Sept. 21, 2017
Lindsay Gerber, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Eight games in, it's been almost all good for the Central Michigan women's soccer team, both collectively and individually.
Now it's time to really get down to business.
The 5-2-1 Chippewas kick off their Mid-American Conference season on the road against Kent State on Friday (7 p.m.) and Ohio on Sunday (1 p.m.).
CMU, which has won its last three starts and five of its last six, was picked to finish second in the MAC West in the preseason coaches poll.
"(The team) has a real trust and love for each other," CMU coach Peter McGahey said. "That care for each other comes out when they're competing for each other. When things get hard or require more resilience, they count on their relationships to push them through."
CMU is coming off a 4-2 nonconference victory over Mount St. Mary's. Lexi Pelafas, a junior, was named MAC Offensive Player of the Week for her outstanding performance against the Mountaineers, recording her first career hat trick.
It was only the fourth in the history of the program, and the goals upped Pelafas' career total to 26, tying her with Stephanie Martin (2006-09) for the most in CMU history.
"Her internal competitiveness and desire to get better helps inspire other people to work on and invest in their game," McGahey said. "There's a confidence that comes when you have a player that finds the goal regularly."
Pelafas is tied for the top spot in the league with six goals, while teammate Madison Costner is tied for second with four. They rank second and third, respectively, in points; Pelafas has 13, Costner nine.
The Chippewas enter the weekend leading the MAC in totals goals (16) and rank second in goals per game (2.0). They rank fifth in goals against average (1.20), while Kent State (0.85) is first.
Kent State, which is 4-3-1, is coming off a 1-1 tie with Xavier. The Golden Flashes had won three straight prior, topping Florida Atlantic, Pittsburgh and Dayton, all by 1-0 counts.
Vital Kats leads Kent State with nine points (four goals, one assist).
Ohio is 3-5 and has lost four straight. Allie Curry and Alivia Milesky share the team-lead in points with four. Curry has two goals, while Milesky has tallied one goal and two assists.
CMU goalkeeper Zoie Reed has logged a league-high 41 saves, and is third in the conference with 5.12 saves per game. She had two against Mount St. Mary's.
"The experience that (Reed) has had over the years will only continue to become more valuable," said McGahey.
The Chippewas will return home to host their first MAC contest on Friday, Sept. 29 (6 p.m.) against Akron. The Zips are 1-6-1.
