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(11/03/06 5:00am)
A second consecutive Mid-American Conference Tournament championship
wasn’t meant to be for the field hockey team.
Central lost 6-0 to No. 5 seed Kent State Thursday in the MAC
Tournament in Athens, Ohio, ending its season with a record of 11-10
overall and 6-4 in the MAC.
Last season, the Chippewas ran the table to win the MAC tournament
in Mount Pleasant.
Seniors Alicia Balanesi, Cortney Blanchard, Erin Dottery and
Danielle Frank played their final game for the Chippewas on Thursday.
“It’s disappointing the way we lost,” said coach Cristy Freese. “To
lose 6-0 is hard to swallow.”
Natalie Barrett scored the first goal of the match in the 10th
minute with her shot from the top of the circle to give Kent State
(7-14, 4-7 MAC) the lead.
KSU kept the pressure on, scoring another goal three minutes later
off a penalty corner.
“It was about our attitude and how we responded to it,” Balanesi
said of trailing 2-0. “We didn’t respond.”
Anna McComb tipped in the third goal to give the Golden Flashes a
3-0 lead.
“After the second or third goal, I think our kids started to panic a
bit,” Freese said.
Kent State’s Kate Perry added another goal to make the score 4-0 at
halftime.
Freese said she used the 10-minute halftime to calm down the team
and regroup.
Central played better in the second half and managed to have some
good scoring opportunities, but couldn’t capitalize.
“We were looking for that first goal to fire us up,” Freese said.
“We never got it.”
Three of the four shots in the second half by the Chippewas sailed
just wide of the goal.
“They were good shots,” Balanesi said. “They would just miss to the
right, left or be right at the goalie. It was frustrating.”
This was the fourth time this season that CMU was shut out. The six
goals were the second-most given up in a game this season.
Perry scored her second goal of the match off a penalty stroke and
Barrett scored her second goal to end the scoring.
(11/01/06 5:00am)
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.
(10/30/06 5:00am)
The field hockey team closed out the regular season this weekend with a
shutout victory on the road.
(10/27/06 4:00am)
The last time the field hockey team won a regular season Mid-American
Conference Championship was 2002.
None of the current players were on that team, but they have a
chance this weekend to win one of their own.
CMU (10-8 overall, 5-3 MAC) is a game-and-a half back from
MAC-leading Ohio (10-7, 7-2 MAC). CMU plays at 3 p.m. today in Athens,
Ohio, against the Bobcats.
A win against OU and another win Saturday against Kent State would
give CMU a share of the regular season MAC Championship.
“Last week we were playing to just stay in contention,” said
sophomore forward Samantha Sandham. “Now we’re playing for a title.”
Central had a 4-3 win against Ball State and a 3-2 win against Miami
last weekend to put them in position.
Last place Missouri State (1-7 in MAC) is the only other MAC team
besides Central to have two conference games left this weekend.
“We have to win two games to win a championship,” said coach Cristy
Freese.
Weekend outlook
What: CMU at Ohio, 3 p.m today; CMU at Kent State, 11 a.m. Saturday
Telling stat: Two wins would clinch share of title
Defensively, the focus will be the middle of the field.
“Ohio is a team that tries to beat us down the middle of the field,”
Freese said. “We have to get the ball to the outside.”
Ohio is led by junior forward Torrie Albini, who has 28 points on 10
goals.
“We always want to limit the shots from the middle of the field,”
said senior goalkeeper Danielle Frank. “We need to focus on not
breaking down.”
CMU plays at 11 a.m. Saturday at Kent State (6-13, 3-6 MAC). With
Ball State and Miami tied for third place in the MAC at 5-4, the
Chippewas have little room for error.
A loss or two would drop CMU to third or fourth place in the MAC.
“In practice we are being reminded to stay focused and to keep
working as a team,” said senior back Cortney Blanchard.
(10/25/06 4:00am)
Coach Cristy Freese said the field hockey team is playing the best it
has all season.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
CMU (10-8 overall, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) started MAC play
with an 0-3 record, but has won five consecutive conference games
since. It sits one game behind first place Ohio. The Chippewas play the
Bobcats at 1 p.m. Friday in Athens, Ohio.
“I think everything we have been working on is finally showing in
the games,” said sophomore Samantha Sandham.
The Chippewas have scored seven goals the past two games.
“I think we turned into a dangerous team offensively,” Freese said.
