Saturday's Field Hockey Results
Miami 6, Ball State 3
Central Michigan 2, Kent State 1
Ohio 0, Wake Forest 2
Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications
Miami 6, Ball State 3
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. – Despite a big early deficit the RedHawks scored six unanswered goals to come away with a huge MAC win to lock up the three seed in next weekend’s MAC tournament.
Ball State (5-11, 1-5 MAC) built a 3-0 lead as the game headed towards halftime, but an offensive explosion from Miami (7-11, 4-2 MAC) led to the comeback win. A well-balanced attack saw goals from five different RedHawks as the team ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak headed into the MAC Tournament, which Miami has won the last two seasons.
Bryce Barnes got the scoring started for the Cardinals early with a goal in the fifth minute off an assist from Colleen McGlynn. Despite the shots remaining even, goals by Bethany Han and Carley Shannon allowed Ball State to build a commanding 3-0 lead with six minutes left in the half. But, the RedHawks wouldn’t go quietly into the halftime break as Carla Romagosa found Ali Froede for a goal off of a perfectly executed penalty corner to make it 3-1.
The RedHawks continued to trail the Cardinals well into the second half before Bea Dechant got loose for a goal in the 53rd minute to bring Miami within one. Then, just five minutes late Brianna Stahl scored the first goal of her career to knot the game 3-3 with just 11 minutes left to play. Valentina Neira capped the ferocious comeback as Shannon Regan found her on a penalty corner and the senior found the back of the net to make it 4-3 and give Miami its first lead of the game.
Geagy Pritchard continued the onslaught and gave the RedHawks an insurance goal in the 62nd minute. But Miami didn’t stop there as Stahl scored her second goal of the game in the 66th minute as Regan was credited with another assist and the team took a 6-3 lead.
Stahl, a freshman, got the first two goals of her career in the victory while Neira got the game-winner with her 13th scoring tally of the year. Froede’s goal was the sixth of the season for the senior playing her final regular season game as a RedHawk. Dechant and Pritchard each scored their sixth goal of the season. Romagosa, a sophomore, dished out her eighth assist of the year to lead the team while Regan got two assists to give her six on the year.
Defensively, Miami held Ball State scoreless as goalkeeper Alysa Xavier made four saves on the afternoon.
The RedHawks will now move into postseason play and look to make it three straight MAC Tournament titles in Kent next weekend. Miami will enter the four-team playoff as the No. 4 seed and will open play against the No. 2 seed Kent State on Friday at 2 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to play the winner of No. 1 seed Central Michigan and No. 4 seed Ohio on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Central Michigan 2, Kent State 1
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Cayleigh Immelman and Kaysie Gregory scored the goals Saturday as the Central Michigan field hockey team defeated Kent State, 2-1, to earn a share of the Mid-American Conference championship.
It is the first regular-season league title since 2002 for CMU, which improved to 7-11 overall. Kent State is 8-9. The teams finished tied atop the MAC at 5-1.
Immelman's goal came with 30 second left in the first half, breaking a 1-1 tie. Gregory assisted.
"I'm proud to be Central Michigan," said Immelman, a senior.
Gregory scored off a rebound on a penalty corner. Immelman leads CMU with nine goals, while Gregory has six.
Hannah Faulkner, the MAC's leading scorer, scored unassisted off a corner.
The Chippewas held the Golden Flashes to six shots, more than 15 below their average.
"I think our team was determined," CMU coach Cristy Freese said. "We've been in this position two years in a row now and I think our team and seniors weren't going to be denied this time. I'm just excited for these kids -- they've worked very hard."
Junior goalkeeper Sadie Lynn Reynolds made three saves to earn the victory.
Kent State held a 6-5 advantage in both shots and penalty corners.
"We're really excited and it was a team effort," Reynolds said. "Everyone played hard for the entire 70 minutes, not one minute was lacking."
The MAC Tournament is set for Kent State beginning on Friday, Nov. 8.
Ohio 0, Wake Forest 2
Box Score
THE BASICS
Score: Wake Forest 2, Ohio 0
Records: Wake Forest (11-6,3-3 ACC) Ohio (5-10, 4-2 MAC)
Location: Pruitt Field – Athens, Ohio
Short Story: Ohio goalkeeper Brittany Walker (Elizabethtown, Pa.) held No. 10th-ranked Wake Forest at bay for the first 23 minutes of play. The senior earned four saves in her last game at Pruitt Field, but the Ohio field hockey team (5-10) ultimately fell to the Demon Deacons, 2-0, on Saturday (Nov. 1) afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Demon Deacons outshot the Bobcats, 7-1, in the first half and 9-2 in the second half.
• Ohio stayed even with Wake Forest on corners, with both teams shooting six.
• Wake Forest’s Anna Kozniuk lead the game in shots with six overall. Teammate Jess Newark followed, shooting three.
• Redshirt senior Lauryl Desch (Charlottesville, Va.) posted the most shots for Ohio, with two. She leads Ohio with 34 shots in 2014 - including a team-high 18 on goal.
• Senior Ashley Cureton (Henrico, Va.) produced the Bobcat’s sole shot on goalie the first period.
• A goal by Wake Forest’s Shannon Eby in the 23rd minute of the first half gave the Demon Deacons a 1-0 lead.
• Anna Kozniuk earned her 13th goal of the season in the 48th minute of play extending the Wake Forest lead to 2-0, solidifying their victory.
• Ohio senior goalkeeper Walker (Elizabethtown, Pa.) chalked up four saves for the Cats.
QUOTABLE
“We certainly played well and we finished well. It’s still a loss unfortunately. We have to go into these games against high-ranked teams looking to get a result of it.” – Head coach Neil Macmillan
UP NEXT
The Bobcats will begin postseason play on Friday, Nov. 7 against Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The game is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. at Kent State University.
