Same scenario for CMU field hockey
The field hockey team is in the same position it was last season at the start of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Hopefully for the Chippewas, the end result also is the same.
Again it is the No. 4 seed and must win three games to win the title. CMU (11-9 overall, 6-4 MAC) plays at noon Thursday against No. 5 Kent State (6-14 overall, 3-7 MAC) in Athens, Ohio in the first round of the tournament.
The Chippewas ran the table to win the tournament last year.
“That’s where we were last year,” said coach Cristy Freese. “Kent State was the No. 1 seed last year and we played them in the semifinals. It gave us a real boost of confidence heading into finals.”
The winner plays No. 1 seed Ohio University.
Central beat KSU 3-0 last Saturday and 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 7.
“That was our first shutout of the season,” said senior back Erin Dottery. “If we can play like that, we can definitely win.”
CMU ended the regular season in a second place tie in the MAC with Ball State and Miami at 6-4.
The Cardinals won the tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed and a first round bye because they beat MAC Champion Ohio in the regular season.
Neither CMU nor Miami won a game against Ohio.
CMU sophomore forward Kelly Jordan said the tournament is the beginning of a new season.
“You have to give it all you got because there is no second chance,” Jordan said. “If everyone works together and works hard, we can do anything.”
Senior forward Alicia Balanesi injured her hand when the ball hit her in last Friday’s 3-1 loss to Ohio. Balanesi missed the Kent State game last Saturday and practice on Monday, but will play in the tournament.
