Kramig earns College Coach of the Year, Kodiak garners College Soccer Sportswoman of the Year

Head soccer coach Bobby Kramig (middle), senior basketball player Courtney Osborn (left) and senior soccer player Jess Kodiak were all honored with awards at the GCNKWSA banquet Tuesday.

WEST CHESTER, Ohio – Two Miami University senior student-athletes and a head coach for the RedHawks received awards at the 20th annual Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Women’s Sports Association Awards Banquet Tuesday at the Savannah Center. Head soccer coach Bobby Kramig was named the GCNKWSA College Coach of the Year while senior forward Jess Kodiak garnered College Soccer Sportswoman of the Year and senior guard Courtney Osborn received College Basketball Sportswoman of the Year from the GCNKWSA.

Kramig becomes the first Miami coach to earn GCNKWSA College Coach of the Year since women’s swimming coach Dave Jennings earned the honor in 2005. In addition to his honor Tuesday, Kramig was named 2012 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. In his 30th season at the helm of Miami Soccer, Kramig guided the RedHawks to MAC regular-season and tournament championships, the program’s first MAC title of any kind since 2002. Despite having a roster with just two seniors and 11 newcomers, he led Miami to a school-record 20 wins, going 20-3-1, including finishing unbeaten in MAC play at 10-0-1. Kramig also coached the ‘Hawks to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after upsetting No. 20 Tennessee in the opening match.

Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) is the second RedHawk in the last three years to win College Soccer Sportswoman of the Year, along with Brooke Livingston (’11) in 2011. In the fall, Kodiak earned Third-Team All-America and First-Team All-Great Lakes Region from the NSCAA. She was also tabbed MAC Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-MAC and All-MAC Tournament Team at the end of the season. The 2012 team captain started all 24 games and led the team with 36 points, which was second in the MAC and 21st nationally. Kodiak set the school single-season record with 12 assists, which led the MAC and was sixth nationally. She added a team-best 12 goals, which was second in the MAC and included three game-winners and four multi-goal matches, all while leading the team to its on-field successes.

Osborn (Fishers, Ind.), who is a repeat winner of the College Basketball Sportswoman of the Year after claiming the honor last year, has been well decorated for her senior season with Miami’s women’s basketball team. Last month, she became the first women’s basketball player in Miami history to earn All-MAC honors during all four years of her career. As a senior, she led the RedHawks with a 19.1 points per game average. She also averaged 4.8 assists per contest. Osborn is Miami’s all-time leading scorer and ranks sixth in MAC history with 2,166 career points. She is also the team’s career record holder in three-pointers made (299), three-pointers attempted (871), free throws made (513), free throws attempted (641), field goals attempted (1814) and 20-plus point games (48).

The GCNKWSA annually honors female athletes and coaches from local high schools and colleges who have excelled during the season, as well as other women who have made an impact on athletics in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. In addition to Osborn, softball pitcher Jessica Simpson was recognized as the College Softball Sportswoman of the Year by the GCNKWSA as the only other RedHawk to claim an award last year.

Dolesh to serve as captain, Zanotti will be vice captain for upcoming fall season

Katy Dolesh (left) and Courtney Zanotti will be Miami’s captains this fall.

OXFORD, Ohio – With Miami’s 2013 spring exhibition season in full swing, the RedHawks are already looking ahead to the 2013 fall season as rising senior Katy Dolesh has been selected team captain, while rising junior Courtney Zanotti has been tabbed vice captain, head coach Bobby Kramig announced Monday.

Dolesh replaces graduating senior Jess Kodiak, who served as the lone team captain in 2012, while Zanotti will provide more leadership along with Dolesh.

“Katy Dolesh is our leader. Period. She’s a terrific role model who represents what we want Miami Soccer to be all about. I have great respect for her personally and feel quite confident placing the team in her hands,” Kramig said. “Katy does everything right. She’s a great player whose athletic achievements are rivaled only by her academic successes and I am proud to name her captain for the 2013 season.”

Dolesh (Chardon, Ohio) has played in 60 career games in her first three years, including playing in all 24 last year, while missing just four in her career. She has started 52 of those contests, including all 40 games in which she has played over the last two seasons. The 5-foot-7, high-flying midfielder has amassed 62 career points on 24 goals and 14 assists. Last season she helped Miami to Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles, while also guiding the ‘Hawks to the NCAA Tournament second round, scoring nine goals and adding eight assists on the year.

