Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Maine
CMU Falls to Strong Maine Squad in Season Opener
8/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Central Michigan field hockey coach Cristy Freese knew her team's opening-weekend opponents would present a strong challenge.
Answering that challenge is what the veteran coach was looking for.
Maine handed the Chippewas a 4-0 loss Friday in CMU's season-opener at the Central Michigan Field Hockey Complex. The Chippewas play fourth-ranked Duke - the defending national runner-up - on Sunday in East Lansing, Mich.
The Black Bears scored all four of their goals in the first half and limited the Chippewas to just one shot on goal, that coming past the midway point of the second half.
"First half, we certainly want to forget that," Freese said. "At halftime and the message was `Just settle down, just settle down and try to figure it out.'"
The Chippewas did, to a degree, and turned in a much better effort in the final 35 minutes. Just two of Maine's 10 shots on goal, and two of its six corners, came in the second half.
"First half to second half there was a huge improvement," said senior Cayleigh Immelman, who was credited with the Chippewas' lone shot on goal in the match. "No goals (allowed) in the second half, I think we definitely showed that we have what it takes to go up against the stronger teams. I think we need to start from the first whistle."
Cassidy Svetek scored two goals and Danielle Aviani and Holly Stewart had one apiece. Emily Corbett and Emma Cochran split game in goal for Maine.
Sadie Lynn Reynolds made three saves in goal for the Chippewas. "We were way too tentative (in the first half) and we weren't coming up with any interceptions," Freese said. "We had to be more aggressive.
"The second half I saw a team that really tried to figure it out. I kept most of the same kids in in the second half because they were communicating really well and they were figuring it out together and I didn't want to disrupt that. I did sub a little bit, but they were doing a great job of figuring it out and maybe gaining some of the control of the game back."
The fact that the Chippewas not only played much better in the final 35 minutes, but blanked the Black Bears over that span bodes well, Freese said.
"The key to this game and for our team was shutting them out in the second half," she said. "You can play well all you want in the second half or play better than you did in the first half, but if they had scored a (second-half) goal it was going to be a little harder to boost them up.
"We're ready to build off of this. I told our team, `Look we're playing good teams every day and let's just make those good teams bring their A game. If we can take a lesson from this and be ready on Sunday, I'll be pretty happy."
Immelman agreed, and as the Chippewas look ahead, the schedule remains difficult with dates against, for instance, 17th-ranked Michigan and a trip to California where they will face 12th-ranked Stanford, among others.
"I think overall it's much better for us to play stronger opposition," she said. "I think it'll make us much better prepared for when we do play in our conference. I think not only physically and on the field, but the mental approach, and losing 4-0 and still being able to come back and be prepared for Sunday, that's going to help us when we do get into conference play."
