Hat trick clinches championship
Freshman Kelly Jordan’s hat trick against Miami Saturday gave the field hockey team its first Mid-American Conference Tournament title since 1990.
Central Michigan University advances to a play-in game at Boston University after it beat Miami 3-1.
If it beats the Terriers, it will be the first time in school history CMU will play in the 16-team NCAA Championship.
“In 2002, when we won the regular season, we were hoping to get selected,” said coach Cristy Freese.
That year CMU won the regular season, but ended their season with a loss in the MAC Tournament. There are four current seniors that were freshmen that year.
One is midfielder Erica Takach. The senior from Pennsylvania is a captain and was named to the All-MAC team for the second consecutive year.
“We’re just really, really excited. We knew we could do it,” Takach said from the airport as the team prepared to leave for Boston. “We’re pumped. We’re looking at the game as ‘losing is not an option.’”
One of the more physical games of the tournament came against Kent State in the semifinals. CMU had not beaten the Golden Flashes since 2002 and both teams played to a scoreless first half.
Ann Arbor sophomore Allyson Doan scored the eventual game-winner early in the first half, and CMU won 2-0.
“That was the best game we played all year,” Freese said after the game. “It’s a big win to knock off the No. 1 seed, but our job’s not done.”
The team started out strong Thursday, when it crushed Missouri State 4-0 to open the tournament at CMU’s Field Hockey Complex.
If the field hockey team wins Tuesday, it will head to a regional site for the opening round of the tournament.
“Our seniors have been the ones that have led the way,” Freese said. “I think the experience that they gained being on the ‘02 regular season championship team helped them lead this team.”
