Alternate Routes
(09/24/04 4:00am)
Field Hockey coach Cristy Freese is used to getting players from across the nation.
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Chippewas on the road again, sort of
(09/24/04 4:00am)
The term “home game” is a rather loose term for the field hockey team when it plays Miami and Louisville at Michigan State University this weekend. The games were moved to MSU because the construction of the new field hockey venue at Central is not complete. CMU still will manage the game and count them as home games. “We aren’t worrying about where we are playing, we are focusing on the game being played,” said CMU coach Cristy Freese. “We have no control over the construction of our field.” Opposing coaches are not worrying about Central not having a true home field advantage and are focusing on what the field at MSU has to offer. Louisville coach Pam Bustin said she is glad the games are not being played on an inferior surface. “What would be bad is if CMU decided to play the match on a surface that was not up to par,” Bustin said. “Michigan State has a premium surface and it is commendable they decided to play there.” After being outscored 17-1 in the previous two games, coach Cristy Freese isn’t changing her philosophy. “We aren’t going to change the way we play,” Freese said. “Last weekend just reinforced the things we need to do better this weekend.” CMU has won the last seven meetings against the RedHawks, including three wins against them last season. Miami is 4-3 and shutout its last two opponents. The strong RedHawks defense is led by Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week goalkeeper Kerri Orr. She received the honor for the second consecutive week and boasts a 1.65 goals against average and has three shutouts on the season. Defending MAC champion Louisville has not started its season as it had hoped, opening with a 2-5 record. All but one of Louisville’s matches have been decided by one goal. Louisville goalkeeper Jenna Halulko has a 1.76 goals against average, which is second best in the MAC. “Central is dangerous around the cage and we know they will be tough to defend,” Bustin said.
Learning on the fly
(09/22/04 4:00am)
Sophomore Danielle Frank wasn’t given the starting goalkeeper job this season because she had the most experience on the field hockey team.
Field hockey crushed in Ann Arbor
(09/20/04 4:00am)
What could have propelled the field hockey team to a dream season quickly turned into a nightmare. Central was shut out 11-0 by No. 9 Michigan Friday in Ann Arbor and then could not regroup in a 6-1 loss to No. 8 Northeastern Saturday. The Chippewas were outshot 42-2 against the Wolverines, with Michigan firing 27 shots on goal. “Michigan executed some tough corner shots,” said coach Cristy Freese. “About half of their goals were scored after we made the initial save but we could not clear the ball.” Central must now put the disappointment behind it, as conference play begins next weekend with games against Miami and Ohio at Michigan State. Central, who was looking to gain momentum, drops to 2-2 on the season. Freese said the team was getting the ball in Michigan territory but could not get any shots off in the first part of the game. “We controlled the first 15 minutes of the game but did not make the necessary adjustments after,” Freese said. “They adjusted and we didn’t and that is the story of the game.” Senior Jessica Blake scored four goals to lead the Wolverines while five others scored at least one goal. Sophomore Danielle Frank and freshman Sarah Minces split time in net, combining for seven saves. Mancuso made her first career start against Northeastern, who scored two quick goals before the Chippewas could find the back of the net. Junior Erica Takach scored her fourth goal of the season to make the score 2-1, but Northeastern again went on the attack scoring four unanswered goals. “Our weaknesses were exposed,” Freese said. “We have to do the things we are talking about quicker. We can’t be a step slow when we play top 10 teams.” Mancuso made 11 saves in the loss. CMU didn’t control the ball or capitalize on shots like they had the first two games of the season. “I told the team we need to take advantage of the really good opportunities when we have them,” Freese said. “We had the opportunities, but failed to take advantage.”
