Central Michigan vs. Buffalo: First round preview
Junior Christen Chiesa Christen Chiesa high fives her team at the start of the game against Kent State on Oct. 23, 2015 at the Soccer/Lacrosse Complex.
It’s been five years since a women’s soccer Mid-American Conference Tournament trophy has come to Mount Pleasant.
The last time was in 2010. It was the second of CMU’s back-to-back regular season and conference tournament championships under two-time MAC Coach of the Year Tom Anagnost — the program’s only conference championships.
Current Head Coach Peter McGahey was leading the Mavericks of Minnesota State to one of his four Division II NCAA Tournament appearances, then.
The third-year head coach now leads the Chippewas into the second conference playoff of his tenure, entering as the six seed against No. 3 Buffalo.
The Chippewas were shutout by the Bulls, 3-0, Oct. 18 in Buffalo, New York in their only meeting this year. Buffalo finished as MAC East Division’s regular season champion at 7-3-1 in the conference (11-6-2 overall) with 22 points.
McGahey said the loss should fuel his team’s hunger and motivation, returning to a familiar place.
“The magical ball that has to be found is that confidence defensively,” he said. “To defend our own half and our own goal with the fortitude, we had a couple weeks ago. That’s the magical thing we as a staff will try to figure out how to find and interject that into the team. You interject that, good things are possible.”
McGahey said his team needs to find a rhythm before Sunday.
“Buffalo plays a different system. You’re going to play in a cavernous stadium, on a great surface,” he said. “(We’re) going to have to find a way to connect passes in the attacking half and find ways to generate crosses. When we do that, we’re quite a good team, but sometimes that has proven more challenging then you’d like this season.”
After recording just six shots on goal in a 2-0 loss to Toledo in its final regular season game, Central Michigan must find a way to galvanize its offensive production.
Freshmen forward Adriana Ramon, who was in middle school during CMU’s last conference tournament title, said the team is going to take the tournament one game at a time, all having the final goal of bringing home a tournament trophy.
"We need to be able to connect passes in the final third to create scoring opportunities. We need to finish at critical moments," she said. "(Coach McGahey) has been telling us to play collectively and trust each other on and off the field."
Ramon said the vibe in the locker room is excitement and positiveness, to be in the playoffs and an opportunity to settle unfinished business with the Bulls.
| Buffalo Bulls v. Central Michigan Chippewas | ||
UB | CMU | |
| Record | 11-6-2, 7-3-1 MAC | 6-10-2, 5-5-1 MAC |
| Seed | 3 | 6 |
| Conference Points | 22 | 16 |
| Key Players |
**The trio accounts for over half of UB’s total goals (54 percent) and points (53 percent). | |
| Goalkeepers |
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| Keys Wins |
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| Key Loses |
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Central Michigan v. Buffalo Regular Season Meeting
Date: October 18, 2015
Location: UB Stadium in Buffalo, New York
Winner: Buffalo
Score: 3-0
Buffalo recorded three game highs in their first game against CMU with 10 total points, four assists, and seven corner kicks.
Scoring Summary
1. At 14:14 in the first period, Bulls midfielder Julia Benati played a pass from Kassidy Kidd and beat goalkeeper Zoie Reed. It was Benati’s fifth goal of the year.
2. Next at 33:45 in the first period, Bulls forward Celina Carrero received a long through ball from defender Kristin Markiewicz. Carrero finished in the top right corner.
3. In the second period at 86:40, Buffalo forward Nicole Gerritz poked in her first career goal on an assist from defender Angel Hart.
| Goals by period | 1 | 2 | Total |
| CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UB | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Shots by period | 1 | 2 | Total | |||
| CMU | 4 | 2 | 6 | |||
| UB | 7 | 5 | 12 | |||
| Corner kicks by period | 1 | 2 | Total |
| CMU | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| UB | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Saves by period | 1 | 2 | Total |
| CMU (Reed) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| UB (Dougall | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Scoring Summary
1. At 14:14 in the first period, Bulls midfielder Julia Benati played a pass from Kassidy Kidd and beat goalkeeper Zoie Reed. It was Benati’s fifth goal of the year.
2. Next at 33:45 in the first period, Bulls forward Celina Carrero received a long through ball from defender Kristin Markiewicz. Carrero finished in the top right corner.
3. In the second period at 86:40, Buffalo forward Nicole Gerritz poked in her first career goal on an assist from defender Angel Hart.
Regular Season Statistics Comparison
| UB | CMU | |
| Goals Scored | 24 | 20 |
| Goals Allowed | 14 | 22 |
| Shots on Goal | 235 | 203 |
| Saves | 94 | 88 |
| Fouls Committed | 163 | 172 |
