Central Michigan University Athletics
Soccer Opens Conference Play at Ohio and Akron
9/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Sept. 19, 2005
Complete Release (including statistics and MAC standings) in PDF Format
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This Week's CMU Opponents
Ohio Bobcats (2-4-0, 0-0-0 MAC)
Friday, September 23
4 p.m.
Chessa Field
CMU leads all-time series 6-2-1 ... F Tifany Horvath leads team with two goals ... GK Melissa Parra sports .796 SV% ... Bobcats are 1-2-0 at home.
Akron Zips (2-4-1, 0-0-0 MAC)
Sunday, September 25
1 p.m.
Lee Jackson Field
CMU leads all-time series 4-0-0 ... MF Jacque Pitchford leads team with two goals ... GK Krystin Wilson has two SHO ... Akron is 2-1-1 at home.
MOUNT PLEASANT - After facing a brutal non-conference schedule that featured two matches against teams from the Big East Conference and another from the Big Ten Conference, the Central Michigan University women's soccer team opens play in the Mid-American Conference with a pair of road matches against Ohio University and the University of Akron this weekend.
The Chippewas lost their final two non-conference matches this weekend, falling at Northwestern 2-1 on Friday and losing to DePaul 2-0 on Sunday. CMU ended the non-league portion of its schedule with a 1-5-1 record.
"That was, without question, the toughest non-conference schedule we have ever played," head coach Tony DiTucci said.
Indeed, CMU's seven non-league opponents provided excellent competition for the Chippewas. Illinois State beat MAC rivals Eastern Michigan and Ball State. Valparaiso has lost only one other match besides its trip to Mount Pleasant. Colorado College knocked off No. 16 Nebraska. Northwestern is 6-1-0 to start its season. So, while its 1-5-1 record may be disappointing, the non-conference schedule certainly got CMU ready for MAC play.
"We don't need to be 5-1-1 to tell us that we're playing good soccer," DiTucci said. "Our confidence as a team is still very high. Our players are fighters, and they're not as affected by winning and losing as they are by not trying. Our effort has always been there, which has eased the sting of losing somewhat. We've done a lot of good things in our matches and we've gained a lot of experience from these matches.
"As of today, we're 0-0-0. The results count now. This is the week that we need to get things going and get some wins. Our goals are still in front of us and they're still very attainable for us if we continue to play good soccer."
CMU starts conference play with a match on Friday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m. versus Ohio University (2-4-0, 0-0-0 MAC). The Bobcats and Chippewas met twice last season, and the second meeting was in the MAC Tournament, a match CMU won, 2-1.
"I'm sure that will be extra motivation for Ohio in this match," DiTucci said. "They've become a big rival for us because our matches with them have been so competitive. It's a very good test for us to open up the conference season."
The Chippewas will stay in Ohio to play against the University of Akron (2-4-1, 0-0-0 MAC) on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m.
Firing Range: DePaul registered 27 shots in Sunday's match versus CMU, which is the third-most shots allowed by CMU in the history of the program. The most shots ever allowed by CMU in a single match is 44 by Ohio in a MAC Tournament semifinal on Nov. 9, 2001. That was a four overtime match that the Chippewas won, 2-1. Detroit managed 28 shots in a match on Oct. 21, 1998, a game that Detroit won, 2-1.
Conference Call: CMU finished the non-conference portion of its schedule at 1-5-1. The Chippewas have not had a winning record against non-conference opponents since 1999, when they went 5-2-1 against non-league teams. They have a record of 11-24-5 versus non-conference opponents since the start of the 2000 season. However, during that same time, CMU has posted a winning record in conference play four out of five seasons. It has a 31-22-7 record in MAC play since the start of the 2000 season.
Hubright Spot: Freshman goalkeeper Kristin Hubright saw the first action of her collegiate career when she started and played all 90 minutes of Sunday's match at DePaul. She became just the fourth freshman ever to start a game in goal for CMU, and her nine saves in the match set a record for most saves by a goalkeeper making her first start in CMU soccer history.
Nice to Meet You: CMU and Ohio will face off for the 10th time this weekend, with the Chippewas holding a 6-2-1 edge in the all-time series. CMU's six wins against the Bobcats is tied for the most victories against any opponent (CMU also has six wins versus Marshall). Only Miami has faced CMU more times than Ohio, with the RedHawks and Chippewas having met 11 times previously. In addition to these two squads meeting in every regular season since CMU's program started seven years ago in 1998, the Chippewas and Bobcats have met twice in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Both tournament meetings came in the semifinals and were played in Athens, Ohio, as the Bobcats hosted the tournament. In 2001, CMU won a four-overtime thriller, 2-1, a game in which Ohio outshot CMU 44-12 but still lost. The two teams met again in last year's tournament, with CMU earning a 1-0 win to advance to the championship match.
Book It: Central Michigan University was honored with the Mid-American Conference's highest academic honor, the Institutional Academic Achievment Award, for having the highest overall grade-point average among student-athletes competing in MAC sponsored sports during the 2004-2005 academic year. CMU's 369 student-athletes in 16 MAC sports posted a cumulative GPA of 3.066 to earn the award for the fourth consecutive year, and for the eighth time in nine years overall. The women's soccer team was a significant part of this achievement. It was honored for having the top team GPA of all of CMU's 16 MAC sports, posting a team GPA of 3.55 with 14 of its athletes earning a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Free Kicks
- This is the fourth time that CMU has met Ohio and Akron in back-to-back matches.
- CMU is 1-2-1 in regular season meetings at Ohio, but 2-0-0 in post-season meetings at Ohio.
- CMU has lost five straight matches. Its longest losing skid ever is six straight back in 1998.
- CMU is 1-4-2 all-time in its first MAC match of the season.
- CMU's 4-0-0 record versus Akron is its most wins against any opponent without a loss.
- CMU is 25-29-7 all-time in the month of September.
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