Field hockey falls to Louisville at MAC Tourney
KENT, Ohio — A Desire Miller cross from the left side to Jessica Javelet was all it took for Louisville to beat the field hockey team Saturday in the MAC Tournament semifinals.
Javelet scored four minutes into the second half to end CMU’s season. The Chippewas finished 9-11 overall and 7-5 in the MAC.
The Chippewas advanced after a 7-2 opening-round victory against Miami Friday.
“Our team played well all the way to the end, and it was a heartbreaking loss,” said senior back Katie Coccia. “We played together and we were all on the same page, and that has been our goal all year.”
The Chippewas had the edge in shots 14-13, but Cardinals goalkeeper Christy Hershey was the difference. The MAC Player of the Year made eight saves for the shutout.
“I am upset we lost, but I am proud of how tough we played,” CMU coach Cristy Freese said. “There is no shame in a 1-0 loss, especially with how good their keeper played”
Louisville coach Pam Bustin said she was happy with her team.
“I thought we fought really hard and I am pleased with our team’s performance,” Bustin said. “Central Michigan played well, and it was a great game.”
Freese said she is happy with how her team competed this season.
“I look at the season and I feel that the team did good things that were not necessarily reflected in our record,” she said. “We played up to our potential, and the seniors left this program in good hands. We already have a solid team in place for next season.”
Senior Allison Foland said the team played well in both games this weekend.
“I do not think there was a difference in how we played, but just a difference in the teams we played,” she said. “We picked it up once we realized we needed to play at a quicker pace.”
Foland said she did not play against Louisville like she did against Miami.
“I thought I played well against Miami, and against Louisville I did not intercept the ball as much,” she said. “I should have been more aggressive.”
The game was the last for Coccia and five fellow seniors. Jenny Rosen, Laura Plese, Kerri Krasnow, Tarah Trottier and Foland all played their last game for CMU.
“It is heartbreaking because this has been an experience of a lifetime,” Coccia said. “It is going to take a long time to get over the fact that my field hockey career is over, but it has been a very rewarding experience.”
Against Miami Friday, the Chippewas got off to a slow start. But once CMU started scoring, they did not let up.
Freshman Alicia Balanesi scored midway through the first half on a pass from Foland to put CMU on the board.
Trottier added a goal shortly after, with Foland adding her second assist of the game. Balanesi scored her second goal of the game with 2:34 left to put CMU up 3-0 at the half.
The RedHawks came out with a goal off of a penalty corner by Angie Sneeden to make it 3-1. Four minutes later, Trottier scored her second of the game on a pass from junior Kristy Reed. Reed added a goal at the 39:45 mark to make it 5-1.
Trottier picked up her first career hat trick with 22:26 remaining on another pass from Reed. Miami’s Jessica Saling scored with less than seven minutes to go to make it 6-2, before Trottier added her fourth goal of the game with 1:55 to go.
It was her 16th of the season, with the assist going to freshman Cortney Blanchard. It was Blanchard’s first collegiate point.
Freese said she is happy with the late emergence of some younger players, Balanesi in particular.
“Sometimes it is hard to get motivated when a player always has to come off the bench,” Freese said. “It shows how hard she has worked, and that she is a very quick learner.”
After losing five seniors that accounted for much of the playing time in 2002, the Chippewas pushed to a second-place finish in the regular season of the MAC. The team will lose three starters to graduation.
