Oct. 1, 2002
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REDHAWKS HALFWAY THROUGH THE MAC: With the Mid-American Conference schedule halfway through, the RedHawks are faced with the challenge of matching their first-half dominance. Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan are Miami's first opponents to begin the second half of the MAC schedule.
Central Michigan will test the RedHawks at 4 p.m., Friday on Miami Soccer Field. The Chippewas have a 1-2-2 MAC mark and a 2-4-3 overall record, including three consecutive 2-2 double-overtime ties with Wright State, Buffalo, and Kent State. Central Michigan is coming off a MAC-weekend split after a 1-0 victory over Western Michigan and a 1-0 defeat to Northern Illinios. The Chippewas are led by Olina Vidarsdottir, who has tallied a point in five of her last seven games, totaling three goals and two assists. Miami leads the all-time series 3-2-1 and boasts a three game winning streak.
The last game of the two-week, four-game homestand pits Miami against Eastern Michigan in Oxford at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Eagles began their season at Hofstra and Stony Brook just as Miami did. Eastern Michigan lost 7-1 to Hofstra while posting a 3-0 shutout at Stony Brook, and now maintain a 5-6-0 overall record and 3-2-0 mark in the MAC. The Eagles feature forward Jessica Hupe, who is second in the MAC in points and goals scored with 10 goals and two assists for 22 points. Goalkeeper Aryn McCumber is tied with Miami goalkeepers Katie Karlander and Leigh Terry along with three others, for the MAC lead in shutouts(3). Miami knocked off Eastern Michigan last year in Ypsilanti, but the Eagles still hold the series edge, 5-1-1.
A LOOK BACK: The Red and White improved its overall record to 8-1-1 and a perfect 6-0-0 in the Mid-American Conference with an emotional 3-2 victory over defending league champion Ohio on Friday, and a 2-0 win over Buffalo on Sunday. The women's soccer team extended its win streak to seven matches with its two wins. Seniors Andrea Cunningham and Danielle Berkemeier remain tied for the MAC all-time point lead after they both scored goals, along with senior Shaedyn Cousino, in the victory over Ohio. Junior Danielle Altiero tallied both goals in the victory over Buffalo.
NEW RECORD: Miami's shutout and scoreless streak ended at 554 minutes when Ohio's Rachael Najjar scored in the 49th minute of Friday's contest. The streak included five straight shutouts that dated back to Sept. 6th when the RedHawks gave up a goal in the 54th minute against St. John's. Miami started a new streak by shutting down Buffalo in a 2-0 victory, which gives Miami six shutouts in its last seven contests.
Since taking over, freshman Leigh Terry has collected her first three collegiate shutouts and four victories. Terry's shutouts over Bowling Green, Akron and Buffalo tie her with senior Katie Karlander for the team lead with three shutouts.
Karlander started the string of victories with shutouts over Georgia Southern, Toledo and Kent State.
The 554 minutes of scoreless play breaks a Miami record that dates back to the RedHawks' 2000 MAC Tournament Championship run in which they had 317 scoreless minutes. The streak included victories over Ohio, Buffalo, and a double-overtime win over Bowling Green.
The RedHawks six shutouts on the 2002 season ties their season totals in 1999 and 2000, and is second to the nine shutouts the Miami goalkeepers recorded last year.
QUICK START: For the first time in school history, the RedHawks are undefeated in the MAC after six games. The Red and White tied their 1999 win total of eight after ten games, and set the Miami record for winning percentage of .850 after ten games with a record of 8-1-1. The seven-game win streak ties the two seven-game win streaks that Miami compiled during 1999 season. Miami's six consecutive MAC victories is second to the seven-game MAC win streak of 1999.
HOME SWEET HOME: Miami has proven the definition of home-field advantage by going 26-5-2 at home since the beginning of 1999. Miami has posted a 33-15-4 record in their six-year history. The RedHawks excelled at home in 2001 with a 5-2-1 mark . The pinnacle of their home success came in 1999 when Miami went 9-0-0 at Miami Soccer Field.