Takach leads CMU against two top 10 teams
(09/17/04 4:00am)
Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week Erica Takach leads the field hockey team into Ann Arbor for a pair of games against Top 10 teams this weekend. Central (2-0) plays No. 9 Michigan today and No. 8 Northeastern Saturday. Takach received the honor after scoring two goals and assisting on another in CMU’s 5-0 win against Stanford last weekend. “I am playing at a very high level right now and so is the rest of the team,” the junior said. “We have a whole new style of play this season also.” Takach said first year assistant coach Earl Marais and assistant Meg Lewis are a big part of the new playing style. “We have such good coaches and they compliment each other so well,” Takach said. “Coach Marais has brought so much to the team this year.” Takach has three goals and one assist in two games this season. Central has dominated its opponents on offense in its first two games, outshooting them 26-9 with a 25-7 advantage on penalty corners. “We have been aggressive in the circle and have finished some plays by sheer determination,” said coach Cristy Freese. Michigan boasts a 3-3 record with each loss coming against Top 10 teams. The Wolverines are led by Jessica Blake’s six goals and two assists. The last time CMU beat Michigan was 1988, a 4-3 win in Ann Arbor. Northeastern is 6-1 and is coming off a loss to No. 12 Boston College Wednesday. Northeastern has a stingy defense led by goalkeeper Diana Nelson. She has a 0.67 GAA and a .840 save percentage. “We won’t have as many shots as we did in the first two games,” Freese said. “We will have to execute on the shots they give us.” Takach said this weekend could be a turning point in the season, even though it still is early. “Winning this weekend could put us on a real high,” Takach said. “When we used to play Michigan we just wanted to play hard, but now we play with the attitude to win. Other MAC teams will take notice of it.”
Home, sweet home at Mich. State
(09/15/04 4:00am)
Delays in the construction of CMU’s new field hockey complex have forced the team to play its first two home games at Michigan State University. However, coach Cristy Freese is not using it as a crutch. “We can’t focus on the field,” Freese said. “I look at what needs to happen today and what needs to happen tomorrow. I don’t look at the past. When we knew it wasn’t going to be ready, we deal with it and we move on.” The Chippewas will play their “home” openers against MAC opponents Miami University Sept. 24 and Louisville Sept. 25. The CMU Board of Trustees approved the funding for a new field hockey facility June 25, and Athletics Director Herb Deromedi said CMU President Michael Rao approved the use of FieldTurf in the second week of July. However, excavation did not begin until August 11. “There is a timeline and timeliness are tough,” Deromedi said. “Part of that timeline is the engineering itself. The timeline was getting closer and closer, where we could see the certainty of having the field ready on time was not there.” The next phase is putting down the e-layer, a type of cushion padding that goes underneath the actual FieldTurf. Deromedi said a performance fee was not included in the contract because he felt the time frame was too tight already. “When we saw the field wasn’t going to be ready, we looked to other options,” Deromedi said. “We were able to contact Michigan State and make plans to play down there.” Deromedi said CMU will be responsible for all facets of hosting the games. “At this point in time we haven’t talked about cost on it, but I’m not sure they are going to charge us,” he said. “We will be responsible about anything to do with setup. Anything that has to be done electrically we will set up some sort of rental, our people will go down there and announce the game.” The Chippewas will stay in East Lansing Friday night, but the program will incur the cost of travel, which includes the rental of a bus, meals and hotel accommodations.
Takach’s two goals lead CMU to 5-0 victory
(09/13/04 4:00am)
Erica Takach has played in just two games this season, but has already scored half as many goals as she did in her first two seasons. The junior netted her second and third goals of the season Saturday, leading the field hockey team to a 5-0 shutout of Stanford. The Chippewas now are 2-0. Takach has become more involved in the offense, which now runs set plays to exploit her abilities. On penalty corners she is the direct shooter — meaning she gets the ball with the chance to score in front of the net. “We have put her in a position to excel on the field,” said coach Cristy Freese. “She didn’t have plays ran specifically for her before, so that is why she is scoring more goals this season.” The Chippewas took advantage of its shots on goal against the Cardinal. After only scoring on two shots last weekend, Central made good use of its scoring chances. Central scored four goals in the second half to put the game out of reach. Senior Kristy Reed and sophomore Alicia Balanesi scored their first goals of the season. Both were unassisted. Freshman Allyson Doan also scored the first goal of her career in the second half. Freese projected before the game the Cardinal defense was going to be very strong, and after Stanford beat a Iowa 5-1 Friday it seemed apparent. The Hawkeyes were ranked as high as No. 4 last season. “Our offense was better than Stanford’s defense,” Freese said. “We were able to get the ball in the circle and get scoring chances.” Sophomore goalkeeper Danielle Frank earned her second shutout in as many games. She made four saves. “Her play in net is going to be a key for us to be successful this season,” Freese said. “Anytime you have a good goalkeeper you can contend for a championship.” It was Frank’s fourth shutout of her career but she isn’t taking all of the credit for her performance. “I haven’t really had to stop that many shots since the defense is playing so well,” she said. “My teammates trust me and I trust them.” Frank said she concentrates on winning first and the shutouts take care of themselves. “I always play like the score is 0-0,” she said.
