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Because of routine maintenance on Central Michigan University’s Public Broadcasting towers, university officials are closing a variety of campus roads, parking lots and facilities starting Sunday.
The field hockey team has struggled to score lately, losing five of its last six games. Things won’t get any easier for the Chippewas this weekend when they return home after three straight road games. CMU (7-10 overall, 4-4 MAC) hosts first-place Kent State (6-12, 6-2 MAC) today at 2 p.m. and Ohio (8-9, 6-3 MAC) Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Field Hockey Complex. Junior midfielder Erin Dottery said the team will have to play more cohesively if it wants to hold its own against the MAC’s elite. “We need to play more as a team for the full 70 minutes,” she said. “As you can tell by the score against Ball State (6-0), we need to work harder and not just have a few people play hard.” CMU dropped earlier contests at KSU 5-3 and OU 4-2, but home field may help this weekend. Britt Van Pelt tallied two goals for the Golden Flashes in the Oct. 7 meeting. CMU dug itself a 3-0 hole in the opening half against Bobcats Oct. 8. It rallied for two goals in the second half, but could not complete the comeback. “They are very good teams,” said CMU coach Cristy Freese. “They both create problems defensively for us.” Dottery agreed and said the Chippewas need to establish themselves early. “We need to come out hard and set the pace,” she said. “We need to beat both teams to get a higher seed in the MAC Tournament.” Much is still at stake in the MAC as Kent State, Ohio, CMU and third-place Miami all could win the conference title. “It’s a big weekend for all three teams,” Freese said. “Kent can win the conference by beating us and Ohio is in the same boat.” Though they still have a slim shot at the MAC title, Freese acknowledged the Chippewas are playing a spoiler role this weekend. “They know the standings,” she said. “It’s kind of an unsaid thing.”
This is a column that could probably run on the sports page. But it fits better here. With the recent visit by an NCAA recertification team, CMU was told it must add another women’s sport by 2010. CMU continues to maintain that Title IX is important to the institution, and officials say they will strive to improve the opportunities for women athletes on campus. But is CMU really as supportive of the historic equal rights legislation as it claims to be? Doubtful. A recent look into how women’s sports have been treated reveals the truth behind the matter. Kelly/Shorts Stadium was in dire need of a new playing surface heading into last season. There were visible tears and divots in the turf, and safety was becoming an issue. So after the Board of Trustees approved $639,000, and bids for the job began pouring in. However, it was in the final stages of decisions that CMU sealed its fate. The Athletics Department had its sights on two different types of synthetic grass surfaces. Both had a similar rubber and sand base. And with that narrow vision, CMU began digging its own Title IX grave. With the synthetic surface selection CMU’s field hockey team no longer had a place to play because the NCAA mandates that Division I field hockey be played on Astroturf. But the important fact that people quickly forgot was that there never was a plan for the field hockey team until after FieldTurf was approved for installation. Longtime coach Cristy Freese was told her team could play all its games on the road or they could play at a nearby facility with turf. But all was saved when All Mighty Athletics Director Herb Deromedi (sarcastic emphasis added) came to the rescue and asked the trustees for funding for a new field hockey facility. The board took the Athletics Department’s bait – hook, line and sinker, and a new field hockey complex was approved. Except the field hockey team was given the shaft once again when construction went longer than expected, and three of the team’s seven home games were played in East Lansing. Now in its second season on the field, Freese’s team doesn’t even have adequate stands and CMU’s athletics Web site, www.cmuchippewas.com, still says the team plays at Kelly/Shorts. A new $650,000 field was built, but that is where the perks ended for the field hockey team. Problems for women’s sports don’t end there. The gymnastics team recently had to cut two competitions from its schedule because it didn’t have enough funding. And it isn’t like the team isn’t trying. Coach Jerry Reighard has his gymnasts out selling raffle tickers for $10 during tailgating and home football games. And now another women’s sport must be added. Hopefully all involved with the new sport don’t get the cold shoulder that is becoming all too familiar for women’s athletics at CMU. Dominic Adams can be reached for comment at news@cm-life.com.
