Miami Welcomes Broncos, Huskies on Homecoming

RedHawks aim to secure spot in MAC Tournament

OXFORD, Ohio – With only three games remaining in the regular season, the Miami University women’s soccer team can clinch a berth in the upcoming Mid-American Conference Tournament when it hosts Western Michigan and Northern Illinois on Miami’s Homecoming weekend. The Broncos come calling Friday at 3 p.m. ET while the RedHawks entertain the Huskies on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET with both matches taking place at Miami Soccer Field. Miami is 5-1 at home this season.

With a win and a tie over the weekend, the ’Hawks (8-6-1, 4-3-1 MAC) would punch their ticket to the eight-team MAC Tournament, which begins Nov. 1 at campus sites. Miami, who has made the last five MAC Tournaments and missed only three in program history, stands in a tie for fifth place with Akron, who the Red & White fell to 1-0 last Friday. Ohio, who fell to the RedHawks 1-0 in a thrilling double-overtime contest this past Sunday, is just a point ahead of Miami in fourth place while Eastern Michigan, who the ’Hawks beat earlier this year, sits two points ahead in third.

Junior Sara Lund (Malmo, Sweden), who headed in the game-winning goal Sunday against the Bobcats with less than three minutes to play in the second overtime, now has a team-best five goals—tied for third in the league. The win was Miami’s first in extra time in its last 14 tries, going 0-6-7 previously in overtime since a 2-1 overtime win over Morehead State Aug. 25, 2006. Senior Allison Berkey (Hopkinton, Mass.), who earned the assist on Sunday’s game-winning goal, is second on the team with four goals. Fellow senior Kersta Carlson (Plymouth, Minn.) leads the conference with six assists, just three shy of tying the Miami single-season record.

The RedHawks rank third in the MAC with 21 goals on the year or 1.40 per contest, while allowing just 11 all year or 0.73 per game, both of which are second in the conference. Miami is conceding just 0.62 scores per match in league play only and has not allowed more than one goal in any conference match this year, while pitching three shutouts. Senior keeper Krista Pace (Toronto, Ont.) has played all 1,400 minutes in net for Miami this year, earning five shutouts (tied for second in the league) and a 0.71 goals-against average (0.59 in MAC play), which is third among MAC goalies. She became the winningest keeper in Miami history Sunday, recording her 26th-career win.

Western Michigan (5-7-3, 2-4-2 MAC) rolls into Oxford clinging to the eighth and final spot in the MAC Tournament. The Broncos tied Eastern Michigan last Friday before falling to first-place Central Michigan Sunday, 1-0. WMU is winless in its last five contests, going 0-3-2 since picking up its only league wins over Akron and Bowling Green. Western Michigan is scoring 1.07 goals per game on the year but 1.25 against MAC teams. Defensively, however, the Broncos are allowing 1.13 goals per contest but 1.38 in conference play only. Sophomores Stephanie Skowneski and Nikolette Rivera lead WMU with three goals each while junior Nicole Dulyea and freshman Megan Matula each have a team-best four helpers. Senior Sarah Phillips has started the last seven games in net after Julia Francy started the first eight. Phillips has a 1.21 goals-against average going 2-3-2 as a starter with a pair of clean sheets.

Miami has dominated the series with Western Michigan, going 12-1 all-time against the Broncos with WMU’s lone win coming in 2000 in Kalamazoo. The ’Hawks won 1-0 at Western Michigan last year and have outscored WMU 31-10 all-time in the series. Miami is 7-0 against the Broncos at home and has not given up a goal to Western Michigan in the teams’ last four meetings (since 2004).

Northern Illinois (4-10-2, 0-6-2 MAC) enters the weekend in last place in the MAC, riding a six-game losing streak and still in search of its first league victory. The Huskies fell by a goal in their final home games last weekend to Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. NIU is scoring just 0.69 goals per game, 11th in the MAC, while allowing 1.06 (fifth in the MAC). The Huskies have been outscored 11-3 in league play. A trio of Huskies has two goals to lead the team while senior keeper Lindsey Curnock has a 1.02 GAA with three shutouts, having started every game this year. NIU plays at Ball State Friday before heading to Oxford.

The RedHawks control the series with Northern Illinois, 8-3-1, having won the last two by a combined 5-1. The Huskies’ only win in Oxford came in 1998.

Sunday’s match with Northern Illinois will serve as Miami’s Breast Cancer Awareness Game (with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month), as the RedHawks will don pink jerseys for the game. Miami Soccer will also be selling t-shirts at the match to support the cause.

Miami will conclude its regular season Thursday, Oct. 29, when the ’Hawks host the Ball State Cardinals.