Soccer Travels to Butler, DePaul for Weekend Showdowns
RedHawks look to remain undefeated in 2010
Senior Rachelle Boff has two wins in goal for Miami this season.
OXFORD, Ohio – After opening the season with three straight wins, the Miami University women’s soccer team looks to remain perfect in 2010 as the RedHawks head west to battle Butler on Friday, Sep. 3 and BIG EAST foe DePaul on Sunday, Sep. 5. The match against the Bulldogs is set for 5 p.m. while Miami faces the Blue Demons at 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. local).
The RedHawks (3-0-0) are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 1999 (when they opened with seven straight wins) after picking up a pair of 2-1 wins at Austin Peay’s Lady Govs Invitational last weekend. Miami knocked off Chattanooga last Friday before upending Western Illinois by the same score on Sunday. Sophomore Jess Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) led the way for the ‘Hawks with a goal and two assists on the weekend. Senior Rachelle Boff (Naples, Fla.) and freshman Madison Ryan (Marietta, Ga.) each started a game in goal and picked up a win.
Miami has dominated its opponents so far in 2010, outshooting the opposition 72-9, as the RedHawks have conceded just three shots in each match and a total of six on goal. The two goals allowed on the year rank third in the Mid-American Conference, as does the team’s 0.67 goals-against average. The RedHawks lead the MAC in goals scored with 19 and goals per game with 6.33, as 10 RedHawks have already found the back of the net. A total of 11 players scored for Miami in all of 2009.
In addition to scoring often, the ’Hawks have been scoring early, as Miami has tallied a goal within the first seven minutes in each of its three regular-season matches. Junior Sarah Dessfelt (Vellinge, Sweden) and freshmen Morgan Stallard (Tipp City, Ohio) and Sam Whitmore (Cincinnati, Ohio) lead the team and the MAC with three goals each, all coming in the season opener against Alabama A&M. Kodiak and freshman Kayla Zakrzewski (London, Ont.) are tied for the team lead and the MAC lead with both four assists and eight points.
Butler (0-4-0) enters Friday’s match still in search of its first win of 2010 and its first goal of the regular season. The Bulldogs won their exhibition opener against IPFW, 1-0, on Aug. 13 but haven’t found the net since. Butler dropped an exhibition to Western Kentucky, 1-0, two days later and also fell 1-0 to local rivals Dayton (in double overtime) and Xavier to open the regular season, as well as Indiana State. Last Sunday, the Bulldogs were topped by Indiana, 6-0.
The RedHawks are 2-2-1 all-time against Butler, having most recently met in 2007 when the two sides played to a 2-2 double-overtime draw. In 2006, the last time Miami traveled to Indianapolis, the Bulldogs prevailed, 1-0.
DePaul (2-2-0), who will host Missouri on Friday before battling the ‘Hawks, has faced a tough schedule so far in 2010. The Blue Demons went toe-to-toe with a pair of Big Ten foes to start the season, opening with a 2-0 win at Iowa before dropping a 2-1, double-overtime match at Northwestern. The following weekend DePaul downed St. Bonaventure, 1-0, but came up short against Illinois State, also 1-0. Four different Blue Demons have scored for DePaul with Callie Hemming also adding two assists to lead the team with four points. Keeper Claire Hanold has played all four contests in goal and has a 0.72 GAA with an .833 save percentage.
Miami and DePaul will square off for just the second time Sunday at Wish Field, as the Blue Demons won the first ever meeting in 2008 in Oxford, 3-2 in overtime.
Following this weekend, the RedHawks continue their six-game road trip, traveling back to Tennessee for the East Tennessee State Tournament where they’ll play Winthrop and Temple. Live stats will be available for both matches this weekend on MURedHawks.com.
Strong First Half Propels RedHawks Over Western Illinois
Kodiak, Thompson register goals for Miami
Senior Julie Thompson tallied her first goal of 2010 Sunday, which turned out to be the game-winner.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Behind a dominating first half, the Miami University women’s soccer team remained perfect in 2010 with a 2-1 victory over Western Illinois Sunday afternoon at Morgan Brothers Field in the Lady Govs Invitational, hosted by Austin Peay. The RedHawks (3-0-0) are now 3-0 all-time against the Leathernecks (0-2-1).
In what is becoming a common occurrence, Miami struck early again, as sophomore Jess Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) beat her defender into the middle of the box and fired a rocket off her left foot that beat WIU keeper Laura Atkinson in the seventh minute for her second tally of 2010. In all three games this season, the ’Hawks have scored within the first seven minutes of the match.