Fogle, CMU eye second win against Stanford Saturday
(09/10/04 4:00am)
Capitalizing on scoring opportunities will be key for the field hockey team as it plays Stanford at Iowa City, Iowa Saturday at noon. Central (1-0) attempted 15 shots in its season opening win against Dartmouth Sunday. Ten of the shots were on goal, but CMU could only capitalize on two as it won 2-0. “We want to push harder and improve every game,” said coach Cristy Freese. “Stanford is going to be a better defensive team than Dartmouth, so we have to work that much harder.” Central was originally scheduled to play Iowa this weekend also, but Iowa canceled because the Hawkeyes do not play teams with Native American nicknames. Senior Michelle Fogle scored her first goal of the season against Dartmouth. It was her first goal since the 2002 season after going goal less last season. Fogle scored the goal off a penalty corner shot which is how she gets most of her scoring opportunities. “I have had to become more defensive minded this year since I changed positions," Fogle said. Fogle moved from the midfield position to center back, which is a defensive position. Stanford posts a 2-3 record and is coming off a 2-1 win against MAC member Louisville Sunday. Central beat Stanford 2-1 last season and playing at a neutral site this season plays to CMU’s advantage. “We always want to play teams on our home field but since we can’t we like playing at neutral sites,” Fogle said. “As long as it is not their home turf we like it.” Freese said Stanford will be ready to play the Chippewas this season after losing last season. “They walked away a little shocked when we beat them last season so this season I know they are prepared to play us,” she said.
Construction forces team to play first home game at MSU
(09/10/04 4:00am)
The field hockey team’s first two home games have been moved to the Michigan State field hockey complex in East Lansing because of construction complications at the team’s new venue. The matches are scheduled for the same days and times. CMU will play Miami Sept. 24 at 3 p.m. and Louisville on Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. “We have known for about a week now,” said coach Cristy Freese. “We can’t help the construction process, it is a fact of life and we are going to deal with it.” Michigan State’s field hockey team and football team are on the road that weekend so it was possible for CMU to use the facilities. “MSU has a nice facility to play on,” Freese said. “Our philosophy is to just deal with it and concentrate on the games we have to play not the field we play on.” Athletic Director Herb Deromedi said many factors went into the delay of the field completion. “There were some engineering delays after the bid was awarded. Also the weather affected the time table, as often is the case,” Deromedi said. Central will still be the host of the game and conduct the game itself. “We are going to bring all of our people to conduct the game, from announcing to people getting the field ready to play,” Deromedi said. “I am not sure if they are going to charge us at this point to play there.”
Field hockey defeats Dartmouth in season-opening game
(09/08/04 4:00am)
Goalkeeper Danielle Frank recorded the third shutout of her career Sunday in the field hockey team’s 2-0 defeat of Dartmouth at Kent, Ohio. Coach Cristy Freese was pleased as Frank recorded six saves in the victory. “Anytime you can shut a team out it is a good day,” Freese said. Central is 1-0 on the season and travels to Iowa City, Iowa Saturday to play Stanford. Frank played in 17 games last season for the Chippewas, starting the final 12. That experience, coupled with hard off-season work, has paid large dividends. “She has the experience and the desire to get better,” Freese said. “She played real well in the spring and preseason and I only see her getting better in goal.” The whole defense contributed in the shutout allowing Dartmouth just 11 shots and five penalty corners. Junior Erica Takach and senior Michelle Fogle each scored a goal for Central. Takach led CMU with six shots, five of which were on goal. The Chippewas had 15 shots in the game. “Even though we got the shutout it would have been nice to add one or two more goals to put the game out of reach,” Freese said. “But it was a good close game and that is good for the team.” Preseason MAC favorites Louisville and Kent State also each opened with victories as Louisville beat Duke, 1-0 while Kent State defeated James Madison, 1-0.