A blowout loss to Ball State Saturday left senior midfielder Erica Takach questioning the field hockey team’s effort. Takach said the Chippewas did not play with the sense of urgency they needed. “Half of the team gave up,” she said. “We need to play hard and not give up. We didn’t lose as a team.” Now, the Chippewas are relegated to a spoiler role for the final weekend of the regular season. CMU entered last weekend with a 3-3 record in the Mid-American Conference, trailing Kent State, Ohio and Miami. The Chippewas avenged an earlier loss to the RedHawks Friday with a 2-1 overtime win and appeared to be headed for a weekend sweep. However, Ball State used five second-half goals to dash CMU’s MAC title hopes. Coach Cristy Freese is looking for her team to forget about the loss to the Cardinals and have a strong finish to the regular season against the top two teams in the MAC. “We’re still shooting for two wins,” Freese said. “This weekend we’re working on being the spoiler and getting a high seed (for the MAC tournament).” CMU (7-10, 4-4 in the MAC) will host Kent State (6-12, 6-2) at 2 p.m. Friday and Ohio (8-9, 6-3) at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Chippewas can still tie the Golden Flashes for first place, but would need to win out and have Kent State lose its remaining two games. Takach said the team had an intense practice Monday. Freese agreed and said the Chippewas have already moved on following the Ball State loss. “We had a good practice today,” Freese said. “We put the loss behind us.” Notes: Takach has been selected to play in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association North/South Senior All-Star Game Nov. 19 at Louisville, Ky. Takach, who will be on the North team, leads the team in assists with 11 and is second with 17 points. “It’s definitely an honor,” she said. “To play against some of the top players in the country will be a great opportunity.”
Ball State dealt CMU’s field hockey team a crushing loss Saturday. The Cardinals not only shut out the Chippewas 6-0, but also put a major dent in their Mid-American Conference title hopes with the win. The loss was especially tough considering CMU was coming off a crucial 2-1 overtime win against Miami Friday. “Everybody broke down,” said freshman Kelly Jordan, who had three shots on goal against the Cardinals. “It wasn’t just one thing. We had a bad day.” Coach Cristy Freese said the team needed to win its remaining four MAC games and needed some help for a chance at a championship. Neither happened. MAC front-runners Ohio and Kent State both had wins against Missouri State this weekend to distance themselves from CMU. It is now 7-10 overall and 4-4 in the MAC. Up Next The team hosts Kent State Friday at 2 p.m. Ball State jumped out to a 1-0 lead when junior Lindsay Quay netted her first of three goals in the game. The Cardinals didn’t sit on their 1-0 halftime lead, posting five goals in the second half to pull away. Ball State senior goalkeeper Tracy Bannister kept the Chippewas off the scoreboard with seven saves. CMU was shut out for the third time this season. “We didn’t play very well,” Freese said. “We didn’t play well offensively or defensively.” The Chippewas avenged a loss to the RedHawks earlier in the season Friday, ending their four-game losing streak. CMU also picked up its first road win of the season. Junior Alicia Balanesi tallied the game-winning goal on a breakaway in overtime, her team-high eighth of the season. Senior Alisa Folk also notched a goal and junior goalkeeper Danielle Frank made five saves for CMU. The team hosts Kent State Friday at 2 p.m.
Time is running out for the soccer team to catch Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference standings.
The field hockey team has a shot at a Mid-American Conference title. But it’s a long shot at best. Coach Cristy Freese said the team needs to win out and have some help, to have a shot at the regular season MAC crown. CMU is fourth in the MAC at 3-3 and 6-9 overall behind Miami, Kent State and first-place Ohio. The Chippewas still have one more game with each of those teams, giving them some control of their destiny. “We need to win,” Freese said. “We have four conference games left to determine the MAC champion.” CMU needs to end its four-game losing streak even before thinking of the conference race. It plays at Miami (7-8, 4-4 in the MAC) today and at Ball State (2-11, 1-5 MAC), the last team it defeated, Saturday at 1 p.m. Miami senior goalkeeper Kerri Orr gave the Chippewas fits when the teams last met in Mount Pleasant, notching 20 saves. The missed scoring opportunities in the 2-1 overtime loss to RedHawks are something that have plagued the team as of late. CMU tallied only one goal in its last two games against Big Ten opponents Michigan State and Ohio State. “Granted, our last two games were against Big Ten teams, but we need to finish our scoring opportunities,” Freese said. “We need good passing.” Senior Erica Takach, who leads the MAC in assists with 11, said the team needs crisp passes in order to produce more goals. “Basically, we need to pass to each other instead of cracking the ball upfield,” she said. “It’s not necessary to slam the ball 50 yards up the field. We need to make a couple of passes instead of trying to slam it through everybody.” Takach knows it is imperative for CMU to have some momentum going into the MAC Tournament, which it hosts. “We need to win every single game to have a little more confidence,” she said.
