Field hockey to host pair of games this weekend


The field hockey team will take its sub-.500 conference record against the defending Mid-American Conference Champions.

CMU (3-5) hosts Kent State ­— which finished first in the 2008 regular season and won the tournament title — at 2 p.m. Friday and Ohio at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Kent State (1-0 MAC) returns most of its core, and CMU coach Cristy Freese said she has taken notice.

“They are a very talented offensive team, and they will be a challenge to us defensively,” Freese said.

CMU is coming off a split last weekend, beating Ball State 4-1 and losing to Miami 2-1 in overtime.

“Our kids have gained confidence the past two weekends in what we are doing,” Freese said. “We just need to eliminate some mistakes and score some goals. We are playing better every weekend and every game.

“I think that we have settled in on a lineup and have started gelling together and have started to really play well.”

The Weekend

KSU’s Debbie Bell ranks among the top five in all major scoring categories in MAC play. She is tied for second in goals with three.

“She certainly is a big part of their offense,” Freese said. “They also have a good passing game that develops around her, too. We need to keep an eye on her and prevent her from getting the ball, but they have a lot of other good playmakers, too.”

Ohio shows a contrasting playing style to that of Kent State. The Bobcats are a defense-oriented team and are tied for first in MAC games with just three goals against. While the Bobcats have a sound defense, Freese said she knows the team cannot overlook its offense.

“Ohio’s defense is their strength, but they can do some things offensively, too,” Freese said. “They are a very solid team all over the field and they really limit their opponents’ opportunities. They have played some tough teams this year, so their overall record is deceiving.”

With a MAC record of 1-2, the Chippewas’ margin for error is smaller, Freese said.

“In order to accomplish our goal of a MAC championship in the season, we understand that there is no more room for error,” Freese said. “We have lost twice and we can’t drop anymore MAC games if we want to win the Championship. We understand the urgency here and these two games are must wins for us.”

Sophomore Paulina Lee said she hopes to send a message to the rest of the conference.

“Any conference game is extremely important,” She said. “With these games, we want to shut out both Kent State and Ohio and gain the upper hand in the MAC.”

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