Oct. 8, 2009

OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami University women’s soccer team faces a tough task this weekend when it travels to the state of Michigan for matches at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, as the RedHawks face the only teams still unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play. Friday’s 3 p.m. ET contest against Eastern Michigan at Scicluna Field begins a season-long four-game road stand for Miami while Sunday’s meeting with Central Michigan is set for 1 p.m. ET at the CMU Soccer Complex.

The RedHawks (6-4-1, 2-1-1 MAC) will be looking for their third-straight victory when they face the Eagles—something they haven’t achieved all year—after knocking off MAC preseason favorite Toledo last Friday and downing Bowling Green Sunday. Miami’s win over Toledo was its first in six tries against the Rockets, as senior keeper Krista Pace (Toronto, Ont.) broke Miami’s career shutouts record with her 11th career clean sheet, while Sunday’s convincing 4-1 defeat of the Falcons was its first over Bowling Green since 2002 and tied a season high for goals.

Miami ranks second in the league with 19 goals scored (1.73 per game) and is tied for third in MAC games only with six. Defensively, the ’Hawks are third with both 0.79 goals against average on the season and 0.71 GAA in league play, as Miami has allowed more than one goal just once this year (2 vs. Dayton Sep. 18). Senior Allison Berkey (Hopkinton, Mass.) and junior Sara Lund (Malmo, Sweden) lead the team and are tied for third in the conference with four goals each, while senior Kersta Carlson (Plymouth, Minn.) has a league-best six assists and is three shy of tying Miami’s single-season record.

Eastern Michigan (6-2-4, 2-0-2 MAC) sits in second place in the MAC standings, one point ahead of Miami, as the Eagles knocked off Buffalo and Kent State last weekend. EMU has a league-best 0.69 goals against average on the season and has given up just one goal in four MAC games so far, including shutouts in each of its last three matches. Senior Ashley Rodrigues and sophomore Chelsea Detrick lead EMU with four goals each, which ties for third in the league. Junior keeper Maggie Manville is tops in the league with a 0.45 goals against average and a .923 save percentage, and is second in shutouts with four, despite only playing in six games this year. She has not allowed a goal in either MAC game she has played so far.

The Eagles hold a slim 8-6-1 edge in the all-time series with Miami, having won the last two match-ups by a combined 7-1. The RedHawks’ last win in Ypsilanti came in 2005.

Central Michigan (9-3-0, 4-0-0 MAC) enters the weekend in first place in the MAC, four points ahead of second-place Eastern Michigan, and is riding a seven-game winning streak. The Chippewas have not allowed a goal in any of those seven matches, including all four MAC games. They have nine clean sheets on the year, which is tied for tops in the nation. Junior keeper Shay Mannino has started all 12 games for CMU and is second in the league with a 0.75 goals against average.

The Chippewas’ 12 goals in MAC play are five better than anyone else, as is their 24 goals on the season. CMU features the top-two goal scorers in the conference in freshman Laura Twidle with seven and senior Molly Gerst with five, all of which have come in league play for Gerst (four games). Central Michigan hosts Ball State Friday before facing Miami Sunday.

Miami trails Central Michigan in the all-time series, 7-6-2, including CMU’s 3-0 win last year. The RedHawks beat the Chippewas in Oxford in 2007 but haven’t won in Mount Pleasant since 2001.

Live stats will be available for both matches this weekend on MURedHawks.com.

--MURedHawks.com--

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