CMU loses tough MAC opener to penalty kick
The Central Michigan Chippewas took on Eastern Michigan in its first Mid-American Conference game of the season resulting in a 0-1 loss on Thursday. The score remained scoreless into the second quarter until a penalty kick from the Eagles in the 72nd minute.
The Chippewas won their previous game against Purdue Fort-Wayne 2-1 and were on a high leg coming into the MAC opener as EMU remained in the hunt for its first win.
The Eagles immediately dominated in shots on goal totaling seven shots in the first half compared to CMU’s two shots.
CMU returned the momentum in the second half with multiple shots on goal. Junior forward Jenna Little desperately looked for an equalizer shooting just over the net in the last 10 minutes.
With fans screaming as the clock winded down, CMU battled it out with multiple breakaways resulting in shots just over the top left corner in the 77th minute and one nearly missing the top of the net in the 83rd minute.
Head coach Jeremy Groves was disappointed in the night’s ending as he described his team’s intensity level.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t play very well, and I think you can probably attribute some of that to Eastern,” Groves said. “We were way too far off of them, and they just played around us a little bit better.”
Allison LaPoint, the redshirt junior goalkeeper kept the Chippewas in the game, blocking a total of eight shots throughout both halves.
“Allison was unreal tonight,” Groves said. “She made so many big-time saves that kept us in the game. The goal was a penalty, and there's not anything she can do about that, but she was amazing tonight.”
With the loss, CMU officially stands 0-1-0 in the MAC and 1-2-3 overall. The Chippewas will travel to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
“We have to be back on it Sunday,” Groves said. “... against Miami … that’s going to be a huge game and a chance to pick up points this weekend.”