Freshmen have a hard enough time getting acclimated to the college game, let alone making an impact in their first season. Many freshmen at CMU, however, have made the transition from a high-school phenom five months ago, to gaining respect from their veteran teammates. Soccer coach Tony DiTucci has seven freshman on his team and four of them have played major roles this season. DiTucci is in a situation where he has 11 scholarships available and starts 11 players on the field. “We hope the players we bring in make an impact right away,” DiTucci said. “We wouldn’t recruit a player if we didn’t think they could make an impact. We don’t typically have a lot of redshirts.” Field hockey coach Cristy Freese attributes the impact of freshmen to the experience they gain playing year-round in high school. “Freshmen are coming to us with so much experience now,” she said. “They are learning more on travel teams than on high school teams.” It takes more than just experience for freshmen to be successful at the collegiate level. One thing volleyball coach Erik Olson looks for in recruiting is mental toughness. He knows not every freshman is going to be a perfect player right away, but if they stay level-headed, they have a chance to be successful. “It always helps to have a few seasoned veterans on the team as well,” Olson said. “Freshmen make errors, but I certainly think they can compete.” Cross country coach Karen Lutzke said female freshmen runners have an easier time making an impact right away than male runners do. A women’s race is five kilometers and men’s races are eight kilometers, compared to 5k races for both in high school. “We have to be careful with freshmen to make sure they don’t overtrain,” Lutzke said. “Some runners come from high school programs that were pretty good and know what it takes to be successful.” But for as many freshmen that are successful, there are always going to be setbacks when they are relied on. “Once your program is established, you can start developing freshmen,” Olson said. “The talent level is getting better.”
The field hockey team allowed four unanswered goals in a 6-1 loss at No. 9 Ohio State Sunday. It was the team’s fourth consecutive loss. CMU was out shot 24-7 in the game and converted no penalty corner opportunities. OSU went 4-12 on its offensive penalty corner opportunities. “The difference in the game was the execution on penalty corners,” said CMU coach Cristy Freese. “We are not a top 10 team and we have to capitalize on our scoring opportunities when we are playing one.” The team could not stop OSU’s Lucy Clayton, who scored four goals in the game. “OSU was the best team that we faced this season and staying consistent against top teams was very difficult for us this year,” Freese said. The loss puts CMU at 6-9 overall this season and 0-6 on the road. OSU improves to 13-3 on the season. CMU is 3-6 against non-conference opponents and 1-4 against teams ranked in the Top 20 of the NFHCA Division Coaches Poll. “It is tough when we are so close to some of the nation’s top teams like OSU, U of M, MSU and other Big Ten teams,” Freese said. “We are going to play those teams every year, because the tough competition helps to expose our team’s weaknesses and allows us to prepare for Mid-American Conference games. Playing an easier non-conference schedule means long road trips and less competition.” Ohio State 6 Central 1 A goal from Sophomore Yesenia Luces gave the Buckeyes an early 1-0 lead. Clayton made it 2-0 when she scored on a penalty corner. Sophomore Allyson Doan scored the lone CMU goal at the 9:37 mark of the first half, cutting the OSU lead to 2-1. The goal was Doan’s third of the season. “We had a penalty corner and a shot was taken, I got the rebound off the goalie’s pad and lifted the ball over her into the net,” Doan said. OSU took a 3-1 lead late in the first half, when Clayton dribbled the ball through the circle and scored her second goal of the game. The Buckeyes scored early in the second half, taking a 4-1 lead. Clayton scored two late goals on penalty corners, giving OSU a 6-1 win. “The team needs to play better defense as a whole,” Doan said. “The offense needed to capitalize on scoring opportunities in order to be successful. Playing great competition like that shows us that there is always something to improve on.” Clayton’s four goal performance gives her 32 points on the season, with 15 goals. Luces recorded five points in the game with a goal and three assist, giving her a team-leading 36 points. She entered the game one of the nation’s top scorers with 31 points and was second in the nation with 11 assists. OSU’s Saskia Mueller recorded three assists in the game, giving her 13 on the season.
