Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Vie for Seeding at Kent State, Ohio
10/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
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MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan closes its regular season this weekend, playing a pair of Mid-American Conference road matches at Kent State and Ohio.
The Chippewas (8-8, 5-3 MAC) fell to both teams earlier this season in Mount Pleasant, dropping a 4-3 double-overtime match to the Golden Flashes (5-12, 3-5 MAC) before being clipped by the regular season champion Bobcats (15-3, 8-0 MAC), 2-0.
The Maroon and Gold will square off Saturday with KSU at 11 a.m. and Sunday at OU at 1 p.m. With one win over the weekend, the Chippewas will secure the No. 2 seed in the MAC Tournament in Athens, Ohio next week, guaranteeing a first-round bye into the semifinals.
CMU vs. Kent State
- Kent State owns a 46-13 advantage all-time.
- With a win, the Chippewas would snap an eight-game skid versus the Golden Flashes.
Last Meeting: Kent State 4, Central Michigan 3 (2OT) (October 8)
Last Meeting in Kent: Kent State 8, Central Michigan 1 (October 24, 2010)
Scouting the Golden Flashes
- KSU has dropped four straight contests since defeating the Chippewas Oct. 8, including a 6-5 decision to Miami last Sunday.
- Senior Debbie Bell leads the Kent State offense as one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history. Bell scored six goals last weekend to bring her MAC leading total to 20 and now has 96 career goals, which ranks 11th all-time in NCAA history.
- The KSU defense ranks toward the lower half of the MAC in every defensive statistic, ranking fourth in goals-against average (3.34) and goals allowed per game (3.47), fifth in goals allowed (59) and has not posted a shutout all season.
CMU vs. Ohio
- Ohio leads the all-time series, 38-24-1
- With a win the Chippewas will snap a six-game skid in Athens. Their last win on the road versus the Bobcats came on October 8, 2004, 2-1.
Last Meeting: Ohio 2, Central Michigan 0 (October 7)
Last Meeting in Athens: Ohio 3, Central Michigan 0 (October 23, 2010)
Scouting the Bobcats
- Ohio has won four straight and nine of its last 10 contests, clinching the MAC regular season title in the process.
- The Bobcats defense has been one of the best in the nation in 2011, posting the second-best goals against average among D-I programs. Jen McGill has allowed just 12 goals in 1254:55 of play for a goals-against average of 0.67, which also ranks second in the nation.
- Offensively, Jessica Jue (8 G, 17 A) and Taylor Brown (12 G, 3 A) and have been the most potent one-two punch in the conference, as Ohio ranks first in scoring margin (2.18), scoring average (2.82) and goals scored (57).
MAC Tournament Next Week
Central Michigan can clinch the No. 2 seed, its highest since 2006, in the MAC Tournament by claiming one victory over the weekend, guaranteeing a bye to the semifinals. With the No. 1 seed already locked up by the Bobcats, a series of tie breakers would go into effect if Kent State were to claim two victories this weekend, resulting in CMU dropping to the No. 3 seed.
Immelman for Freshman of the Year
Cayleigh Immelman continued her torrid freshman season last weekend, tallying her 11th goal and seventh assist of the season. The South Africa native's 11 goals lead all freshmen in the MAC and rank third among freshmen in D-I.
Offensive Eruption
The Chippewas scored six goals in a contest for the second time this season last Saturday, defeating Appalachian State 6-0. Their other six-goal affair came in their season-opening 6-0 win over Saint Louis on Sept. 2. It marks the first time since 2003 that CMU has scored six-plus goals in two separate contests when they defeated Miami, 6-1, and 7-2.
Lend a Helping Hand
CMU tallied six assists on its six goals last weekend versus App State and now have 40 assists on its 41 goals scored. Four different players have tallied five or more assists; led by senior Paulina Lee's eight.
Chippewas Receive Vote
CMU garnered one vote in this week's Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll. It is the first time in 2011 that the Chippewas have received a vote for the top-20 national rankings.
