Miami Readies for ETSU Invitational

RedHawks face Winthrop Friday, Temple Sunday

OXFORD, Ohio – Competing in the state of Tennessee for the second time in three weekends, the Miami University women’s soccer team wraps up a six-game road trip with a pair of matches at the ETSU Soccer Invitational presented by DoubleTree Hotels. The RedHawks won’t face host East Tennessee State however, as Miami will battle Winthrop Friday at 4:30 p.m. before tackling Temple Sunday at 1 p.m. with both matches at the Buccaneers’ Summers-Taylor Stadium.

The ’Hawks (3-2-0) enter the invitational looking to rebound after dropping both matches last weekend, including their first loss of the season – a 5-2 defeat at Butler last Friday. Miami also narrowly fell at DePaul on Sunday, as the Blue Demons broke a 2-2 tie with less than five minutes to play in regulation. The RedHawks started the season with three straight wins, including two at the Lady Govs Invitational in Clarksville, Tenn.

Miami has been strong offensively so far in 2010, outscoring its opposition 23-10 and has notched at least two goals in each of its first five matches, something the team hasn’t accomplished since 1999. The 23 goals and 4.60 goals per game average this season both lead the Mid-American Conference.

Junior Sarah Dessfelt (Vellinge, Sweden) leads both the team and the MAC with four goals so far on the campaign while sophomore Jess Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) also is tops in the conference with 11 points, including a team- and league-best five assists, while adding three goals. Freshman Kayla Zakrzewski (London, Ont.) is second in the MAC with four assists and tied for third with eight points. In all, 12 different RedHawks have scored a goal already in 2010, compared to a total of 11 players who found the back of the net in all of 2009.

Winthrop (0-2-1) enters Friday’s match in search of its first victory in 2010 after opening the season with a draw against Marshall and dropping contests with Appalachian State and Jacksonville (a 3-0 defeat last Sunday). The Eagles are averaging just 0.93 goals per game while giving up over two a contest, including being outscored 7-1 in the second half on the year. Tricia Vensel leads Winthrop with four points on a goal and two helpers.

Friday will be the first-ever meeting between Miami and Winthrop on the soccer pitch.

Temple (2-3-0), who will face the host Buccaneers on Friday before challenging the RedHawks Sunday, have had an up-and-down season so far, alternating wins and losses since opening with a loss to Villanova. Last Friday, the Owls were downed by Albany, 3-2. Temple has shown the ability to score goals however, averaging 3.2 per game and tallying 11 combined goals in its two victories (over Howard and Hartford). A trio of Owls has three goals each led by Kate Yurkovic, who also has three assists for a team-best nine points. Kelly Diviny leads the squad with five assists.

Sunday will serve as the first contest between the Owls and RedHawks, as well.

After finishing its six-game road swing, Miami returns to Oxford to conclude non-conference play, as the ‘Hawks host Eastern Illinois Friday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. before welcoming Evansville Sunday, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available for both matches this weekend on MURedHawks.com and video (for a fee) is also available on the ETSU Invitational home page here.