Senior Reed looks to expand all-around game in final year
(09/08/04 4:00am)
Senior forward Kristy Reed holds many responsibilities on the field, but one job overshadows all others — scoring goals. “As the center forward I have to make sure I keep the field wide enough and deep enough so my teammates can get open,” Reed said. “But most importantly I have to score.” Reed returns for her final field hockey season as the team’s reigning goal leader with 12 goals in 2003. She is 15 goals away for CMU’s all-time Division I-A record, having netted 26 goals in three seasons. “It’s not a huge goal of mine to break that record, but I am definitely capable of scoring that many this season,” Reed said. “If it happens, it happens.” However, Donna Provenzola, who played from 1973-76 has the most goals in CMU history, when Central competed in the AIAW. She scored 62 career goals when the Chippewas were in the now defunct league. As much goal-scoring ability that Reed has, she takes comfort in knowing she’s not alone. “I have a lot of teammates that are also capable of scoring,” Reed said. “I don’t feel any pressure to score a lot of goals.” Always an able scorer, Reed has worked diligently in the offseason to improve her passing skills. As a freshman, Reed ran into a rough spot, as poor offensive production was chalked up to passing struggles. In that season, she only scored one goal. Coach Cristy Freese has worked with Reed to help her improve her all-around skills and sees Reed as a key part of the team’s core. “She is someone we have certainly built the team around,” Freese said. “But the pressure is off her because of her teammates that are also capable of scoring.” Since her freshman season, Reed has become a more versatile player and has taken pride in working hard in the transition game. “I work hard to get back on defense when players on the other team may not hustle back,” she said. The improvement of her game led her inclusion on the All-MAC team last season. With that, she may well become the focus of opposing defensive strategy. She may even see double teams to keep her away from the ball. “Teams would be making a huge mistake by doubling me,” Reed said. “That will leave my teammates wide open and they will score goals even easier.” CMU was picked to finish fourth in the MAC in the preseason coaches poll. But Reed is not letting that fact stop her from accomplishing what she thinks her team is capable of. “We are underestimated in the conference,” she said. “We are capable of winning the MAC and the MAC Tournament and then going to the NCAA Tournament.” No matter what Central accomplishes this season, you can bet on Reed scoring goals.
CMU takes $650K bid for new venue
(08/26/04 4:00am)
July 7, 2004 After heated debates last spring, the CMU field hockey team will get the new venue it desired. CMU paid $650,000 for a new venue for the field hockey team after accepting a bid from FieldTurf, the company who also installed a new surface in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Construction on the new field began in mid-July and will be finished by Sept. 13, said Thomas Trionfi, director of purchasing. The field hockey season begins Sept. 24. “That gives us a couple of weeks of leeway,” he said. The final bid was $131,000 lower then what athletics and Trionfi had originally estimated. During a June 25 special conference-call meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved $781,000 to construct a field hockey facility after the team was displaced because of turf replacement at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The remaining cost — $354,000 — is being loaned to the athletics department from the capital projects reserve fund. The loaned money must be paid back during the next five years. At the time of the July 7 meeting, athletics officials could not say how they planned to pay back the loan from the capital projects reserve fund. “I’m going to be honest with you,” said Derek Van der Merwe, associate athletics director. “I cannot answer that question.” University President Michael Rao, however, said there is no connection with the loaned money and the proposed athletics fee, which would charge incoming freshman $300 and transfer students $200 if approved. FieldTurf’s bid was one of two received by the university. Pro Grass offered a bid of $450,000 but failed certification from the International Hockey Federation, which determines if a field is acceptable for international championships and competitions. Trionfi previously said Athletics Director Herb Deromedi and Field Hockey coach Cristy Freese “believe it is a necessary certification.” He also said Pro Grass seemed “aloof” in dealing with CMU, acting uninterested in the contract. FieldTurf’s original bid was $751,000, which Trionfi knocked down during negotiations with the company. Also, the price of the field was lowered because it will be a tacked-down surface, not glued down, which Trionfi said has no effect on the quality of the field. “We were able to get a better price because