MAC Field Hockey Title Share on the Line

Oct. 31, 2014

Mary Walsh, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - All the cards are on the table Saturday as the Central Michigan field hockey team plays host to Kent State with a chance to earn the Mid-American Conference co-championship.

If the Chippewas (6-11, 4-1 MAC) beat the Golden Flashes (8-8, 5-0), the two teams share the crown. The outcome will also determine seeding for the MAC Tournament, which is set for Kent State and begins on Friday, Nov. 7.

"Kent's a good team," said CMU coach Cristy Freese, whose team is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to Ohio, its lone conference setback this season. "We feel like we can match up with them good and it's going to be a good match."

The importance of Saturday's match is not lost on Freese and her players

"I think our focus is still on the game and being the best team on the field," Freese said. "We need to do whatever we can to win that game."

Seniors Jordyn Brengosz, Cayleigh Immelman, Chloe McIlwaine and Mary Moore will play in their last regular-season match as Chippewas. Immelman leads CMU with eight goals.

CMU goalkeeper Sadie Lynn Reynolds, a junior, has made 138 saves and averages 8.12 per game. Both numbers top the MAC.

CMU fell to Kent, 3-2, in overtime in a regular-season game in 2013, then the Chippewas topped the Golden Flashes, 3-1, in a MAC Tournament semifinal game. Saturday marks the 66th meeting in field hockey between the two teams.

"We've played some fantastic game against Kent, " Freese said. "I know we're ready. I'm just glad we're in this position."

CMU has faced many good teams this season, including No. 3 Stanford, No. 7 Duke, No. 9 Northwestern, No. 11 Michigan and No. 19 Michigan State. The Chippewas are 5-3 since starting the season 1-8.

That surge began in CMU's MAC opener, a 2-0 win at Ball State. Freese credited an emerging defense that had to find its footing. The Chippewas graduated three solid defenders last season, two of whom earned All-MAC honors.

"Sometimes we thought we had good players back there (on defense), but I think we were building our defense from scratch in terms of the personnel," Freese said, adding that it took the likes of newcomer Chloe McIlwaine and veteran Taylor McKeon to mesh. "Chloe is a very good player, but she's new to our team. Taylor has really emerged this year and she's a junior, but she's had two years of injuries and is new on the field."

That defense is sure to be tested Saturday as Kent State leads the MAC in most offensive categories, including shots, goals and penalty corners. Hannah Faulkner is the league's leading scorer with 17 goals, while teammate Julia Hofmann ranks third in the conferece with nine goals.

"She's very good and she's got speed," Freese said of Faulkner. "She's that ideal forward who knows how to do things in the circle. We're going to have to keep an eye on her. Kent has good players all the way around. We need to focus on the people close to the circle."

Golden Flashes goalkeeper Andrea Rinehart leads the MAC with four shutouts.