Field hockey second half comeback clinches MAC championship berth
No. 4 seed Central Michigan upset Mid-American Conference nemesis and No. 1 seed Kent State with three second half goals for the 3-1 win.
The Chippewas ended and drought as they got their first win against the Golden Flashes since October 6, 2007.
The second half onslaught started with a goal from junior midfielder Mary Alice Moore. After Moore’s goal, CMU netted two more goals in an eight minute span to take the Chippewas in the MAC tournament championship where they'll meet either Ohio or Miami (Ohio).
The two goals to take CMU above Kent State were scored by junior Jordyn Brengosz and senior Bailey McKeon.
“I thought we all played very well and I loved how our intensity went up after getting down 1-0 in the first half,” said senior goal scorer Bailey McKeon.
Prior to the match, head coach Cristy Freese made it clear she wanted more shots on net and her team came out firing with a total shot count of 11 shots. Last week only managing two shots on target.
“Personally, coming out after halftime after regrouping and scoring early really energized us,” Freese said. “I liked our preparation today, we came with a calmer approach than the last time we played them.”
After the Chippewas scored their third goal they had 24 minutes that they had to protect for the victory. CMU only allowed one shot on target in those 24 minutes to seal the win.
“When our seniors were freshman we had a 3-1 on Kent State and they came back to beat us in overtime,” Freese said.
Surely the seniors had their freshman year heartbreak in the back of their heads after the third goal.
“We lost to Kent after being up 3-1 before,” McKeon said. “After my goal we all kept our sticks down and just played really hard as a team to win.”
The second half triumph meant the world to the seniors, who in their entire NCAA career have never once beat the Golden Flashes. The seniors had played nine games against Kent State prior to this match.
“I’m so happy for my kids and especially very happy for the seniors,” Freese said.
Two of the Chippewas goals came from penalty corners, a strong point for the team this year. Seven of CMU’s 27 goals this year have come from penalty corners.
“We’ve put in a lot of work on our penalty corners this year, this season they have been more efficient than last season,” Freese said.
The semifinal victory marks a victory that ends the drought with the Golden Flashes and gives them a shot in the tournament championship to bring home the hardware for the first time in eight years.
The Chippewas play their Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship at 2 p.m. Saturday in Oxford, Ohio. Their opponent will be the winner of the No. 2 seed Ohio and the No. 3 seed Miami (Ohio).
