Chippewas begin MAC Tourney
The field hockey team is looking at the conference tournament as a one-week season.
The Chippewas are using this approach heading into the Mid-American Conference Tournament Thursday where they play Miami University in the first round.
“Any team that can use this approach and treat the tournament like a new season can be successful,” said coach Cristy Freese.
The game begins at 2:30 p.m. at Ball State University.
Central shutout Miami twice this season and is familiar with the RedHawks’ game plan.
“This is the third time around playing each other,” Freese said. “Everybody knows everyone else pretty well.”
One thing Miami knows is Central will play with emotion and aggression in the circle to create a lot of scoring opportunities.
“Central plays as one unit and we will need to match its intensity if we are going to have chance to win,” said Miami coach Jill Reeve.
Junior Alisa Folk scored three goals in the last meeting which Central won 3-0. Folk has increased her offensive production during the final stretch of the regular season.
Miami won just one conference game this season and won its first conference game since 2000 when it beat Ohio 1-0 earlier this season.
“The tournament is a new opportunity for us,” Reeve said. “It all comes down to who is better on that day.”
Fourth seeded Ohio will play Ball State in the other quarterfinal matchup.
If CMU wins, it would play No. 2 Kent State and the winner between Ball State and Ohio would play MAC champion and top seed Louisville.
Ohio beat Ball State twice this season. Both games were by a 3-2 score and Bobcats coach Shelly Morris said she isn’t changing her game plan.
“We have a fresh idea of what Ball State does,” Morris said. “We can’t forget what we did in the regular season. We have to approach it like any other game.”
