Central Michigan University Athletics
No. 17 Field Hockey's Season Comes To An End
11/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 13, 2002
MOUNT PLEASANT - The Central Michigan University field hockey team, ranked 17th in the nation, had its season come to an abrupt end last weekend in the Mid-American Conference tournament. The second-seeded Chippewas fell to third-seed Kent State in the MAC tourney semifinal game, 3-2, in double overtime.
CMU was left out of the 16-team NCAA tournament. Despite having three teams in the top 20, the Golden Flashes are the only MAC school competing for the national title. KSU received an automatic bid after winning the MAC tournament.
LAST WEEKEND - The 17th-ranked Central Michigan University field hockey team's (14-7, 7-3 Mid-American Conference) season came to a dramatic end Saturday afternoon, falling to No. 9 Kent State, 3-2, in double overtime in the MAC tournament semifinals.
The Chippewas fell behind by two goals before turning it on late in the second half. "We needed to play better in the first half," said head coach Cristy Freese. "Kent just outplayed us."
With less than eight minutes remaining, Kristy Reed (South Wales, N.Y./So) scored her 13th goal of the season on a penalty corner to cut the deficit to one. Five minutes later, Jocelyn Gates (Lake Villa, Ill/Sr.) notched the game-tying goal with only two-and-a-half minutes left. Maria Neiswender (Hummelstown, Pa./Sr.) assisted on both CMU goals.
"I was proud of how the team came back from two-goals down," Freese said. "Many teams would have given up with that deficit, but we made some adjustments and tied the game."
Newly crowned MAC "Freshman of the Year," Tess Meuleman scored the game-winner for KSU with seven-and-a-half minutes left in the second extra session.
RECORD SETTING SEASON - The Chippewas went 14-7 this season, gaining the most wins in Christy Freese's 17 years at CMU. It also marks the third-highest win total in program history.
CMU's 7-3 mark in conference play was the best MAC record in Chippewa history. It was also the first time that CMU won a MAC regular season field hockey title.
"We accomplished most of the goals that we set at the beginning of the year," said Freese. "There were a lot of positives this season, and very few negatives."
MAC BESTS - Goalkeeper Janel Spero (Shoreham, N.Y./Sr.) and head coach Cristy Freese took home top honors at the MAC banquet in Oxford, Ohio, on November 8.
Spero became the first Chippewa to win the MAC "Player of the Year" award. She shared the award with Helen Jerden from Kent State and Pip Sanders from Louisville.
Freese came away with MAC "Coach of the Year" laurels for the third time in her career. She also won the award in 1987 and '89.
"I am excited for our players," said Freese of earning the honor. "If they didn't go out and play well, then I wouldn't have won. It is really a team award."
ALL-MAC MEMBERS - The Chippewas had three players named to the All-MAC first team and one named to the second team.
Twin sisters Jeanette and Janel Spero (Shoreham, N.Y./Sr.) along with sophomore Kristy Reed were all first team members. It was the most Chippewas named to the first team since the '89 squad had four.
Senior Jocelyn Gates was selected to the All-MAC second team for the first time in her career.
TOUGH TO REPLACE - CMU is losing five seniors from this season's regular season MAC co-championship team. Janel Spero, Meg Lewis, Jocelyn Gates, Maria Neiswender, and Jeanette Spero were all starters and large contributors on this seasons squad.
"We are losing a lot of talented players off of this years squad," said Freese. "They will be tough to replace, but we have some young players that gained experience this year that should be able to step in and perform."