“It’s probably what I thought we would be able to do.”
Sandham leads the team in scoring with 29 points. She has 11 goals
and seven assists on the season.
“We’re sticking with the same lineup now,” Freese said. “We moved
Samantha to forward and that is more of her natural position.”
Forwards senior Alicia Balanesi and sophomore Kelly Jordan have
produced well the last few games.
Freese attributes some of the success of the forwards to the work of
assistant coach Earl Marais.
Each practice Marais takes the forwards aside to give some
additional attention to shooting and situational scoring opportunities.
Central has a four-game winning streak overall.
“Obviously, once you win games, you’re going to feel more
confident,” Jordan said. “We need to stay focused.”
Notes:
Goalkeeper Danielle Frank was selected to play in the National Field
Hockey Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game on Nov. 18 in
Wintson-Salem, N.C.
(10/23/06 4:00am)
The field hockey team went into the weekend needing two wins to stay in
the Mid-American Conference race.
(10/20/06 4:00am)
It will be an emotional weekend for the four senior members of the
field hockey team.
Forward Alicia Balanesi, goalkeeper Danielle Frank and backs Cortney
Blanchard and Erin Dottery will play at the CMU Field Hockey Complex
for the final time in a pair of matches today and Saturday.
CMU (8-8 overall, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) hosts Ball State at 3
p.m. today and Miami at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“It really starts to hit you that it’s ending soon,” Dottery said.
But the moment could not come at a more crucial time for Central.
CMU still has a shot a MAC title, but must play well this weekend to
stay on pace.
The Cardinals (6-9 overall, 5-2 MAC) won their fifth straight game
Tuesday against Miami to move into a first-place tie with Ohio.
“They were a little young last year, sort of like we are this year,”
Freese said. “It’s not surprising to see them do so well.”
Ball State’s winning streak started after it won the first meeting
against Central 2-1.
Weekend outlook
What: CMU vs. Ball State, CMU vs. Miami
When: 3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: CMU Field Hockey Complex
“We’ve corrected the mistakes we made the first time and it’s all
about coming out with a different attitude,” Balanesi said.
The Chippewas lost 1-0 to the RedHawks (7-10, 4-3 MAC) the first
time they played each other in Miami.
Blanchard said the defense wants to keep the ball to the outside to
prevent Ball State and Miami from coming down the middle of the circle.
“Both Ball State and Miami are good teams and we’re going to have to
be at our best as a team to beat them,” Freese said.
Balanesi, Blanchard, Dottery and Frank will be honored Saturday in
their final home match.
The senior group played a key role as members of last season’s MAC
Tournament Championship.
Frank said one of the best memories of playing at the Field Hockey
Complex was winning the tournament on Central’s home field.
“This is a special group of seniors,” said coach Cristy Freese. “I’m
proud of what they have given to the program and their leadership.”
(10/18/06 4:00am)
Senior goalkeeper Danielle Frank had a busy game in net during a 2-0
loss to Michigan State on Tuesday.
(10/16/06 4:00am)
Sophomore Kelly Jordan put the field hockey team back into contention
for the Mid-American Conference championship Sunday with one strike of
her stick.
(10/13/06 4:00am)
Sophomore Allison Kist will play field hockey in front of a familiar
crowd for one of the few times in her career.
Kist hails from St. Louis, just three hours away from Springfield,
Mo., where CMU plays this weekend.
“It’s really exciting,” Kist said. “I have a bunch of friends that
go to the school and play for them.”
CMU (6-7, 1-3 MAC) plays the Bears (5-6, 1-3 MAC) at 11 a.m.
Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.
The opportunity to play against players Kist is familiar with offers
more motivation.
“I really want to beat them,” she said. “Especially since they were
one of the schools I looked at attending. It will drive me to be more
competitive.”
Missouri State joined the MAC last year and had a 3-7 record.
“After last year, I think they are more familiar with the
conference,” said coach Cristy Freese . “I think they could be a .500
team in the MAC this season.”
The Bears have one of the best goalkeepers in the MAC. Kim Kinsella
is No. 1 in the country with an on-goal save percentage of .848. She’s
recorded 103 saves.
“They have got a lot better since last year and I think so have we,”
said senior goalkeeper Danielle Frank.
CMU will play on FieldTurf instead of artificial turf.
“It’s slow, but we’re going to have to deal with it,” Freese said.