Megan Nimke (16) and Michelle Huynh-Ba (10) celebrate following Huynh-Ba’s goal. She scored two in MSU’s 3-0 win against Central at the CMU Field Hockey Complex Thursday. See Sports for complete coverage.
It’s hard to score when a team only musters three shots on goal. That was the case for the field hockey team Thursday in its 3-0 loss to Michigan State. CMU recorded two shots in each half and had only three penalty corners. “MSU is a better defensive team then they have been in the past,” said CMU coach Cristy Freese. “We couldn’t get anything going on offense, our inexperience really showed. “MSU made some good adjustments at the half and was able to get more scoring opportunities in the second half.” The first half was scoreless, with neither team taking a shot until the 20:13 mark. The only solid scoring opportunity of the half came when MSU rattled off three quick shots on CMU goalkeeper junior Danielle Frank, but failed to score. CMU didn’t record its first shot until 26 minutes into the first half. “Our defense played really great in the first half,” Frank said. “The defense played a great all-around game, except for a short period in the second half. Our offense didn’t play very well in the first half,it needed to create more scoring opportunities.” The Spartans’ leading scorer senior Michelle Huynh-Ba opened the scoring with her eighth goal of the season at 31:48 of the second half. Nearly five minutes later, Huynh-Ba scored her second goal of the game. Freese installed a new defensive strategy against MSU. The defense was impressive for the entire game, except for the 11 minute stretch when MSU scored all of its goals. “We executed the defense well, except on the goals,” Freese said. “We allowed those goals because our defense moved based on MSU’s players movements, when they should have reacted to the ball. Hopefully we will execute it better against Ohio State.” The field hockey team will have another opportunity to prove itself against the nation’s elite when it faces No. 9 Ohio State Sunday. “Typically when we play them it can be a high scoring contest,” Freese said. “They have the ability to score a lot of goals, but we also have a goal scoring team too. It will be an interesting game to see.”
The field hockey team can redeem itself with a win against No. 15 Michigan State Thursday. CMU fell out of Mid-American Conference regular season title contention last weekend with a pair of losses. An upset of MSU could put the team back on track. “There is no doubt that MSU is a great team,” said coach Cristy Freese. “They played a tough game and beat us once already this year. We have to come out and execute the basics if we want to defeat them. The team must do a better job of staying low, passing the ball and carrying the ball with more efficiency.” Up Next Who: Michigan State at Central Michigan When: 4 p.m. Thursday Where: The CMU Field Hockey Complex Last time: MSU won 3-1 The team lost to Ohio and Kent State last weekend and is now 6-7 overall and 3-3 in the MAC. CMU is used to playing nationally ranked teams and is comfortable going into the game. “If we play together as a team, we can beat any opponent,” said junior Alicia Balanesi. “We cannot come out and treat them like they are a team that we can’t beat.” MSU won the first meeting this season 3-1 in East Lansing. The Chippewas were out shot 19-7 and couldn’t convert on eight penalty corner attempts in the loss. “We have to execute on offense if we want to be successful,” Balanesi said. “We need to take a lot of shots and generate scoring opportunities that will turn into goals. Converting on penalty corners is something we must do.” CMU played tough defense in the first half against MSU, but lapsed in the second half, allowing three unanswered goals. The team will institute some lineup changes and a new defensive strategy Thursday. “We changed some things this week, we are using a more defensive system now; we also shuffled some players around on the field,” Freese said. “We have been inconsistent this year, which isn’t good; hopefully these changes will lead to more consistency and better play.” MSU is coming off a 4-2 loss to No. 14 Connecticut and enters the game at 8-5 overall. Michelle Huynh-Ba leads the team with 15 points. The Spartans have one of the best goalkeepers in the Big Ten in Christina Kirkaldy. She has a 1.50 goals against average with 63 saves and two shutouts this season. The team must keep a close eye on freshman Inge Kaars Sijpestijn, who is the team’s second leading point scorer and netted two goals in the win against CMU. The Chippewas lead the MAC in every major offensive statistical category. They enter the game with five of the MAC’s top ten scorers. Balanesi leads the MAC in points with 19. Senior Erica Takach is second with 17 points and her 11 assists leads the conference.
