ' s soccer t e a m s w e r e p r e s e n t to t h a n k t h e family. S a t u r d a y night lights I (below) R a d i a n t lights flood t h e field d u r i n g t h e i n a u g u r a l soccer g a m e in O c t o b e r . T h e s t a d i u m n o t only served as t h e n e w h o m e to t h e m e n ' s a n d w o m e n ' s soccer t e a m , b u t was also used by t h e m e n ' s a n d w o m e n ' s lacrosse t e a m s d u r i n g t h e s p r i n g semester.
In a b o t h u n e x p e c t e d a n d o u t s t a n d i n g s u r p r i s e to the H o p e College c o m m u n i t y , m a n y s t u d e n t s left for the 2 0 0 9 s u m m e r b r e a k h e a r i n g r u m o r s a b o u t a n e w soccer s t a d i u m that was to b e built n e a r the DeVos Fieldhouse. H o w e v e r , it was b e y o n d a n y o n e s t h o u g h t s that this p r o j e c t w o u l d b e c o m p l e t e d by mid-fall 2009. As a p a r t of a $5.3 million dollar e x p e n d i t u r e a n d a n d the gifts f r o m m a n y d o n o r s to this p ro ject, the college b o u n d t o g e t h e r to give the H o p e c o m m u n i t y o n e of the nicest soccei s t a d i u m s in division t h r e e soccer. D u r i n g t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n of t h e field, excavators u n e a r t h e d a t u n n e l f o r what years a g o led to the h o m e s t e a d of H o l l a n d a n d H o p e College f o u n d e r Albertus C. V a n Raalte. A m o n g the m a n y o t h e r highlights of t h e s t a d i u m included it's 1,400 p e r s o n capacity, state of the art locker r o o m s , astro-turf, m e e t i n g r o o m s , a ticket b o o t h , a n d a press box. "When we envisioned a s t a d i u m in this n a t u r a l setting, we knew it w o u l d be special. I n reality it has far e x c e e d e d our expectations. W e a r e so very g r a t e f u l to David a n d Carol V a n A n d e l f o r their vision a n d generosity in m a k i n g this p r o j e c t c o m e to such m a r v e l o u s f r u i t i o n , " P r e s i d e n t J a m e s B u l t m a n said. T h e g r a n d e u r of this field m a r k e d a new era in m e n s a n d w o m e n s soccer a n d lacrosse a n d almost i m m e d i a t e l y b e g a n to serve as a site for MHSAA high school soccer g a m e s • by michael d.rksen
van andel soccer staditurn
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