Central Michigan University
Buffalo
Movin' On
10/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Box Score | Tournament Bracket
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - So many motivations. So many emotions.
All to the good for the Central Michigan soccer team.
Alexis Pelafas scored in the third minute and goalkeeper Kristen Knutson made a huge save late in the game Sunday as the Chippewas topped Buffalo, 1-0, in a Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinal game at the CMU Soccer-Lacrosse Stadium.
The third-seeded Chippewas (15-2-3) advance to a tournament semifinal on Friday (7 p.m.) where it will play No. 2-seed Kent State at the Golden Flashes' Zoeller Field. Kent State (13-2-2) advanced with a 2-0 win on Sunday over Eastern Michigan.
The Chippewas and Zips played to a 1-1 tie in Mount Pleasant two weeks ago.
"This team really loves playing together," CMU coach Peter McGahey said, "this team loves being together, this team is going to fight for every opportunity to play one more day together because as I told them, it's a privilege to be playing soccer in November.
"That's what you want to do, you want to be a team that plays soccer consistently in November and the 2016 team is going to get that chance."
The Chippewas got their chance at revenge on Sunday against a Buffalo team (7-8-5) that eliminated CMU from last year's MAC Tournament on penalty kicks.
"We've been riled up about this game," Knuston said. "Our goals for this season were different than they have been n the past. One of them is for the team of 2016 to leave a legacy.
"We had a lot of legacies for this game. We didn't want to lose at home; that was a big deal to us. And the other one is to beat Buffalo on our turf this year. We have a lot more soccer to play. We're excited to be playing in November and we're excited to continue this journey. This season is special, this team is special and we want to do as much as we can."
Pelafas, who entered Sunday's game tied for third in the nation with 15 goals, wasted no time in putting the Chippewas in front. She beat Buffalo keeper Laura Dougall on a breakaway just 2 minutes, 34 seconds after the opening kickoff.
"I think an early goal like that, one way or the other, can really tip the scales," McGahey said. "Had we found the second (goal) it's probably a different game, but credit (the Bulls) that they kept it close, that they kept us off the board again. And then you just have to sort of grind your way out."
The Chippewas did exactly that. The Bulls held a 15-10 advantage in shots, including 10-5 in the second half.
With Buffalo applying heavy pressure in the final two minutes, Knutson made a highlight-reel save, diving to her left to deflect a ball that appeared destined for the corner of the net with just 1:24 to play.
"That was the biggest save of the season," said Knutson, who added she was merely reacting instinctively on the play. "There are some moments in our careers that we don't really know what happened and I can't really tell you what happened. ... some moments are just taken over by something else in you, and that was one of those moments for me."
That the Chippewas were able to hold off the inspired Bulls, particularly as the second half progressed, was a test of character, McGahey said.
"I think that what playoff soccer is about is grittiness, character, determination and that poise or composure when you're trying to basically close out a game, close out a season for another team, close out some careers for players," he said. "The emotion that's required to finish that moment is really important to be balanced with that idea that I understand what my job is, I can be disciplined, I know what to do, and to go out and execute it."
Friday's other tournament semifinal pits Northern Illinois and Western Michigan at 4 p.m.. The fourth-seeded Broncos advanced on Sunday with a 1-0 win over No. 5 Miami (Ohio), while the eighth-seeded Huskies advanced past top-seeded Ball State on penalty kicks.
Western Michigan is 13-6-1, while NIU is 5-10-4. The Huskies handed CMU one of its two MAC losses, 4-0, on Sept. 23 in DeKalb, Ill. It was the Chippewas' first loss of the season. The Chippewas bounced back two days later to beat Western Michigan, 2-1, in Kalamazoo.
The championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. All tournament games will be played at Kent State. The tournament champion earns a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
