Sept. 17, 2001

REDHAWKS RETURN TO ACTION VERSUS CINCINNATI: With its last match more than a week behind it, Miami University's women's soccer team returns to action 7 p.m. Monday night, traveling to area-rival Cincinnati. The RedHawks' Sept. 14 home match versus Toledo was postponed in light of last week's tragic events, making this the first match since a Sept. 9 defeat of Louisville.

Entering the week, Cincinnati, which stands at 3-1, looks like one of the hottest teams in the Midwest. After falling 1-0 to Indiana in their season opener, the Bearcats have roared to life, blanking Minnesota (2-0), Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (1-0) and Sacramento State (1-0). Senior goaltender Christy Hoffman has stood tall for the Bearcats, surrendering just one goal in 360 minutes of action for a paltry 0.25 goals against average. Hoffman has not allowed a goal in 317 minutes.

Offensively, the Bearcats, who are coached by Meridy Glenn in her 20th season, are being paced by senior midfielder Nickie Luse, who has tallied two goals on the season, including the game-winning goal versus Cal Poly-SLO. Junior midfielder Heather Herweh and sophomore midfielder Amy Mink also have found the back of the net for Cincinnati.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES: Miami and Cincinnati are meeting for the third time since Miami became a varsity program in 1997. In that inaugural season, the Bearcats roughed up the RedHawks by a 5-1 margin at Meyers Field. Miami gained a measure of revenge two years later, when it edged the Bearcats 2-1 in Oxford with a Shaedyn Cousino (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) header in the 79th minute. Miami's 1999 defeat of Cincinnati was the program's biggest victory to that point.

MIAMI AWAY FROM HOME: Miami, which is in the midst of what has become a season-opening six-game roadstand, has been a spectacular team at home but just a solid team on the road, posting a 20-21-2 (.488) record in five seasons. Over the past four seasons, Miami's only season with a winning road record was 1999 when it compiled an 8-3-1 mark, including the majority of a program-best six-game road unbeaten streak. The Red and White used a strong postseason run, to finish the 2000 road ledger at 5-5-0. Of 14 Miami losses and ties over the past three seasons, 11 have come away from home. This season, Miami is 2-0-0 when playing at an opponent's venue but 0-2-0 when playing at a neutral site.

A LOOK WAY BACK: Two weekends ago, Miami avoided its longest losing streak since the 1998 season by rolling to non-conference wins versus area rivals Wright State, 3-0, and Lousiville, 3-1.

On Sept. 7, Miami busted out of an offensive funk by erupting for three goals in the first 26 minutes of the contest versus Wright State. Sophomore midfielder Danielle Altiero (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) set a Miami single-game record by assisting on all three goals, while sophomore forward Andrea Cunningham (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) notched two goals in less than three minutes for her eighth-career multiple-goal game. Earning her first win in goal for the RedHawks was junior goalkeeper Katie Karlander (Carmel, Ind./Syracuse).

The RedHawks picked up their second win of the season on Sept. 9 versus Louisville. With the score tied 1-1 in the 75th minute, Miami's Brooke Paul (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart) netted an unassisted goal to lift the RedHawks to the win. Also scoring for Miami were Danielle Berkemeier (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) and Cunningham. Miami moved to 4-0-0 all-time versus the Cardinals.

HEAD COACH BOBBY KRAMIG: Entering his fifth season at the helm of Miami's women's soccer program is veteran head coach Bobby Kramig. Kramig, who has headed the women's program since its inception in 1997, has been the mentor of Miami Soccer for the past 18 years. As women's coach, Kramig has successfully guided the program through its transition from club to varsity status. In 1997, the inaugural team finished the season ranked fourth in the nation among first-year programs and placed three players on the Soccer Buzz magazine first-year all-national team. In 1999, Kramig led the RedHawks to a landmark season that included a trip to the MAC Championship match and a Miami record 17 wins.

Last season, Kramig led the Red and White deep into the postseason, guiding the RedHawks to a 13-8-0 overall record, a MAC Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. Kramig's soccer team was the only Miami team sport to make an NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2000-01 campaign.

Now in its fifth season, Miami has compiled a 44-34-4 mark (.561), including an astonishing mark of 30-11-1 (.726) and consecutive MAC Championship appearances during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

ROAD WARRIORS: RedHawk soccer fans have not had any opportunities to see their favorite team in action early in the 2001 season. With the postponement of last Friday's home opener versus Toledo, Miami now plays its first six games on the road. If luck is on the side of the Red and White, it will finally play its home opener this Sunday versus Utah. If that game stands, Miami still will have played eight of its first nine games on the road.

During Miami's travels, the RedHawks play in five different states (Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and New York) and travel more than 2,340 miles. Miami's foes during the difficult roadstand include, SMU which entered the season nationally ranked, Georgetown, Wright State, which was tabbed to finish second in the Horizon League, Cincinnati, which was picked fourth in Conference USA, Central Michigan, which was tabbed second in the MAC's preseason poll, and defending MAC regular-season champion Buffalo.

BERKEMEIER'S AMAZING RUN: Though the 2000 season paled statistically when compared to her sensational freshman campaign, Miami forward Danielle Berkemeier (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) peaked at the right time and has been riding high ever since. Beginning with Miami's 2-0 MAC Semifinal defeat of Buffalo last season, in which she tallied the game-winning goal, Berkemeier has tallied a goal or assist in seven consecutive contests. Berekemeier has found the back of the net in six of the last seven games, with the Sept. 2 Georgetown loss, in which she tallied an assist, standing as the exception. The junior has netted three game-winning goals during the stretch.