Before weekend games against Kent State and Ohio the field hockey team was in contention for a Mid-American Conference title. Now it needs a miracle with only four MAC games left. CMU lost 4-2 at Ohio Saturday and 5-3 at KSU Friday. The losses drop the team to 6-7 overall and 3-3 in the MAC. It is 0-5 on the road this season. “The two losses this weekend takes the MAC regular season championship out of our hands,” said coach Cristy Freese. “We will have to win games and hope for some things to happen if we want a shot at the championship.” The team had outshot and tallied more offensive penalty corners than its opponents this season, but it could not do it this weekend. Ohio’s Torrie Albini scored first to give OU a 1-0 lead. The Bobcats added two more goals for a 3-0 lead at halftime. CMU scored its first goal 53 minutes into the game when freshman Kelly Jordan scored off a rebound. The goal was Jordan’s sixth on the season. Up Next CMU hosts Michigan State Thursday at 4 p.m. But the Bobcat lead was too much to overcome. “Ohio really dominated the first 15 minutes of the game,” Freese said. “We made adjustments at halftime and came out and played a good second half, but one half of good play doesn’t get it done. “We have to be more consistent; defensively we didn’t play up to our potential and we missed a few great scoring opportunities in the second half.” Goalkeeper Danielle Frank allowed four goals and recorded 11 saves in the loss. Senior Erica Takach had her team- leading 10th assist in the game. Kent State was scoreless in MAC games before it scored five against CMU Friday. It also was KSU’s first win of the season. Freshman Samantha Sandham scored on a penalty corner for the first goal of the game. But the Golden Flashes answered with consecutive goals, taking a 2-1 lead. CMU tied the game at 2-2 when senior Alisa Folk netted her sixth goal of the season, but KSU added another goal to take a 3-2 lead into halftime. It was a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. KSU’s Britt Van Pelt scored two consecutive goals within two minutes, putting the contest out of reach. “Kent State was the best MAC team that we faced this year,” Takach said. “That team has a lot of talent, but was off to a slow start. We happen to catch them when it all came together and they proved they weren’t an 0-11 team. KSU is really good offensively and we didn’t play together at all defensively, which is why we allowed five goals.” The team hosts Michigan State Thursday.
The field hockey team could be alone atop the Mid-American Conference standings with two wins this weekend. It plays at Kent State today and Ohio Saturday. If the Chippewas (6-5 overall, 3-1 MAC) beat winless Kent State Friday, they will play Ohio, which is 3-0 in the MAC, for a share of first place. “We have two very important conference games and wins in those games will put us in first in the MAC and give us more respect nationally,” said junior Erin Dottery. “We just have to make sure to take it one game at a time.” If Ohio loses to CMU Saturday, but beats Kent State Sunday, and Miami University wins its two games, there will be a three-way tie for first place. The Chippewas will be alone on top of the MAC if they win both games, Miami losses one of its two games and Ohio losses both games. One thing the team must overcome is its execution on faceoffs and closing out the game strong. “Our team is so talented, we just have to learn to finish games,” said senior Erica Takach. “If we are going to be MAC champs we have to execute in the offensive circle and on penalty corners. Our poor execution late in games is putting us at risk.” KSU is 0-11 and 0-2 in the MAC and have yet to score a goal in conference play. It is second in the MAC in shots with 155, but has been outscored 38-14. “They are a very talented team that is going to come out and play tough,” Takach said. “KSU has nothing to lose right now and we have to remember that.” Ohio is 5-6 overall this season. Estienne Coetzoe leads the team with 14 points, which is second in the MAC. Ohio has four players in the top 10 in points scored this season. CMU is confident going into the Ohio game, but knows it must stay focused. “We have to make sure to always be talking when we are out there,” Dottery said. “If the defense can stay low and get some help from the offense, then we will be successful.” The team currently leads the MAC in almost every major offensive statistical category. It has five of the 11 top scorers, including junior Alicia Balanesi whose 19 points and seven goals lead the MAC. Junior goalkeeper Danielle Frank tops the conference with a 2.12 goals against average.
