Chippewas Drop Home Opener

Thursday, September 6

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3:00 p.m. ET

Central Michigan University

(1-4)

Pacific

(3-2)

Pacific

Central Michigan

9/6/2018 6:54:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

CMU returns to field on Friday to face Saint Francis

By: Andy Sneddon

Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Pacific scored five second-half goals on Thursday in spoiling the Central Michigan field hockey team's home opener, 7-0, at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.

The Chippewas (1-4) play host to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Friday at 5 p.m. The Red Flash is 1-3. Pacific improved to 3-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Central Michigan trailed 2-0 at halftime. The Tigers scored three goals in the first 10-plus minutes of the second half.

"Pacific, you've got to give it to them, they're a really good team," said first-year CMU coach Catherine Ostoich, whose team played on Sunday and on Monday in Philadelphia against La Salle. "We had a tough week coming off of two games Sunday, Monday.

"The girls fought hard in the beginning, we stuck to the game plan and then we kind of just self-destructed in the second half. It's a learning process. We take things from this game that we can apply to our game tomorrow."

IN GOAL
CMU goalkeeper Lilly Amadio faced 21 shots and made six saves.

"Lilly had a great game," Ostoich said. "She made some phenomenal saves and I think there are bits and pieces of people playing really well, playing good defense, but we have to do it as a team. I think that's the big thing that we're carrying into tomorrow. We've got to do everything as a team."

MOVING ON
"They know they are better than what they showed out here today," Ostoich said of her team. "I think that's the ultimate thing that we have instilled in them, a belief, a confidence that they know they are better.

"I think that's why it hurts more because you can come away and say, 'We played our best.' But we know we are better than this, so we've got to keep pushing and we've got to keep reminding each other and we've got to do the little things a little bit better."

NEW TURF
Thursday's game was the first on the newly installed AstroTurf playing surface. The Chippewas were able to get just one practice on the surface before the game with Pacific.

"It is phenomenal. I cannot wait to use it this season and practice on it," Ostoich said. "We're getting used to it as well. The turf is phenomenal and the players are really excited about it."