Calvin University Men's Lacrosse

Year Record MIAA Finish 2017 5-11 1-6 (7th)  Regular Season 2018 4-13 1-6 (7th)  Regular Season 2019 10-8 3-3 (4th)  MIAA Tourney Semis 2020 3-1 NA  Pandemic 2021 7-4 4-1 (2nd)  MIAA Tourney Semis 2022 8-9 2-4 (5th) Regular Season 2023     7-10 2-4 (5th) Regular Season 2024 12-6 4-2 (3rd)     MIAA Tourney Semis 2025 6-10 3-3 (4th) MIAA Tourney Quarters Total         63-72 20-27 Dave Hoger is in his 10th year as Head Men's Lacrosse Coach at Calvin University.  Hoger leads the Calvin men's lacrosse program into its 13th year as a varsity sport. During the recent 2025 season, Calvin went 6-10 with a 3-3 record in MIAA play for a fourth-place finish. During the season, senior Thomas Smith became the program's all-time leader in goals scored. In 2024, he led Calvin to a program-record 12 victories with the Knights finishing third in the MIAA regular season and reaching the MIAA Tournament semifinals for the third time. The 2021 season was a landmark year under Hoger as the Knights played for the MIAA regular season title on the final day of the regular season.  The 2019 season was also a landmark year for Hoger and the Calvin men's lacrosse program as the Knights posted the first winning season in school history with a 10-8 record. In addition the Knights earned their first trip to the MIAA Tournament, finishing fourth in the final league standings with a 3-3 conference record. In 2018, Calvin posted a record of 4-13 and finished the MIAA race in seventh place. Ethan Brown earned All-MIAA honors and Calvin closed the year with a victory over Olivet. In his first year, Hoger had a 5-11 record and finished in seventh place in the MIAA at 1-6. The Knights finished the year with a victory over Kalamazoo. Noah Nedd earned All-MIAA honors. In 2022, his senior captain Hunter Stearns became the first College Sports Communicators Academic All-American in program history.  Prior to arriving at Calvin Hoger served as the defensive coordinator for the Frostburg State University (Md.) men's lacrosse team, helping the Bobcats post an overall record of 15-­4 and earning a trip to the Capital Athletic Conference semi­finals. Prior to his time at Frostburg, Hoger spent three years as an assistant coach and at his alma mater Eastern University (Pa.) where he worked with the goalies and assisted with the defense. During his three­-year span, Hoger helped Eastern to three MAC Freedom Conference Championships along with two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. Hoger also served as an admissions counselor during his time at Eastern. As a student at Eastern, Hoger graduated with a degree in mathematics and was a four­-year goalie for the Eastern men's lacrosse team. As a senior in 2012, he served as a team captain and led the Eagles to their first­-ever conference championship and NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. Hoger, his wife Sarah and daughter Brittan reside in Grand Rapids. 

Came to Calvin as an assistant for men's lacross starting in the 2021 season. Played collegiate lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University as a defenseman, where he was part of two NCAA National Championship teams in 1978 and 1979. After graduation from Johns Hopkins, he coached lacrosse at Randolph Macon College, Loyola University (Baltimore) and Princeton University. Worked for 29 years at Steelcase, where he served in various leadership postions in the United States and Europe.

Opal comes to Calvin from southeastern Wisconsin where he served as a club men's lacrosse coach for the past five years. He also previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Antioch High School boys lacrosse team in Antioch, Illinois. In his final year at Antioch, he helped the team post a school-record win total as the program finished 16-4 overall and captured its first conference championship. In addition, he has served as an assistant coach with the True Club lacrosse program out of Kalamazoo. Opal is a graduate of Western Michigan University where he was a four-year member of the school's club men's lacrosse program. He was an offensive midfielder with a Bronco team that competed in the Midwest Collegiate Lacrosse Association. He graduated from Western Michigan in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in marketing. Opal is a native of Gurnee, Illinois. He graduated from Warren Township High School where he was a member of the boys lacrosse team. As a junior in 2015, he was part of a Warren Township program that captured an Illinois High School state championship.