Sophomore Samantha Sandham had an ankle injury Tuesday at Michigan,
but will play.
Freshman back Tara Schiltz returns after missing three games because
of injury.
(10/11/06 4:00am)
It was only a four-minute stretch that cost the field hockey team a win
against Michigan on Tuesday.
(10/11/06 4:00am)
It’s a position many of CMU’s fall sports teams remember all too well.
Just one year ago, several of the fall teams were in the same
position they are now.
Nearly all were riding good starts and peering ahead to what were
optimistic dreams of winning a Mid-American Conference Championship.
But nearly all of them stumbled.
CMU hoisted just one trophy at the end of the 2005 fall season — a
field hockey MAC tournament title.
The position of last year’s teams compared to this year’s offer a
striking resemblance with only one variation.
The 2006 scenario is even better.
Central’s four main fall sports — football, field hockey, soccer and
volleyball — have a combined winning percentage of .653 at 32-17-1
overall. The teams are 10-8-1 in the MAC.
The football team is off to its best start in the MAC since 1990 at
3-0. The great beginning looks just as good as last year’s 2-1 start.
However, it will mean little if the team stumbles like it did at the
end of 2005.
The soccer team raced to its best start in school history this year
with an unblemished
7-0-0 record. At 10-2-1 overall, the team appears to be headed on a
direct route to a MAC title.
Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams finished in subpar
fashion last fall.
The men’s team started well just like this year, but quickly had its
streak of three consecutive MAC Championships end when it floundered to
a fifth place finish at the conference meet.
Sophomore Jackie Rivard’s promising freshman season ended in ghastly
fashion when the women’s team finished a disappointing seventh.
The field hockey team is the lone CMU team off to a worse start than
last year, but not by much.
At 6-7 overall, it is just one win shy of last year’s 7-5 start.
But it was not how the team started last season, but how it finished
that mattered most.
Coach Cristy Freese’s team found momentum heading into the MAC
Tournament where it won three consecutive games and outscored its
opponents 9-1 to capture the championship.
It will take a lot to repeat, but the team’s momentum seems to be
building after winning its first MAC game last weekend.
But the volleyball team has been the best story this fall.
The team struggled to a 3-23 record last season. But this year has
been a different story.
The 13 wins are more than the team won in 2004 and 2005 combined.
And its three conference wins equal the conference games won in each
of the last two years combined as well.
But for all of the wins CMU has collected this fall, it cannot
afford to suffer a letdown as each team crosses its season’s midway
point.
If it so much as equals what it has in the first half of the season,
Central’s fall teams will have far more than one MAC trophy to polish
at season’s end.
Robert McLean can be reached at rmclean@cm-life.com.
(10/09/06 4:00am)
A two-week stretch of frustration ended for the field hockey team
against Kent State on Saturday.
Sophomore Samantha Sandham took a pass from sophomore forward Kelly
Jordan and tipped in a goal from the opposite side of the net to give
Central a 2-1 overtime win at the Field Hockey Complex.
“We just wanted it more,” Sandham said. “It was a play that we had
worked on in practice.”
The win snapped a four-game losing streak, giving the team its first
Mid-American Conference win of the season.
“It was nice for the kids to be rewarded with a win,” said coach
Cristy Freese. “This losing streak was bogging us down a bit.”
Sandham scored both CMU goals as the team overcame an early 1-0
deficit.
Central improved its record to 1-3 in the MAC and 6-6 overall.
Kate Perry scored at the 5:36 mark to give KSU the lead, but Central
would go on to dominate much of the game.
The Golden Flashes held their lead until the 47:18 mark when Sandham
dribbled the ball to the top of the circle and fired in a goal to tie
the game.
CMU outshot Kent State 22-8 and held a 17-2 advantage on penalty
corners.
Senior goalie Danielle Frank finished with five saves, including
several late stops to give the Chippewas the opportunity to win the
game.
“We tried to work on what we were doing,” she said. “I just knew if
we kept putting it on goal we would eventually score.”
Central lost 3-1 to Ohio on Friday. The Bobcats had a 1-0 lead until
early in the second half when senior Alicia Balanesi put in a rebound
off the shot of Jordan.
Ohio’s Celine McNamara gave the Bobcats the lead for good and a
penalty stroke by Torrie Albini gave the Bobcats an insurance goal.
CMU plays at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Ann Arbor against Michigan.
