Central Michigan University Athletics
Three Goals Lift CMU to Victory
10/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT - Three Central Michigan University (10-8, 5-3 MAC) forwards each scored a goal to defeat Miami University (7-11, 4-4 MAC), 3-2, in the last home match of the season on Saturday.
Both CMU and Miami entered the contest tied for third in the Mid-American Conference standings with a 4-3 record.
Sophomore Kelly Jordan put in her ninth goal of the season in the 17th minute of field hockey action, to put CMU up 1-0. Samantha Sandham carried the ball down the left side of the field to the end line where she slipped a reverse pass to Jordan, who was waiting at the stroke mark to put the ball in the net.
The Chippewas honored their seniors in their last home match of the season prior to the begining of the match. Senior forward Alicia Balanesi took home another memory, as she scored the second goal of the match for CMU to make it 2-0. Jordan beat two defenders on the right side of Miami’s defensive circle to draw out the goalie and send a pass across the circle, where Balanesi was able to get a stick on the ball and deflect it into the net.
One minute later, the Red Hawks would cut CMU’s lead down to one, as Meghan McMurtry scored off a cross ball from Courtney Fretz, to send the match into halftime, 2-1.
“This weekend we began to develop an early lead and then watch it shrink,” said head coach Cristy Freese. “I think we responded well to their goals and have confidence in our team.”
In the second half, both CMU and Miami would have two goals called back due to its shots being dangerous in height during penalty corners.
Sandham would put CMU up by two goals once again fifteen minutes into the second half, when she scored a goal during a penalty corner play. Senior Cortney Blanchard picked up her first assist of the season when she drew out the defender and sent a pass across the circle to Sandham, who sent a blast into the left corner of the cage, 3-1.
The Redhawks answered right back less than a minute later. Courtney Fretz picked up her second goal of the season when her teammate Alyssa Nye dribbled across the CMU end line and slipped a pass to Fretz, who was in front of the cage, to put the match at 3-2.
Both the Chippewas and the RedHawks continued to add offensive pressure, Miami out shot CMU 16-14 in the match. The Chippewas took a key timeout with 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
“In the timeout I told the defense not to panic in the circle, we had been over committing to our marks and we needed to have confidence in the backfield with Erin (Dottery), Cortney (Blanchard), and Dani (Frank) back there,” said Freese.
The Chippewas will play their two final matches of the season next weekend. CMU travels to Ohio on October 27 (3 p.m.) and Kent State on October 28 ( 11 a.m.).