the athletics department ... worked with us to come up with another way to get the price of the field down,” he said. “The fact that the athletics department was able to look at another option helped bring the price down.” Deromedi said he talked with other schools who have tacked-down surfaces and determined it was a quality venue. “We don’t anticipate any problems,” he said. “We wanted to work through the process to make sure we provided a field, but also a safe and quality field.” Deromedi said the field hockey program deserves the opportunity to play on their own field, which he said is “their laboratory; it becomes their stage of performance. “This is where they establish leadership qualities, they are able to find themselves and go through adversity and sometimes those things serve them well — long after their last semester of competition,” he said. “They deserve it. They have had a long history at CMU and they deserve this opportunity.” After the original funding for the field passed on June 26, trustee Jerry Campbell expressed some skepticism toward the decision. “I’m really concerned about the university,” Campbell said. “This is a non-academic area and we are cutting so much from academics.” FieldTurf also will paint the lines on the field for the first two years for no additional charge. CMU has also paid FieldTurf $639,000 to replace the turf in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Information for this article was taken from staff reports and the June 30 and July 7 editions of Central Michigan Life.
If you build it, will they win?
(08/26/04 4:00am)
Jerry Seymour makes his living flying across the football field, twisting and turning past opposing defenses.
2004 Fall Sports Schedules
(08/26/04 4:00am)
2004 Football Schedule Sep. 4 at Indiana Sep. 11 at Michigan StateSep.
Vets lead talented ‘04 squad
(08/26/04 4:00am)
If the CMU field hockey team loses this season, it will not be chalked up to a lack of talent. With a strong veteran core supplemented with a talented freshman class, expectations are up for the team’s first season at its new field. “We are going to make the NCAA Tournament, hands down,” said senior co-captain Amy Kauffman. “We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we are not settling for anything less.” Coach Cristy Freese is excited about the team’s veterans, but also concedes it could take some time for the team to learn to play together. “The strength of our team is our returning players,” Freese said. “We also have very talented freshman who will need to overcome the intimidation factor and learn to play as a team.” Central begins its season Sept. 5 against Dartmouth. One of the strongest players returning for CMU is senior forward Kristy Reed, a First Team All-MAC selection last season. Reed scored 12 goals and assisted on six others in 20 games last season. She ranks sixth all-time is CMU history in goals scored with 26, and needs to score 15 more to set the record for goals in a career. “Every team is always going to have its best players but we need to have other people step up to take the pressure off her,” Freese said. “She is going to be double-teamed a lot.” Freese said she is working with Reed to improve her passing skills in order to help offset the double teams. Junior Alisa Folk will be counted on heavily to provide additional scoring for the Chippewas, especially after the graduation of forward Tarah Trottier. Trottier led the Chippewas in scoring last season with 16 goals. Folk and a slew of younger players will be looked upon to pick up the load. “We always have players waiting in the wings when we lose a player like Tarah,” Freese said. “Alisa is a very good player and has really improved her game.” Leadership will not be hard for the team to find as co-captains Kauffman and Michelle Fogle guide the Chippewas. “We have to make sure everyone has a positive attitude,” Fogle said. “We have to keep everyone on the same page on the field.” Fogle and Kauffman are smart players and Freese said she views them as extra coaches on the field. Kauffman was No. 2 in the nation in defensive saves last season, with 18. Central finished third in the MAC last season after compiling a 9-11 overall record, with a 6-4 mark in the conference. The Chippewas finished behind Kent State and Louisville and Freese figures those two teams to be at the top once again. Both Louisville and Kent State tied for first place in the MAC preseason coaches poll. Ohio University was picked to finish third, with CMU being tabbed to finish fourth. Freese said the Golden Flashes and Cardinals play drastically different styles of field hockey. “Louisville plays tough defense and goals will be hard to come by when we play them,” Freese said. “Kent State plays a more offensive attacking style of game.” No matter how tough the MAC is this year, the Chippewas will be prepared because of a non-conference schedule that includes Michigan, Michigan State and Northeastern, all NCAA Top 15 squads. Central’s first home game is Sept. 24 against Miami.