“We made life much more difficult than it needed to be,” head coach Bobby Kramig said. “We started off very much like the first two games we’ve played, scoring early. It’s nice that we’re doing that. It shows that were focused, ready to play and on task, and then it was missed opportunity after missed opportunity.”
Jess KodiakThe RedHawks continued to put pressure on the Leathernecks the remainder of the half, but couldn’t add to their lead until senior Julie Thompson (Glenview, Ill.) found the back of the net in the 41st minute to give Miami a 2-0 cushion. Fellow senior Sara Lund (Malmo, Sweden) put Thompson in behind the defense with a through ball from the midfield that split two Leathernecks. The score was Thompson’s first of the season.
Miami took its two-goal margin into halftime, having out-shot Western Illinois 12-0 in the opening period. Atkinson made eight saves to keep WIU in the match in the first 45 minutes. The RedHawks also held a 4-1 edge in corners in the first half.
The Leathernecks then took advantage of some Miami miscues out of the break, as Jordan Spaciel made it a 2-1 contest just 18 seconds in the half when she jammed home the ball after a scrum in front of the net.
The ’Hawks were able to fend off WIU the remainder of the game, however, to earn the 2-1 win.
“We took a game where we’re looking for a third goal and looking to close out the game, to all of sudden, it’s a game,” Kramig said. “We finally got things settled down and closed out the game, but it’s a lesson learned that you can’t take anything for granted.”
Miami finished with 17 shots to Western Illinois’ three, including a 12-2 margin in shots on goal. Each of the Red and White’s opponents this year has been limited to just three shots. Kodiak led the way for Miami with four shots, all on target. The RedHawks also earned seven corner kicks to WIU’s four. Freshman keeper Madison Ryan (Marietta, Ga.) made her first start in a red and white uniform, making one save to earn the win, while Jessica Walsh protected the cage for the Leathernecks in the second half and made two stops.
“I’m pleased with this weekend to see us win two, close, tough, hard-fought games,” Kramig said. “I think that speaks well to the nature of our team and our character.”
The RedHawks return to action Friday, Sep. 3 at Butler at 5 p.m. ET.
Miami Tops Chattanooga at Lady Govs Invitational
RedHawks Open Season with Two Wins for First Time Since 1999
Sophomore Jess Kodiak had a pair of assists in Miami's win Friday.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Senior Brooke Livingston headed home the game-winning goal for the Miami University women’s soccer team Friday night, less than a minute after Chattanooga had evened the match, to give the RedHawks a 2-1 victory in the Lady Govs Invitational played at Austin Peay’s Morgan Brothers Field. Miami (2-0) has now opened the season with consecutive wins for the first time since 1999 while facing the Lady Mocs (1-2) for the first time in program history.
Like in the season opener against Alabama A&M, the ’Hawks struck early as freshman Kayla Zakrzewski (London, Ont.) pounced on a poor pass by Chattanooga and finished strong in the back of the net less than five minutes into the game for her second tally of 2010. Her strike was Miami’s first shot of the match.
The RedHawks kept control of the contest the remainder of the half, keeping the ball in the attacking end, but were unable to add to their advantage. Miami fired 13 shots in the opening 45 minutes, led by four from senior Julie Thompson (Glenview, Ill.), but UTC’s Taylor Davidson made seven saves to keep the margin at one heading into the break. The RedHawks’ defense limited the Lady Mocs to just one shot in the first period, which went wide of the target.
“We scored early and everybody thought it’s going to be Alabama A&M again but that second goal wouldn’t come quite like it did last time,” head coach Bobby Kramig said. “The team didn’t get too frustrated though and they didn’t lose their composure. I don’t think there was a flicker of disbelief that we wouldn’t win the game.”
Miami struggled in the first 15 minutes of the second period but started clicking in the 60th minute and ripped three shots in a six-minute stretch, but still could not pad its lead. In the 75th minute, UTC’s Donna-Kay Henry used her speed to sneak behind the RedHawk defense and even the match at 1-1 on a feed from Anna Cusick.
Thirty-nine seconds later however, Miami responded and took the lead for good when Livingston (Lisle, Ill.) connected on a corner kick from sophomore Jess Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) with her head to put the ‘Hawks up, 2-1. It was Kodiak’s second assist of the game and fourth of the season. Miami then held the Lady Mocs without a shot the remainder of the match to stay undefeated on the young season.