Dolesh is a three-time All-MAC performer, earning First-Team honors the last two years, while she also collected NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region and OCSA All-Ohio accolades in 2012. The health studies major has also garnered several academic awards, including Academic All-MAC, Academic All-Ohio and Academic All-District distinction, while carrying a 3.44 grade-point average.

Zanotti (North Royalton, Ohio) has played in 32 career games in her first two seasons, starting 22, while anchoring Miami’s backfield last season that recorded 10 shutouts. Zanotti was instrumental in Miami’s MAC championships and NCAA Tournament run last season. She played in 20 games, while starting 12, and logged 1,339 minutes of playing time. The 5-foot-6 center back was named to the All-MAC Tournament Team last year and garnered MAC Defensive Player of the Week once. The middle childhood education major boasts a 3.89 GPA and also received academic honors such as Academic All-MAC and Academic All-Ohio in 2012.

“Court really developed into the leader of our defense this fall. She’s a very smart, organized player whose judgment I trust and respect both on and off the field,” Kramig said. “As vice captain, I fully expect Courtney’s leadership skills will continue to develop and that she will provide a great example to the other players on the team.”

Dolesh and Zanotti will begin their duties as captains Saturday when the RedHawks host Northern Kentucky in their third spring exhibition match. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. at Miami Soccer Field. Miami’s 2013 fall schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

By Dani Fraelick

Junior Katy Dolesh scored Miami’s lone goal Saturday vs. Indiana.

OXFORD, Ohio – In Miami’s second exhibition game of the spring season, Big Ten foe Indiana came away with a 2-1 win Saturday at Miami Soccer Field as the Hoosiers broke a 1-1 tie with a late goal.

Despite the final score, Miami competed with Indiana the entire game. The team’s aggressive play addressed head coach Bobby Kramig’s concern about attitude when playing big name teams, something that troubled Miami in last fall’s second-round NCAA Tournament game against Duke.

“The thing that I was most pleased about with Indiana, and the goal of the game against Indiana, was for us to go at them, to really assert ourselves, and I thought we did that,” Kramig said.

Indiana took the 1-0 lead on a failed clear of a corner kick for the first score of the game in the 33rd minute. A scramble by Miami to clear the corner was sent to the foot of an Indiana attacker at the top corner of the 18. She rocketed a shot to the far post past the reach of redshirt sophomore keeper Allison Norenberg.

The RedHawks ended the half down, 1-0, but returned to the field with a strong attacking presence. In the 56th minute, Miami tallied the equalizer on what Kramig called a classic Miami goal.

Sophomore goalkeeper Danielle Wiseman, who came on at halftime for Norenberg, made a heads-up play after scooping up an Indiana shot. She quickly distributed the ball out wide to junior back Sam Parrish, who sent a long through ball to the feet of sophomore forward Hailey Pleshakov.

“It’s not a pass I would normally make, but I saw the space and just went for it,” Parrish said. “Bobby is trying to get us to play more to the forwards’ feet under pressure, and it worked well for us that time.”

After Pleshakov controlled the ball, she found junior midfielder Katy Dolesh running between two Hoosier defenders, playing the ball behind the defense. Dolesh’s well-timed run met the ball in stride, allowing her to make the easy finish past Indiana’s keeper.

“Those are the kind of goals we are looking to score,” Kramig said, commending the hard work and soccer knowledge behind the play.

In the 70th minute, the visitors went up 2-1, earning a penalty kick and finishing it past Wiseman after an Indiana attacker was tripped up in the box.

Miami came close to pulling level again with five minutes remaining when freshman Sydney Neal, playing in just her second game for the RedHawks after an injury forced her to miss the fall season, blasted a shot off the crossbar. Miami was unable to threaten again, however, and fell to 0-2 in spring action.

“Overall, I thought we played better against Indiana than we did against Butler,” Kramig said. “And that’s what spring’s all about, that’s what you’re trying to see — progress.”

The RedHawks return to action in another exhibition game this Saturday against Northern Kentucky. Kick off for the game at Miami Soccer Field is set for 3 p.m.

Kayla Zakrzewski will try out for Poland’s National Team starting Monday.

OXFORD, Ohio – Though she was born in Canada and plays collegiately in the United States, Miami University junior midfielder Kayla Zakrzewski will be taking her soccer talents overseas. The London, Ontario native was invited to try out for the Polish National Women’s Soccer Team, which begins Monday.

Zakrzewski, who earned First-Team All-Mid-American Conference honors this past fall, flew from Chicago to Warsaw, Poland Friday night. There, she was joined by three other Canadians with Polish descent before flying to Posen (Poznań), where the training camp will be held through Thursday.