Ann Arbor trio brings in a hometown flavor
(08/26/04 4:00am)
The CMU field hockey team has lacked one thing in recent history — home grown talent.
Athens-like construction in our back yard
(08/26/04 4:00am)
Athens was abuzz with citywide construction prior to the Summer Olympics, as the Greek officials rushed to complete extensive projects to ensure the games’ safety and success. When in Mount Pleasant, do as the Greeks do. Though not quite the Parthenon or Acropolis, the wake of progress was evident in the Central Michigan summer, as the south end of campus was littered with cranes, bulldozers and excavators. The crown jewel of the work — CMU’s $638,000 football field turf installed at Kelly/Shorts Stadium — will be unveiled on the Chippewas Sept. 18 home opener against Southeast Missouri State. In addition is a fresh field hockey facility, which will give the team a home of its own. The drainage problems at Theunissen Stadium also were cleared, finalizing the MAC’s finest baseball complex. Critics will argue these projects are unwarranted in the university’s time of bleak financial prognosis. However, they are indeed necessary to give Athletics Director Herb Deromedi the tools he needs to construct a competitive Division I-A program. The state-of-the-art field turf at Kelly/Shorts above all, alleviates a serious health risk. The ancient AstroTurf surface was stiff and unforgiving and served as a 12th defender to players like MAC Freshman of the Year Jerry Seymour, who relies on quick cutbacks to chew up yardage. The turf also provides a shot in the arm to the stale gameday atmosphere of the past couple of years. Its slick look is a severe upgrade from the faded color and lettering of the old surface. With a modern paint job including the word “Chippewas” in each endzone, the FieldTurf could be a major asset for coach Brian Kelly to attract the 15,000 fans a game he needs to stay off NCAA probation. And field hockey coach Cristy Freese finally secured a home for her team. This is a solid upgrade from cavernous Kelly/Shorts, a venue much too spacious for field hockey. The playing fields are not the only things having changed at CMU — the field generals have as well. Three of the six fall coaches will enter their rookie seasons, as Kelly, volleyball coach Erik Olson and soccer coach Tony DiTucci are new head men. In Kelly, the Chippewas landed a coach with national success. An energetic and intense leader, Kelly led Grand Valley State to consecutive Division II national titles. He was the perfect fit for a team that needs direction after four consecutive losing seasons under Mike DeBord. Olson and DiTucci look to continue the success founded by their predecessors. Their goal — to consistently put the volleyball and soccer programs into the upper echelon of the MAC. Coupled with veteran fall coaches Freese, Craig Fuller (men’s cross country) and Karen Lutzke (women’s cross country), the athletics department is in good hands. The exterior and interior of CMU Athletics received a facelift this summer, just as Olympic Athens did. Blood, sweat and bulldozers as evidence, Deromedi ensured facilities and leadership will not be CMU’s Achilles’ heel.
