Nov. 4, 2002
REDHAWKS ENTER MAC TOURNAMENT AS TOP SEED: Miami University's soccer seniors will get a chance to improve their 8-0-1 career MAC tournament record when they host the Central Michigan Chippewas in first-round action at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Central Michigan is the only MAC team to hand the RedHawks a conference loss and the only team on the 2002 schedule to post a win at Miami Soccer Field.
The top-seeded RedHawks, who enter the tournament as the top seed for the first time will not need to search for motivation when they face the eighth-seeded Chippewas. With a win on Tuesday, the RedHawks are guaranteed to host the MAC semifinals and finals.
The RedHawks have faced the Chippewas in two of the past three MAC tournaments. Miami beat Central Michigan 2-1 during the 1999 tournament and 3-1 in last year's tournament championship. Both teams have three wins in the overall series and one tie back in 1998.
Central Michigan comes to Oxford with a 5-8-5 overall record a 4-5-3 mark in the MAC. The Chippewas have proven they can beat anyone, by defeating the RedHawks and the second-place, Ball State Cardinals in the same weekend. Olina Vidarsdottir leads Central Michigan with 15 points and three game-winners including one over Miami.
A LOOK BACK: Purdue University became the first nationally-ranked team to play in Oxford on Thursday. The RedHawks earned a tie against the 13th ranked Boilermakers in overtime. Purdue scored on the first shot of the game in the fourth minute . Freshman Lindsay Dunmead scored her first career goal in the 60th minute to tie the score at 1-1.
FIRST MEETING RECAP: After starting the Mid-American Conference schedule 6-0-0, the challenge of the Central Michigan Chippewas along with Mother Nature proved to be too much as Miami fell for the first time in conference play, 3-2, on a rainy Miami Soccer Field.
The Red and White got on the board first when senior Danielle Berkemeier redirected a pass from senior midfielder Shaedyn Cousino that bounced through the wet hands of Chippewa goalkeeper Kari Alexander to bring the score to 1-0 while the clock read 9:50.
As the rain steadily fell, Miami was unable to hold onto the lead. Central Michigan forward Olina Vidarsdottir knocked in the Chippewas first goal after Miami goalkeeper Leigh Terry was unable to hold onto a shot by Cari VanDyck in the 14th minute.
The Chippewas struck again before halftime when Emilie Villemonte slipped through the Miami defense off a pass from Sabrina Borgquist. Villemonte's breakaway goal went near post past the diving hands of Terry with less than five minutes before the midway mark.
Central Michigan took a 3-1 lead when Vidarsdotter skied through the air to head the ball into the back of the net off of an indirect kick by Katie Conway. The goal in the 54th minute marked the first time since Sept. 1st against Hofstra that Miami faced a two-goal deficit.
When the rain started to lessen with just 20 minutes to play, the RedHawks appeared to show the same flare that produced a seven-game win streak. Junior Tricia Gill centered the ball from the right for senior Andrea Cunningham who one-touched the ball into the goal and brought the lead back down to one with 15 minutes remaining.
The RedHawks had their chances as they continually put pressure on the Chippewa defense during the last 15 minutes, but were unable to convert.
Miami falls to 8-2-1 and 6-1-0 in the MAC, while Central Michigan improves their record to 4-3-3 and 3-1-2 in the MAC.
MAC RECORDS: In Mid-American Conference history, no team had won 11 conference games until Miami defeated Marshall on Oct. 27. Miami's 11 wins broke the 2001 Ohio Bobcat record for most conference wins in a season. Ohio went 10-2 during its 2001 season. The RedHawk's .917 conference winning percentage is the highest in MAC history at the completion of the conference season. With the win over Marshall, the RedHawks tied the 1997 Northern Illinois squad, 1998 Ohio and Northern Illinois squads, and the 1999 Eastern Michigan squad with only one loss at the end of the conference season. None of the four teams accumulated 10 wins because the league did not have 13 MAC women's soccer schools until last season.
MISS OCTOBER: Typically known for her play in November, senior forward Danielle Berkemeier has gotten an early start this year by scoring in seven of the nine Miami games played in October. Berkemeier scored eight goals total in the month of October.
Berkemeier still hasn't give up her title of Miss November either. Through 12 post-season games over the past three seasons, Berkemeier has netted 11 goals, including a remarkable seven game-winning strikes.
The senior forward leads the team with 14 goals and 31 points this season.
FINAL RECORD: Not only did Miami set MAC records with its 11-1-0 conference mark, the RedHawks also set Miami program marks. Until this year, Miami's best MAC finish came when it finished 8-3-0 in the MAC during the 1999 season. Last year, the RedHawks went 8-3-1 through the MAC season. The Red and White also eclipsed the 15-3-0 mark set in 1999 for the best record in Miami history at the end of the season with a 15-2-2 record. Before last Friday's game, Miami stood a half-game behind the 1999 start when the 1999 team opened the season with a 14-2-0 record through 16 games.
HOME SWEET HOME: Miami has proven the definition of home-field advantage by going 29-6-3 at home since the beginning of 1999. Miami has posted a 37-16-4 record in its six-year history. The Red and White holds a 7-1-2 record at Miami Soccer Field during the 2002 season. The RedHawks excelled at home in 2001 with a 5-2-1 mark. The pinnacle of its home success came in 1999 when Miami went 9-0-0 at Miami Soccer Field.
The Red and White has proven they are good away from Miami Soccer Field as well. Since Sept. 9 of 2001 the RedHawks have posted a 15-3-0 mark away from Oxford.
HOT KEEPERS: Miami has shut out nine of its last 16 opponents and allowed only 10 goals during that time period.
Freshman goalkeeper Leigh Terry and junior Emily Smith tied Miami's all-time mark of nine shutouts after allowing no goals against Wright State on Oct. 25. Terry leads the goalkeepers with 5.5 shutouts, while senior Katie Karlander has contributed 3.0 shutouts and Smith has .5 with her contribution against the Raiders. The nine shutouts eclipse the eight that last year's goalkeepers recorded.
MOVIN' ON UP: The RedHawks tied their highest rating in school history, seventh place in the Soccerbuzz.com Great Lakes Region rankings this past week. Miami moved up one place when it found itself rated eighth in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region poll this week. The Red and White have been rated ninth the past two weeks.
This is the first time in school history that the RedHawks have have been rated in four consecutive Great Lakes Region polls. Miami was recieving votes two weeks prior to their ranking, making it the first time the RedHawks had their name on six consecutive polls.
Miami ended the season last year with seventh place in the Soccerbuzz.com Great Lakes Region rankings.
TWO OF A KIND: Danielle Berkemeier scored two goals two weeks ago to pad her lead in the Mid-American Conference all-time point list. Berkemeier scored a goal on last Friday against Wright State and the game winner against Marshall last Sunday. Senior Andrea Cunningham added an assist on the first goal against Marshall. Cunningham has 129 all-time points while Berkemeier carries 136 career points.
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