With a name like Zakrzewski, her Polish roots would seem obvious; however she has to trace her ancestry back four generations to her great-grandparents to find the connection to Poland. She doesn’t speak a lick of Polish either. But the speedy winger was not concerned as she said the Polish coaches all speak English, as do some of the girls trying out, including two other NCAA players who currently play for Fairfield and Bucknell.

Zakrzewski knows it will not be easy to make the team, but is looking forward to taking in the whole spectacle.

“I’m really nervous, that’s for sure,” she said. “But once I get passed the nerves, it’s a really exciting opportunity. I don’t expect to make it, but just the experience itself is really cool and getting to play with some of the top players. And seeing Poland. I’ve never been to Europe.”

After taking the weekend to adjust to the five-hour time difference, Zakrzewski will begin her tryout, which mainly includes playing against the other girls at the camp. She did not think she would scrimmage any other national teams during the week. While in Poland, she will stay at a hotel that is part of the national training complex, which Zakrzewski dubbed “really nice.”

When Zakrzewski was first contacted about playing for the Polish National Team, she wasn’t sold on the idea. The recruiter, who lives in Canada but had a heavy Polish accent according to the 5-foot-3 flanker, contacted her parents, Debbie and Walter, first. But Miami head coach Bobby Kramig ultimately helped her make the decision.

“When I was home for spring break, they called my house. The recruiter asked if I was interested. At first, I was kind of hesitant and didn’t think so, but then Bobby talked me into it and said why not,” she recalled. “Might as well give it a shot, right?”

Though this will be Zakrzewski’s first international experience, she was invited to try out for Canada’s U-20 National Team for the U-20 World Cup in Japan last fall, but she declined because it would have cut into Miami’s season. Her choice paid off, as she helped lead Miami to MAC regular-season and tournament championships.

Zakrzewski knows even if she doesn’t make the team, the experience will help her game overall and when she resumes playing for the RedHawks as a senior in the fall of 2013.

“I think it will be helpful playing in a whole different culture and a different level of play,” she said. “I’ll probably learn a bunch of new things. It’s a different coach and a different perspective.”

In addition to playing against tough competition, Zakrzewski hopes to take in some of the European culture even if she won’t have much free time. She’ll at least get to see some of Denmark, as she’ll stop in Copenhagen on her way back to the U.S. on Friday after camp wraps up. Should she make it, she could be called up to play for Poland at any time, including in 2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympic qualifying.

Freshman Haley Walter

By Dani Fraelick

INDIANAPOLIS – The Miami women’s soccer team fell, 2-0, to Butler Saturday in an exhibition game, its first of four this spring.

After practicing outside only four days, the team’s play impressed assistant coach Matt Ward, although the result didn’t show.

“I thought we showed some good things in spurts,” he said. “For our first game since November, I was relatively pleased with our effort.”

It’s been four months since the team’s last game, a loss to Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The loss came after an outstanding fall season, including a MAC regular-season title, a MAC Tournament Championship, and a first round NCAA Tournament win against Tennessee.

Butler controlled the first half of play, with a few chances high and wide of the target and another few grabbed up by sophomore goalkeeper Danielle Wiseman. Butler continued to press hard the remainder of the half, and it paid off with a goal in the 44th minute. Sophia Maccagnone dribbled past a Miami defender and shot it above Wiseman’s reach.

Miami came out of halftime with more energy, according to freshman Haley Walter, the MAC Freshman of the Year.

“We were more offensive and more aggressive in the second half,” she said. “It was our first game in a while and it took some time to get back into the groove.”

Butler’s attack was not as strong, but they took advantage of an opportunity towards the end of the match. Butler broke through Miami’s back line and placed a shot past Wiseman to make the score 2-0.

Despite the offensive effort, Miami couldn’t find the back of the net. Miami’s best chance of the game came in the 15th minute, when junior Kayla Zakrzewski sent a cross in the box to Walter, whose shot went wide.

Besides those with injuries, all of the RedHawks saw playing time, something that does not happen often in the fall. Sophomore midfielder Kelsey Dinges thought the team adjusted well to the differences from the typical fall line-up.

“We communicated very well, even though were not used to playing with each other,” she said.

Ward believes the game was a good chance to get back out on the field and focus on improving technical aspects of the game.

“I think we have a foundation to build on off of this, and I’m looking on getting back to training.”

Miami will have plenty of practice time following the cancellation of a game scheduled for Thursday against Kentucky. The RedHawks will not play again until Saturday, April 6 against Big Ten foe Indiana. The home game is set for 11 a.m. at Miami Soccer Field.