Field hockey evaluates progress after rough start in MAC play
The field hockey team takes a break from Mid-American Conference action this weekend and has a chance to evaluate its play.
Central hosts Indiana on Sunday at noon at the CMU Field Hockey Complex. Coach Cristy Freese said the struggling team can use the week to regroup.
"We have a long week of practice until we play a MAC opponent," she said. "We need to sit back evaluate what we do well and what we need to do better."
The Chippewas lost conference decisions to Miami, Ohio and Kent State, the three teams picked to finish at the top of the six-team conference before the season.
"The games we have played up until this point will be used to evaluate ourselves and finding out how we need to get better and improving next month," Freese said. "In the beginning of your season, you can think MAC Championships, but you just have to play game by game."
As far as Freese is concerned, September is done - CMU is looking ahead to its next month of games.
"The thing I want my team to focus on and think about is that we are 0-0 in October," she said. "At the end of October, we can re-evaluate where we are as a team."
Senior Samantha Sandham, who leads the team with eight goals, said the losing is tough, but the team must stay together.
"We are just trying to stay positive right now," she said. "We came out pretty strong regardless of the end result of the game."
Sandham is successful against MAC opponents thus far this season, scoring four goals in three games.
The Chippewas (1-7 overall, 0-3 MAC) finished last season with a 4-6 MAC record, with wins against Ball State, Kent State and two wins against Missouri State.
With seven games remaining in the MAC season, the Chippewas understand that they need to start winning soon.
"We've got to take wins," Sandham said. "That is all we can afford right now. We need to go in one game at a time and win each game."
Sandham thinks that the team needs to elevate its game to the next level.
"We've got to step it up," she said. "We just need to improve upon what we have been doing."
sports@cm-life.com