Senior Alisa Folk changed positions to help a struggling offense for the field hockey team Saturday.
The field hockey team knows two wins this weekend could give it a commanding lead in the Mid-American Conference. CMU plays Miami University today at 2 p.m. and Ball State Saturday at 1 p.m. Central is 5-4 overall and 2-0 in the MAC after wins against Missouri State last weekend. “This is a very important weekend for us; we are coming in focused and ready to win,” said senior midfielder Erica Takach. “We have to treat every game like it is for the MAC championship.” MU is 4-5 overall and 1-1 in the MAC. CMU defeated MU in both regular season games in 2004, but lost to the RedHawks in the MAC Tournament last season. This game features the two best defenses and goalkeepers statistically in the MAC. CMU is allowing a MAC-best 2.12 goals per game, with MU allowing a second best 2.56 goals. Game Breakdown What: Miami and Ball State at CMU When: 2 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday Where: The field hockey complex “It will be an interesting game,” said CMU coach Cristy Freese. “Each team has a very talented and experienced goaltender, but each team also has a great ability to score.” Junior goalkeeper Danielle Frank leads the MAC with a 2.09 goals against average. RedHawks goalkeeper Kerri Orr leads the conference with two shutouts and is second-best with a 2.62 GAA. She is third in the MAC in saves and was the 2004 MAC Co-Player of the Year. “She is a great goalie, but we have been facing and scoring on great goalies all season,” Takach said. “We have faced some amazing goalies this year and scored on all of them. We just have to make sure to come out aggressive and be tenacious when we are in the circle. Getting an early goal against MU would be a huge momentum boost.” BSU enters the weekend 1-7 overall and 0-1 in the MAC. CMU split the series against the Cardinals last season with a 4-1 loss and a 2-1 win. The Cardinals are led by senior Chantel Isaac-Smith. Isaac-Smith is the third leading scorer in the MAC with 12 points. BSU enters the game allowing a conference worst 4.75 goals per game. “I don’t care about what their record is or how they are statistically, those two things don’t really mean a lot,” Freese said. “We went down there last season and got our butts kicked. If we are going to be a championship team we have to play every MAC game like it is a championship game.” Junior Alicia Balanesi enters today’s game leading the MAC with 17 points. Her seven goals ties her for the MAC lead. Freshman Samantha Sandham and Takach are tied for the MAC lead in assists with six each.
The field hockey team lost its second game this season against a top ten ranked opponent 3-1 at No. 9 Michigan State Tuesday. CMU also lost to then-No. 8 Michigan 2-0 Sept. 13. Coach Cristy Freese was disappointed with the loss, but was content with her team’s effort. “We played tough,” Freese said. “We did some good things on offense and defense. I was especially impressed with the play of senior Laura Glaza and junior Erin Dottery, they both worked really hard tonight. Whenever we play Michigan State it is usually a shootout, that didn’t happen tonight, which can be attributed to the solid defense that was played.” CMU struck first when freshman Kelly Jordan scored at the 30:45 mark of the first half. Jordan’s goal was her fifth of the season, which puts her in a tie for second on the team. MSU | 3 CMU | 1 The Spartans tied the game early in the second half when Inge Kaars Sijpestijn scored on a penalty corner. MSU scored again to take a 2-1 lead on a tip-in by Breanna Harpstead. Kaars Sijpestijn put the game away five minutes later with a goal off of a penalty corner. “Our effort was there, we just have to play more consistently on offense,” Glaza said. “We need to learn from this game and make some adjustments this week in practice before we play our Mid-American Conference games this weekend.” CMU was outshot 19-7 in the game and 11-3 in the second half. Junior goaltender Danielle Frank recorded four saves in the loss. Tuesday’s game is the first of two games against MSU this season. Tuesday’s loss ended Central’s three-game winning streak. CMU received two votes in this week’s National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I National Coaches Poll. This is the second consecutive week CMU has received votes for the Top 20.
