Central Michigan University Athletics
Next for CMU Field Hockey: MAC Tourney
11/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - An appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament is nothing new for the Central Michigan field hockey team.
Going in as the top seed? Well, there's a first time for everything.
The inaugural MAC Tournament was played in 1987 and only once (in '88) has CMU not made the field. But the Chippewas have never been seeded No. 1, until now.
CMU earned the top spot by beating Kent State, 2-1, last weekend. The Chippewas and Golden Flashes both finished 5-1 in conference play, and CMU (7-11 overall) is seeded No. 1 by virtue of the first tie-breaker, head-to-head play.
Veteran CMU coach Cristy Freese said seeding means little for her team's preparation, and even less when it steps on the field in Friday's 11:30 a.m. semifinal against fourth-seeded Ohio (5-10).
"For me it's not any more or less (pressure) because we're in the semifinals and we want to get to the finals," she said. "I always say I don't care who we play, and in this round, I don't care who else advances but us."
Second-seeded Kent State (8-9), the tournament host, plays third-seed Miami (Ohio) (7-11) in Friday's 2 p.m. semifinal. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. The winner receives a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The victory over Kent State last week was CMU's sixth in its last nine games. One of those losses came to Ohio, 3-2, in overtime; the others came to Northwestern and Michigan State, both of whom are ranked in the top 20.
"I don't think our team needs any extra motivation," Freese said. "That game against Ohio was a close game. Ohio's a very, very good team and they're coming in believing just as much as we are that they can advance.
"These teams that are in the tournament, we're all very, very, very close. There's not much margin for error here because I think every team is good, and I also think every team, and rightfully so, thinks they can win this tournament.
"It always comes down to which team is going to play the best. We're a good team. It's about how we play together. That what's going to be most important to us."
Freese pointed to a 5-3 loss at UC Davis as the turning point for the Chippewas. It was CMU's ninth game of the season, exactly at the midway point, and it closed a three-game west-coast road trip after which the Chippewas were 1-8.
"Looking back at the entire season, maybe one thing that slowed down our development was unfortunately we had so many lopsided losses that you're trying to plug too many holes," Freese said, adding that at that point in the season, she settled on a permanent lineup.
Among the personnel changes was a move from forward to midfield by senior Cayleigh Immelman. Immelman leads the Chippewas with nine goals and shares the team lead (with Kaysie Gregory) with 19 points.
"I think when we did that we were able to settle down a little bit and the players could just play their role, and know who was going to play next to them," Freese said. "I think that has helped us in the second month of the season."
The Chippewas defeated Ball State, 2-0, in their MAC opener, sparking their 6-3 season-ending run. They have scored 17 goals in the second half of the season after posting just eight in their first nine games.
"Our first MAC game against Ball State, I think it was important not only to get that win, but to get the shutout, for our confidence," Freese said. "That really was the game that propelled the remainder of the season for us."
Included in the run to a share of the regular-season MAC title was a memorable comeback during which CMU scored twice in the final eight minutes to force overtime with Longwood, then won on an Immelman goal in the extra session.
The Chippewas rallied from a 2-0 deficit against Ohio before falling in overtime, and they managed to hold on to defeat inspired Kent a week ago when the Golden Flashes controlled play and threatened throughout the second half.
"I tell our team all the time (that) it's not easy being good, it's not easy winning a championship," Freese said. "We've gone through plenty of adversity."