GIVING SOPHOMORES: Of the 17 assists that the 2002 RedHawks have recorded, 11 of them have come from sophomores. Laura Freel and Ashley Swinehart lead the Red and White with five assists apiece while Megan Shapiro added the other sophomore assist.
Four of Swinehart's five assists have come when she crossed the ball into the action in front of the goal. Swinehart's other assist came on a flip throw-in that carried from the left sideline to Danielle Altiero who one-touched the ball in front of the goal to the far-post of the net.
Freel has added one assist in each of the past two weekends to join the three she recorded on the weekend of Sept. 13-15.
Shapiro's only assist was to Altiero for the game-winner in overtime in Miami's first win of the season at Stony Brook, N.Y. on Aug. 30th.
Swinehart and Freel's five assists during the 2002 season give them nine and seven career assists, respectively. Shapiro had one assist last year to add to her one this year.
TWO OF A KIND: Andrea Cunningham and Danielle Berkemeier continue to stay tied for the lead in the Mid-American Conference all-time point list after they both scored goals against Ohio on Friday. Cunningham and Berkemeier both have 118 all-time points.
Cunningham surpassed former Buffalo standout Paula Listrani as the MAC's career scoring leader on a second-half goal versus Buffalo on Nov. 6, 2001.
Berkemeier passed Listrani 's 105 all-time points with a game-winning goal versus Georgia Southern on Sept. 8, 2002 to win the inaugural Miami/Adidas Invitational.
Berkemeier and Cunningham are the only players in Miami soccer history (men's or women's), and second and third in MAC women's soccer history, to surpass the century mark for career points.
MAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior midfielder Danielle Altiero was named Mid-American Conference co-Player of the Week on Monday in light of her contributions in making the RedHawks the only undefeated team through the first half of the MAC schedule.
The Miami midfielder scored both goals in the 2-0 shutout of Buffalo on Sunday to up Miami's record to 8-1-1 and 6-0-0 in the MAC, and extended Miami's win streak to seven games. Altiero also added an assist in the 3-2 victory over Ohio on Friday, when senior Shaedyn Cousino headed in Altiero's corner kick for Miami's second goal.
Altiero is the highest scoring midfielder in Miami history and ranks third in goals scored this year with four. Her first game-winner of 2002 was scored two minutes into overtime against Stony Brook on Aug. 30th to give the RedHawks their first win of the season.
THE VOTES ARE IN: Miami recieved votes in the Soccerbuzz.com Great Lakes Region poll for the second week in a row. This is the first time since the preseason poll and the final poll of the 2001 season, that Miami has recieved votes in two consecutive polls. The RedHawks started the season rated 10th in the regional poll. Miami ended the season last year with their highest rating in school history, seventh place.
OLD HAWKS WELCOME YOUNG HAWKS: As the starting line-ups are announced before the Eastern Michigan game on Sunday, all M-League youth players in attendance will be recognized along with the RedHawks. At halftime, youth players will be invited out onto the field to show off their skills.
For the Youth Soccer day, all players are encouraged to wear their M-League uniforms, bring a soccer ball for the halftime activities and arrive about 15 minutes before the game in order to be ready to run onto the field with the RedHawks. Miami RedHawk Soccer tattoos (temporary, of course) will be given out upon arrival.
REDHAWKS FIGHTING CANCER: The Miami women's soccer has teamed up with the Greater Cincinnati Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to combat the most common form of cancer among women. For every home goal Miami scores during its 2002 season, the women's soccer program will donate $20 to the foundation.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Research Program is regarded as one of the most innovative and responsive grant programs in breast cancer today. As a pioneer in the funding of ground-breaking breast cancer research, the Komen Foundation is often the only source of funding for cutting-edge breast cancer research, much of which has led to landmark discoveries in the quest to find a cure for and eventually prevent breast cancer.
A representative of the Cincinnati affiliate will be on hand for Miami's Oct. 31 match with Purdue to take part in a special donation ceremony.
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