OXFORD, Ohio - After playing its last two games on the road - both victories - the Miami University women's soccer team returns home for the first time in two weeks to host Austin Peay Friday at 5 p.m. at Miami Soccer Field. The match is the RedHawks' lone contest of the weekend.

Miami (4-1-0) is off to its best five-game start since 1999, when the RedHawks opened the season 7-0-0. The Red and White earned another comeback victory last Sunday, topping Belmont in Nashville, Tenn., 2-1, in overtime, in Miami's only game last week. Freshman Haley Walter (Cincinnati, Ohio) continued to shine in her rookie campaign as she scored the game-tying goal in the second half and then assisted on the game-winner just three minutes into overtime as sophomore Kelsey Dinges (Smithton, Ill.) notched her second game-winning goal this year.

Walter earned her first career Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor Wednesday for her efforts against the Bruins. The freshman scored the first two goals of her career to lead Miami to a comeback win at Milwaukee Aug. 26., giving her three goals in her last two matches. The RedHawks entered the Great Lakes Region Poll for the first time this year after Sunday's win, coming in at No. 9, while the rest of the teams in the poll are Big Ten squads with MAC foe Central Michigan sitting at No. 4.

Senior captain Jess Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) leads Miami with four goals and 10 points on the season. Walter and Dinges are tied for second on the squad with both three goals and seven points. Junior Kayla Zakrzewski (London, Ont.) has a team-high three helpers. The 'Hawks are averaging 3.00 goals per game and have only been held to less than two goals once this season. Defensively, redshirt sophomore Allison Norenberg (Palatine, Ill.) has started all five games in net, compiling a 1.06 goals-against average and a .688 save percentage with one shutout. Miami is giving up just a goal a game as a team.

Austin Peay (3-3-0), another Ohio Valley Conference opponent like Belmont, comes to Oxford having played its last four contests at home. The Lady Govs knocked off Chattanooga, 4-1, last Sunday, but fell to Gonzaga two days earlier, 1-0. APSU's other wins were both 3-1 victories against Appalachian State and at Arkansas-Little Rock Aug. 19, which was its last road match. Emily Perkins leads APSU with seven points and is tied with Andy Quiceno for the team lead in goals with three. Tatiana Ariza has a pair of goals and assists each for the Lady Govs, who average 1.83 goals per game. Defensively, Austin Peay gives up 1.17 goals per game while Haylee Shoaff has seen the majority of time in net, appearing in all six games with a 1.42 GAA and a .794 save percentage while going 2-3-0.

Friday's game with the Lady Govs will be the first ever match-up between Miami and Austin Peay.

Miami's game against Austin Peay will be streamed live on MURedHawks.com through the Miami All-Access subscription package, as will several of Miami Soccer's home matches in 2012. In all, over 100 home Miami sporting events will be broadcast through Miami All-Access during the 2012-13 season. To purchase Miami All-Access, click here. Live stats will be available for Friday's match as well on MURedHawks.com.

Be sure to wear red to Friday's game against the Lady Govs to show your support for Miami as part of "All-In Fridays". "All-In Fridays" is an endeavor to build unity amongst Miami campus faculty, staff and students, the Oxford community and Miami alumni. Fans can also tweet pictures of themselves wearing red to @MiamiRedHawks with the hashtag #AllinFridays or post pictures on Swoop's Facebook page. For more information on "All-In Fridays," click here.

Following this weekend's match, the RedHawks are off until next Friday, Sept. 14 when Miami hosts IPFW at 5 p.m. at Miami Soccer Field.

--MURedHawks.com--