Field hockey coach Cristy Freese knew when she recruited senior Erica Takach work ethic would not be an issue. Takach’s hometown, Duncannon, Pa., has a population of 1,496, and the nearest city with a population over 50,000 is Lancaster, Pa. which is 55 miles away. She spent her entire childhood either working or playing sports and as a result has become one of the best CMU field hockey players ever. “Erica is certainly right up there amongst the best I have ever coached,” Freese, who is in her 20th year at CMU said. “Erica is one of those top players because she listens to her coaches, she works hard and she never stops developing her game. Like many field hockey players, Takach did not start playing until eighth grade. She wasn’t too fond of it at first, but eventually developed into one of the best players on her high school team and joined a travel club team. It was while she was on the club team when Freese noticed her. “I watched her play for five minutes and decided right then I wanted this girl on my team,” Freese said. “She was a great competitor out on the field and she had excellent skills.” Her career at CMU started slowly as she only amassed two points her freshman year. She has since improved on that total and was named first-team All-Mid-American Conference last season. Takach has been consistent this season even after changing positions. “Switching to center-mid meant I would have to become more of a passer and more efficient on defense,” she said. “At the beginning of the season I was a little uncomfortable, but I feel good now. Having great teammates around me really helped make the transition smoother.” She currently leads the MAC in assists with six and has two game-winning goals. “Erica has the ability to beat someone one-on-one with the ball,” Freese said. “She can really beat anyone she wants, she just has to remember that. She also has a great talent for reading the field.” As a senior captain Takach said she has no problem criticizing or encouraging her teammates. “I don’t feel it is good to hide things from people,” she said. “If someone is playing awesome, then I will them, and if someone messes up, I make sure they know about it. But in the end I make sure they know it is no big deal and to keep playing hard.”
Let me begin by saying that the Graham death and the resulting criminal charges are unfortunate. It was horrible that someone, particularly a CMU student, died at the hands of others. It is almost incomprehensible that some otherwise decent people are now facing murder (!) charges. This whole incident is tragic for the university, the community and the athletic department. It is also tragic that some more black males, particularly, are now caught up in the criminal justice system and that in all likelihood one or more of them will do prison time. I know a lot of people wish they could have that night all over again. The whole thing is so sad. On the other hand and with all due respect, I am offended by Coach Brian Kelly’s blaming the black community and “black culture” for the national fiasco this will become (See Friday’s edition of CM Life, “Kelly: Race played role in silence”). Coach Kelly has ventured into a field of race relations of which he has little knowledge. His comments are stereotypical to the point of making “violence” and “silence” on the part of the players involved a function of their “culture.” I think the coach has turned reality on its head. While I am a fan of football, let’s be clear; it’s not black culture that teaches violence. Except for the brutality of boxing and hockey, American football has no match for teaching violence. Football is a culture of violence. As the venerable Vince Lombardi was accustomed to say, “Football is not a contact sport, it is a collision sport.” If one plays football, there must be a commitment to doing violence to others. It is taught. It is expected. It is fundamental to the culture. Football players at the Division I level have internalized the violence to the point that it is routine. Football players who were not willing to mete out violence were cut long before they got to college. As to the silence, that is not a “black” thing so much as it is a “team” thing. These players from grade school on have had drilled into their heads that theirs is a “team” sport. Teammates “watch the backs” of other teammates. According to the Detroit Free Press, this was reinforced in a team meeting in which the team was INSTRUCTED to be “truthful but not forthright.” One could argue that “team” is more the reason for the silence of these students than their so-called “black culture of violence.” Evidently, Coach Kelly was not aware of the “silence” in the cases of Enron, Tyco, Adelphi and numerous other corporations that committed crimes and then maintained their silence in hopes of not being charged with those crimes. To be a good corporate employee, you must be a team player. Are we to assume that the Ken Lays, Dennis Koswolskis and others learned their silence from black communities all across America? I find Coach Kelly’s comment to be offensive. An apology and retraction are in order. There appears to be enough racism already in this case without insensitive charges that attempt to shift blame and responsibility to “it’s where they come from.”
Senior Erica Takach scored her second game-winning goal of the season and the sixth goal of her career Sunday in a 3-2 overtime win against Missouri State.