(10/06/06 4:00am)
Coach Cristy Freese said Mid-American Conference field hockey teams are
similar in talent and have different strengths.
(10/04/06 4:00am)
Senior Cortney Blanchard stepped up when her team called on her to make
a change.
Blanchard played the forward position her entire career in college.
But because of the loss of backs Kim Ferris and Laura Glaza to
graduation, another veteran was needed.
Blanchard answered the call.
She said the position change was made easier when a new defensive
system was installed.
“From the beginning we played a different system, so it’s been all
new,” Blanchard said. “We’ve just kept growing in it.”
Coach Cristy Freese said the transition has been smooth.
“We really work on what her job is and what her role is and asking
her to do what is within her strengths,” Freese said.
The defense allowed just two goals against Ball State in a 2-1
overtime loss and just one goal to Miami in a 1-0 loss.
“Defensively, we are getting stronger and working well together,”
Blanchard said. “The way we are communicating has improved as the games
go on.”
Young players have played big roles around Blanchard and senior back
Erin Dottery.
Freshman Tara Schiltz and sophomore Allison Kist have played all 10
games this season.
Schiltz leads the team with eight defensive saves.
“Tara did a lot of things in high school to prepare for this,”
Freese said. “She is a solid defender.”
Freese said her team has met the challenge of allowing seven or less
penalty corner kicks per game. However, against the
No. 14 Hoosiers, the defense allowed 14 penalty corners, three of
which came in overtime.
“There are things we still need to focus on,” Dottery said. “We’re
working really hard to keep our stick down on the ground so we don’t
cause a corner.”
(10/02/06 4:00am)
The field hockey team has the offensive talent to score nearly at will
when it puts shots on goal.
But that wasn’t the case Saturday in Oxford, Ohio.
It took Miami goalkeeper Meagan Stengel just six saves to record her
first shutout of the season as the RedHawks shut out CMU 1-0.
“We kept ourselves in the game,” said CMU senior goalkeeper Danielle
Frank. “All in all we just needed a score to break the shutout.”
Central lost its third consecutive game to drop to 5-5 overall and
0-2 in the Mid-American Conference. Miami improved to 5-7 overall, 2-1
in the MAC.
CMU (2.00) and Miami (2.80) came into the game as the MAC’s two best
offenses, both averaging at least two goals per game.
“We had our chances,” said coach Cristy Freese. “We have the talent
to put the ball in the back of the cage.”
Miami’s Alyssa Nye scored her fifth goal of the season at the 46:39
mark.
“Miami is a physical team and they played well in the circle as a
group,” Freese said.
Sophomore forward Kelly Jordan led the team with three shots on
goal. Frank made eight saves for CMU in the loss.
The Miami game capped off a tough week as the Chippewas had losses
at Michigan State
5-3 on Tuesday and at Ball State 2-1 on Friday.
Sophomore Samantha Sandham put in a goal in the 19th minute against
the Cardinals to give Central a 1-0 lead. Ball State tied the game with
just more than two minutes remaining in the game off a deflection on a
penalty corner by Lindsey Quay.
Ball State’s Carla Chiampi converted a penalty stroke to win the
game.
“We need to keep our heads up and work hard this week in practice,”
said senior back Erin Dottery.
CMU hosts Ohio Friday and Kent State on Saturday at the CMU Field
Hockey Complex.
(09/29/06 4:00am)
Senior forward Alicia Balanesi said she never has been more confident
of a team than this season’s field hockey team.
(09/29/06 4:00am)
The club hockey team finished last season with a great cause for
motivation.
Central won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Hockey Association
Championship to become one of 16 teams invited to the National
Championship Tournament in Rochester, N.Y.
But Central finished 0-2-1 in the tournament with its best game
coming against Colorado State in a 6-6 tie. CMU finished in 15th place
overall.
The team looks to reverse last year’s disappointing finish at 9 p.m. Friday against Northern Illinois at the Ice Arena, 5165 E.
Remus Rd. It also plays NIU at 4 p.m. Saturday.
“(This team looks) dangerous,” said head coach Alex Wiesenberger.
“(We look) really, really good.”
CMU returns several of its players from last season, including
seniors Steve Myers, Evan Crawford, captain Craig Lipar and sophomore
Marty Lipar.
But the team lost its leading scorer, who transferred to Michigan
State and graduated seniors Greg Martin and Tim Martilla.