CMU takes $650k bid for new field
(07/07/04 4:00am)
CMU will pay $650,000 to build a new venue for the field hockey team after accepting a bid from FieldTurf, the company also installing a new surface in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Construction on the new field should begin in mid-July and be finished by Sept. 13, said Thomas Trionfi, director of purchasing. The field hockey season begins Sept. 24. “That gives us a couple of weeks of leeway,” he said. FieldTurf was one of two bids received by the university. Pro Grass offered a bid of $450,000 but failed certification from the International Hockey Federation, which determines if a field is acceptable for international championships and competitions. Trionfi previously said Athletics Director Herb Deromedi and Field Hockey coach Cristy Freese “believe it is a necessary certification.” He also said Pro Grass seemed “aloof” in dealing with CMU, seemingly not interested in the contract. FieldTurf’s original bid was $751,000, which Trionfi said, it was knocked down because of negotiations with the company. Also, the price of the field was lowered because it will be a tacked-down surface, not glued down, which Trionfi said has no affect on the quality of the field. “We were able to get a better price because the athletics department ... worked with us to come up with another way to get the price of the field down,” he said. “The fact that the athletics department was able to look at another option helped bring the price down.” Deromedi said he talked with other schools who also have tacked-down surfaces and determined it was a quality venue. “We don’t anticipate any problems,” he said. “We wanted to work through the process to make sure we provided a field but also a safe and quality field.” Deromedi said the field hockey program deserves the opportunity to play on their own field which he said is “their laboratory; it becomes their stage of performance.” “This is where they establish leadership qualities, they are able to find themselves and go through adversity, and sometimes those things serve them well — long after their last semester of competition,” he said. “They deserve it. They have had a long history at CMU and they deserve this opportunity.” FieldTurf also will paint the lines on the field for the first two years for no additional charge. Of the money allotted for the field, $296,000 is from previously approved money for the replacement of the Kelly/Shorts Stadium turf. The remaining cost — $354,000 — is being loaned to the athletics department from the capital projects reserve fund. The loaned money must be paid back during the next five years. The Board of Trustees had previously approved $751,000 to build the field hockey venue. CMU is paying FieldTurf $639,000 to replace the turf in Kelly/Shorts.
Cats on the prowl
(07/07/04 4:00am)
Workers finish leveling the surface of Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The installation of FieldTurf is expected to begin today. The Athletics Department received funds from CMU to resurface Theunissen Stadium and build a new field hockey venue as well.
A glimpse of what’s to come
(07/07/04 4:00am)
I was watching the Monday edition of Baseball Tonight on ESPN for the fourth time the other night, when it dawned on me: Summer is the absolute worst time of the year for sports. I have had this feeling before, but this year it has really set in. It may be that I’m just coming down from the Pistons World Title run or maybe it’s me anticipating what is coming this fall. Either way, summer sports are boring me. It’s not that I don’t enjoy watching highlights from one of the 162 games that a Major League Baseball team will play during the course of the season, especially in July when the games have so much riding on them. It’s just that I don‘t enjoy watching highlights from one of the … well you get the point. So on this night, as Peter Gammons explained to me why the Chicago White Sox losing to the Cubs on July 4 was going to affect the division race in September, I drifted off. My slumber took me ahead in time, to Sept. 4, when the Brian Kelly era will officially begin at CMU. The Chippewas will travel to Bloomington Ind., to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. While Indiana isn’t remotely considered a Big Ten contender, this game would be a good way for Kelly to come in and immediately assert himself as a Division I coach. It could also go a long way in erasing the memory of the meltdown CMU suffered at Indiana two years ago. The dream continued to take me through time and stopped on September 11, in East Lansing. CMU is playing Michigan State today in a game that it is more than capable of winning. Senior linebacker James King loves Spartan stadium. He blocked four punts there in 2001, and by spreading out the Spartan defense and forcing them to use more defensive backs, Kelly can expect sophomore running back Jerry Seymour to have a big day. The very next day I ended up on the campus of Ball State, where the MAC will be introduced to CMU’s new women’s soccer coach, Tony DiTucci. The Chippewas open their MAC schedule against the Cardinals on Sept. 12. The players were excited about the hire, and they should be. DiTucci is the Chippewas second head coach and knows the program and his team well, after being an assistant under Mark Salisbury for the last two seasons. Another CMU coach will make his MAC debut on Sept. 22, when new volleyball front man Erik Olson leads the defending MAC West Division Champions onto their home floor to take on Eastern Michigan. Even with the graduation of key players such as Shaleene Glombowski, Olson comes in with a wealth of talent, including last year’s MAC Freshman of the Year Meghan Moore. My dream then took me to an unexpected spot on Sept. 24, when it dropped me off in Mount Pleasant for the Field Hockey team’s first home game of the season. I had no idea that this was possible, but apparently, they have a field. So now, still two months away from these occurrences, I am forced to wait, and watch highlights of one of the 162 games that a Major League Baseball team will play during the course of a season. Life sports writer Paul Costanzo can be reached for comment at sports@cm-life.com.