“Chattanooga’s goal was one of those things where you kind of lose concentration for a split second so we wanted to make sure that they knew we were here to win and that we wanted it,” senior defender Jess Byron said. “We made sure we came back with just as much effort to get that second goal and the win.”
The RedHawks finished with an 18-3 shot advantage, including 11-2 in shots on goal, and a 4-3 edge in corner kicks. Davidson finished with nine saves in net for UTC while senior keeper Rachelle Boff (Naples, Fla.) played the entire game in net for Miami and was forced to make just one save.
“I felt like we made this game a lot more difficult than it needed to be, but at the same time we needed to play in a tight game,” Kramig said. “We needed the experience of having to press forward and get the game-winner and win a close game, so I was pleased with that. It was a good character reference on our team. We just need to do a better job of taking the things we work on in practice and putting them in the game. I’m seeing bits and pieces of it and I’m confident by the time we get to conference play, we’ll be ready.”
The RedHawks wrap-up play at the Lady Govs Invitational when they take on Western Illinois Sunday at noon ET.
RedHawks Hit Road for First Time in 2010
RedHawks face Chattanooga, Western Illinois over weekend
After a hat trick in her first collegiate game, freshman forward Morgan Stallard looks to continue her scoring burst this weekend.
OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University women’s soccer team will be making the first of two trips to the state of Tennessee this weekend as the RedHawks (1-0) begin a six-game road swing by competing in the Lady Govs Invitational, hosted by Austin Peay, in Clarksville. Miami battles Chattanooga on Friday at 9 p.m. ET before facing Western Illinois at noon ET on Sunday to round out invitational play. Both games are neutral site matches at APSU’s Morgan Brothers Soccer Field.
The ’Hawks kicked off their 2010 campaign in grand fashion, shattering the school record for goals in a game by knocking off Alabama A&M, 15-0, last Saturday in front of their home crowd. The 15 tallies nearly doubled the previous record of eight, which Miami had achieved three times, most recently in the 2009 regular-season finale against Ball State – an 8-0 win. The RedHawks had already broken the record at halftime, as they led 9-0.
Three ’Hawks registered hat tricks in the convincing victory, including junior midfielder Sarah Dessfelt (Vellinge, Sweden), who notched her first collegiate goal in the game and added her first career assist en route to earning co-Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. She leads the league after opening weekend with seven points. Freshmen Morgan Stallard (Tipp City, Ohio) and Sam Whitmore (Cincinnati, Ohio) each recorded hat tricks as well in their first collegiate action with all three being tied for the league lead in goals. Fellow freshman Kayla Zakrzewski (London, Ont.) set a school record and tied a MAC record with four assists in the match (all in the first half) while also tallying her first goal in the red and white against the Bulldogs.
Senior Rachelle Boff (Naples, Fla.) and freshman Madison Ryan (Marietta, Ga.) split time in net for Miami against AAMU to record the shutout, as the RedHawk defense limited the Bulldogs to just two shots on goal. Boff and Ryan, along with redshirt freshman Kris Gasparovic (Rochester, Mich.), each played 30 minutes in goal in Miami’s 1-1 exhibition draw against the North London Soccer Club on Sunday.
Chattanooga (1-1) enters the match against Miami after splitting a pair of games on its opening weekend. The Lady Mocs fell to Lipscomb, 2-1, on the road on Friday, Aug. 20 before rebounding with a 2-1 second-half comeback win over Tennessee Tech at home the following Sunday. Three different Mocs have scored for Chattanooga so far with Donna-Kay Henry notching the game-winner in the 74th minute against Tennessee Tech. She also has a team-high 11 shots and five shots on goal. Keeper Taylor Davidson has started both games and has a 1.56 goals-against average on the young season.
Friday night’s contest will be the first ever between the RedHawks and Lady Mocs.
Western Illinois (0-0-1) began its 2010 campaign Sunday with a 1-1 draw at home against South Dakota as Jenny Green knotted the game for the Fighting Leathernecks late in the first half. WIU fell to MAC foe Northern Illinois, 2-1, in an exhibition game on Friday, Aug. 20. Western Illinois will face tournament host Austin Peay Friday before taking on Miami Sunday.
The two sides have met twice previously with the RedHawks winning both meetings. Miami won 6-0 in 1997, the RedHawks’ inaugural season, and 2-0 in 1999, but the two teams haven’t faced off since.
Live stats will be available for both of Miami’s matches this weekend here.
Following the Lady Govs Invitational, the RedHawks remain on the road with contests at Butler Friday, Sep. 3 and at DePaul, Sunday, Sept. 5.