CMU has worked to recruit more players to its team by visiting
potential player’s homes and talking to friends and family to try to
persuade them to come to Mount Pleasant.
“We have a heavy schedule ahead of us,” Wiesenberger said. “Our
first real test comes against Florida Gulf Coast.”
The team hosts Florida Gulf Coast Oct. 6-7. Other key games include
a home-and-away against Michigan State. It gets a chance for revenge
against Colorado State on Feb. 2.
“Last year we beat the teams that we were supposed to beat, but lost
against the ones that we were supposed to lose to,” Craig Lipar said.
“We need to win in big games against big teams ... (last year) we
didn’t perform against them.”
He said Central’s depth will help it win the big games it needs to.
“We don’t need to rely on one line for scoring, we can put four
lines out there and be confident in them,” Craig Lipar said.
Staff reporter Dave Jones
Women’s club lacrosse hosts tournament
The women’s club lacrosse team has not hosted a tournament since
winning the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse League Championship last season.
It will get its first chance Saturday when it hosts the CMU Midwest
Fall Ball Classic at the intramural fields. CMU hosts Albion at 10:30
a.m., Western at noon and Purdue at 3 p.m.
“We are the defending champions of the league and have the same goal
of winning the championship this year too,” head coach Adam
Wojciechowski said. “Saturday will be our first chance to defend the
title and prove ourselves this season.”
Albion College, Grand Valley State, Calvin College, Purdue and rival
Western Michigan also will compete in the tournament.
CMU finished an impressive 12-3 last year in just the team’s second
season.
Central went undefeated in the WCLL Class B playoffs in Toledo, Ohio
last April.
“We just hope people come out to watch. It’s such a fun sport that
many people don’t know about,” said club president Heather Dimmer. “We
love this sport and hope to turn more students onto it as well.”
Central defeated Bowling Green 11-10, then beat St. Mary’s College
9-7 and eventually went on to defeat Western 11-10 in the finals last
season to win the league championship. Central scored 167 goals
and allowed just 113 on the season.
Staff reporter Scott Goliver
(09/27/06 4:00am)
Senior goalkeeper Danielle Frank played her whole career without a true
coach.
(09/27/06 4:00am)
It is a near certainty the field hockey team will score goals when
coach Cristy Freese puts her best trio of scorers on the same line.
Sophomore Kelly Jordan and seniors Samantha Sandham and Alicia
Balanesi did just that Tuesday, accounting for three goals against
Michigan State in East Lansing. However, the team couldn’t overcome an
early 3-0 deficit in a 5-3 loss.
Game Recap
Michigan State 5, Central 3
Alicia Balanesi (Sr.) 1 goal, 1 assist
Samantha Sandham (Sr.) 1 goal, 1 assist
Kelly Jordan (So.) 1 goal, 1 assist
Goalkeeper Danielle Frank (Sr.) 8 saves
Team record falls to 5-3
“I’ve been saying all season there is no reason we can’t score at
least three goals per game,” Freese said. “Those three paired together
really give us strong shooting ability. But we probably faced the best
offense we’ll see all year against Michigan State.”
CMU fell to 5-3 overall.
Senior Ashley Pernicano scored on a pass from Charlo van der Laag in
the sixth minute to give MSU a 1-0 lead. It took a 3-0 lead after two
unanswered goals.
The trio of Jordan, Sandham and Balanesi accounted for all three
goals and two assists. Sandham had a goal and an assist.
“We always feed off of each other’s energy,” Balanesi said. “When
we’re on the same line, we usually do well.”
Sandham took a pass from Balanesi and drilled it past MSU senior
goalkeeper Stephanie Yuhasz to cut CMU’s deficit to
3-1 just four minutes before halftime.
Freese said that if the Chippewas had scored the game’s next goal,
the team probably would have had enough momentum to win.
However, the Spartans scored the first goal of the second half to
take a commanding 4-1 lead.
“That was key in our ability to come back,” Freese said. “We thought
that if we had cut it to just a one goal deficit, we could make a run.”
Jordan had a goal on an assist from Sandham to cut the deficit to
4-2; however the Spartans again scored to maintain a three-goal lead.
Balanesi scored late on an assist from Sandham.
“We fought hard right down to the end,” Sandham said. “When we
combine our offensive ability with our defensive ability we will do
well. We just couldn’t do everything at once.”
CMU starts Mid-American Conference play Friday at 3 p.m. against
Ball State at the Field Hockey Complex.
