Field hockey advances in tourney
The field hockey team will face Ohio in the Mid-American Conference semifinals for a chance to get back to the championship round for the first time since 2005.
After beating Ball State 3-1 Thursday, the team will play the regular sesaon MAC co-champion, Ohio.
“It is going to be a tough game for us because OU is playing really good right now,” said head coach Cristy Freese. “The last time we played them, it was a 5-0 defeat and was certainly one of our worst games.”
Fresh off of a first-round bye, the Bobcats (10-8 overall, 8-2 MAC) are a team which defeated the Chippewas by a combined score of 7-1, including a 2-1 win in Mount Pleasant.
“There are some things that we have to do better against this team,” Freese said. “We have to be quicker in our passing than last time and we need to move some people around a little bit to defend better against what they did last time.”
Ohio is the better ranked team according to the standings, but CMU does not mind playing the role of the underdogs, said sophomore Paulina Lee.
“I think it would be a great thing to get to the finals because, standings-wise, it will be an upset,” Lee said. “I think it gives us that chip on our shoulder because no one thinks we are going to win, and that makes us play a little bit harder.”
The Chippewas’ four-game winning streak is their longest of the season. Lee said she understands this is a good thing in terms of team morale, but she hopes it does not become negative.
“We need to keep the mindset that, yes, we have won a few games, but every win has been a battle,” Lee said. “We need to make sure we aren’t becoming too cocky while, at the same time, know that we can win the next game.”
Freese said teams do not often get second chances, but she will take one when the opportunity comes.
“I tell the kids that we do not get second chances, but we do have one now,” she said. “We wanted this game and I am really excited that we have it because we were really disappointed in the outcome of the last game (against Ohio). We just have to make the most of it.”
Thursday
Lee said the start of Thursday’s 3-1 win against Ball State set the tone for the entire game.
“The biggest thing that we did was that we came out very strong in the first half and we came out with intensity,” Lee said. “Ball State is a good team and, if we didn’t come to play, we would have lost.”
Senior Kelly Jordan opened the scoring, getting her career-high 12th goal of the season. Freshman Erin Dye made it 2-0 a little more than a minute later. Jordan then scored her second goal to put the Chippewas up 3-0 at halftime.
The Cardinals scored their goal in the 43rd minute of the second half.
