The Protestants defeated the Catholics 3-0 in Campus Rec’s Protestant vs. Catholic soccer game, El Classico, at Hayden Park.
“The goal of the event is to have a fun way to get students around campus who play soccer but maybe don’t have the skill level of a club member to get them all together, to build off of fun rivalry, and to just get a fun crowd to spectate the game,” Director of Campus Rec Ryan Perkins said.
Senior Brett Mueller, sophomore Jacob Beckwith, and junior Jonathan Ummel scored for the Protestants.
Junior Campus Rec staff member Ethan Bourgeois said this year Campus Rec has focused on establishing campus-wide traditions that he hopes will continue for years to come.
“Cultivating that tradition at Hillsdale is really important,” Bourgeois said. “Rather than being just this academic power house, Hillsdale does have a community, and it’s a beautiful community that we really want to cultivate, and by having those events that people can come back to year after year, we can find that.”
Bourgeois said he was excited about the unifying aspect of the event and hoped it would create light-hearted fun through friendly competition.
Sophomore Campus Rec staff member and Protestant team member Sophie Schlegel said it is important to establish campus traditions through events like El Classico.
“We want to establish more tradition, because through tradition we can help generate more campus community through specifically athletic events, and I think that’s the reason for El Classico,” Schlegel said. “Everyone knows the Catholic and Protestant debates at Hillsdale, so we kind of drew on that to make a campus-wide event.”
Sophomore and Protestant player Olyvia Oeverman said the event was unifying.
“We acknowledged our differences and embraced them in such a comical, celebratory way”
Though Oeverman has limited experience in soccer, she said she was excited to play in a competitive but unifying atmosphere.
“As someone not coming from a club soccer background, it was a great way to get to know the game better,” Oeverman said. “The atmosphere was so fun and lighthearted, with my friends cheering from the sidelines and helping me on the field.”
Sophomore and Catholic player Jude Barton said he enjoyed the game despite his team’s loss, and he appreciated the support of those who attended the game.
“I thought that we played well,” Barton said. “I was really impressed by the spirit and determination of our team to fight until the last minute, despite being down several goals. The preparation for the game and the game itself helped me to grow closer both to many Protestants and to my fellow Catholics. I am not aware of any hard feelings between the two teams, and it was super encouraging to see the support from the student body.”
Beckwith, the president of Hillsdale Men’s Club Soccer, also played on the Protestant team and said he was excited about the victory.
“The Catholic parade wasn’t enough to stop the Protestants,” Beckwith said. “We may not have had the bells, whistles, and flags, but we got the goals and we got the victory.”