CUNNINGHAM STILL ON THE MOVE: Following a remarkable 2000 campaign in which she earned first-team all-America status from the NSCAA, junior forward Andrea Cunningham (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) has picked up where she left off. Though she was kept off the scoreboard in season-opening losses to SMU and Georgetown, Cunningham came to life last weekend, tallying three goals and an assist, including her eighth career multiple-goal game versus Wright State. Cunningham has traditionally been stronger versus MAC foes, netting 21 of her 33 goals in regular-season MAC outings.

LENDING A HELPING FOOT: Known as a playmaking midfielder, Miami sophomore Danielle Altiero (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) was at her best in last Friday's 3-0 blanking of Wright State. Altiero assisted on all three Miami first-half goals to establish a Miami record. Altiero has amassed a total of five career assists in her first 25 games as a RedHawk and is easily on pace to rank among the program's all-time assist leaders.

GETTING FORWARD: Thus far, Miami's forward corps has provided all of the pop the RedHawk offense has displayed. The trio of Danielle Berkemeier (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield), Andrea Cunningham (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) and Brooke Paul (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart), who coincidentally rank as the top three scorers in program history, have accounted for each of Miami's eight goals this season. Berkemeier and Cunningham have three apiece while Paul has netted two.

THICK IN THE MIDDLE: As expected, a deep Miami midfield is already making contributions to the success of this season's team. Along with the many contributions that cannot be measured with statistics, midfielders Shaedyn Cousino (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) and Danielle Altiero (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) have contributed five of the team's seven assists thus far. In all, seven individuals have seen significant time in the Miami midfield this season.

Senior fixtures Quinn Brady (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) and Julie Grosso (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) are back to lead the established midfield, along with juniors Cousino, a two-time all-MAC honoree, and Katie Milligan (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville), a 2000 MAC all-Tournament selection. The midfield has been lent additional depth by talented freshmen Laura Freel (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) and Megan Shapiro (Grosse Pointe, Mich.).

MOVING ON: Though the losses of four-year starters Maggie Lyon, a four-time all-Ohio selection, and Tonja Weimer, a two-time all-MAC selection, to graduation have certainly left their mark, Miami's defense, aided by a talented pair of transfers, has adjusted well in its first four contests. After giving up two goals each in losses to SMU and Georgetown, the defense has put on the clamps. Versus Wright State last Friday, Miami goalkeeper Katie Karlander (Carmel, Ind./Syracuse) earned her first shutout as a RedHawk behind a defensive effort that permitted just five shots on goal. In the RedHawks' 3-1 defeat of Lousiville on Sunday, Miami's defense dominated the second half, allowing just one shot on goal. The RedHawks' goals against average stands at 1.22.

WHO'S IN GOAL?: For the third consecutive season, Miami soccer will have a new starter in goal. Battling to replace 2000 starter Laura Degelleke, who departed following the season, are junior transfer Katie Karlander (Carmel, Ind./Syracuse), sophomore transfer Caitlin Wolf (Fairfield, Ohio/Dayton) and returning sophomores Allison Krause (Westerville, Ohio/North) and Emily Smith (Louisville, Ky./Male). Karlander, a two-year starter at Syracuse, is the frontrunner after establishing Orangewomen career records for both shutouts (15) and saves (209) in just two seasons. Thus far, Karlander has started three of four games for the RedHawks, compiling a 0.70 GAA and 10 saves.

WHAT A RUN: After struggling through its first two seasons as a varsity program, the last two seasons have been a dream for the Red and White. During the 1999 and 2000 seasons, Miami forged an impressive 30-11-1 record, made two trips to the MAC Championship Game, won a MAC Tournament championship and earned an NCAA Tournament berth. During that same stretch, Miami went from last in the MAC in goals per game to leading the league the past two seasons.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Though, as head coach Bobby Kramig says, the proof is in the pudding, Miami has already earned more than its share of preseason recognition. Already this season, Miami has been picked to finish first in Ohio, first in the Mid-American Conference and 10th in the Great Lakes Region. The RedHawks have never been a preseason favorite in Ohio or the MAC and have never been ranked among the Great Lakes Region's Top 10. In the MAC poll, Miami received an impressive nine first-place votes and finished 18 votes ahead of second-place Central Michigan, amassing 160 of a possible 169 points.

BUILDING FOR THE PRESENT: According to Soccerbuzz.com, Miami's most recent recruiting class was another great step toward building the program for the present and future. Soccerbuzz.com ranked the 2001 RedHawk recruiting class, which included a major college transfer and two high school standouts, 39th nationally and fourth in the Great Lakes Region. Headlining the class were junior transfer Katie Karlander (Carmel, Ind./Syracuse), a 1998 NSCAA regional all-America selection and two-year starter at Syracuse, and freshman Ashley Swinehart (Worthington, Ohio/Worthington), a two-time NSCAA all-America selection. Also included in the three-member class rated by Soccerbuzz.com was freshman midfielder Jessica Godshall (Villa Hills, Ky./Notre Dame Academy.), a first-team all-Kentucky selection. Miami was the only Mid-American Conference school ranked in the Top 50.