Search Results


Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.




Value of sports drinks underestimated

(05/02/05 4:00am)

With the “freshman 15” curse and bathing suit weather coming many college students are looking for that edge to burn fat and gain muscle. Sport drinks, or carbohydrate-replacement beverages, rarely come to mind as a tool to reach exercise goals. But they should. Sport drinks serve a purpose for anyone who is looking to get fit. “Sports drinks help you retain muscle, but also help with overall exercise performance,” said Leslie Hildebrandt, associate professor of nutrition and dietetics. The carbohydrates in the sport drinks help make glycogen, a storage carbohydrate, which helps keep people from ripping away muscle to get energy, Hildebrandt said. Sport drinks should be consumed 30 minutes before exercise if a student has not consumed a meal or snack in the last three hours, during exercise if they work out for more than 30 minutes and immediately after exercise. Hildebrandt said the use after exercise is key. “That is when your body is making glycogen and you need the liquid carbs to get in your body immediately to take advantage of that process,” Hildebrandt said. Hildebrandt said it is important to pay attention to where the carbohydrate is coming from. When looking on the ingredients, the ideal kind of carbohydrate is called glucose polymers or matlo-dextrins. Some sport drinks may contain glucose, fructose or sucrose, which are OK, but the ideal are the polymers or malto-dextrins. Hildebrandt said also to stay away from drinks with protein, fat, high amounts of vitamins and minerals and caffeine. There are many different types of products out there that are marketed as sports drinks. Learning to discern between the products and which one is right for a person can be confusing. Coaches, athletic trainers or sports nutritionists often make sport drink options available to some CMU student athletes so they can decide for themselves. Cate Ellis, Mount Pleasant graduate assistant athletic trainer for CMU field hockey and softball, said it is her job to educate the athletes so they can make healthy choices, but in the end they decide if they use sport drinks or not. “I don't think that it is necessary to use sports bars or beverages in order to maintain a healthy diet that fuels them for their sport and their school work and everything else they have to do,” Ellis said. “However, sometimes when they are really busy it is a nice option for them.” And many student athletes use that option. Todd Simmons, coordinator of basketball operations, said the men's basketball team get advice about sport drinks from Hildebrandt who is brought in to talk to the team in the summer to early fall. “She is really big into sport drinks ... So our guys always seem to have some sort of Gatorade with them, not a lot of pop, lots of Gatorade,” Simmons said. The men's basketball team has a sponsorship deal with Gatorade through Pepsi, Simmons said. Simmons said Gatorade is made available before and immediately after practice. He said they have a Gatorade fountain in the locker room that the athletic trainers keep stocked. Sport drinks affect the outcome of the athlete's training and competition, Olson said. However, it is not a number one priority when trying to turn around a program. “Sports beverages are important, but I feel it is a desire, not a need at this point. In turning around a program, we will focus on the tangible things we can control, not desires,” Olson said. Holly Klamer, Martin senior and dietetic major, provides supervised nutrition education for CMU students and is a possible resource when deciding what, if any, sport drink is best for a person. By stopping at the SAC program desk, or calling (989) 774-3200, Holly said students can make an appointment and she can answer any questions about sport drinks.


Student safety

(04/22/05 4:00am)

As drivers are aware, construction causes inconvenience. Just as the sight of orange-striped cones on the freeway induces in hurried drivers fits of rage, the fencing along the pedestrian walkway leading from Ojibway Court to Broomfield Road induces student aggravation. But construction is a necessary part of maintaining road systems and improving and developing the CMU campus. Rockford Construction Company, contracted to build the Woldt Towers, has done what it can to assure safety by building a fence and maintaining a strip of pavement running south along the east side of the South Quad. It isn’t an ideal situation. The pathway is significantly thinner than the road-sized walkway students are accustom to. But in order to get the project started — and completed by the fall of 2006 — the walkway had to be demolished so crews could relocate the sanitary sewer, a preliminary construction step. Now the project has begun, there is little the company can do to assure pedestrians stay safe but maintain the fencing surrounding the site. University and construction officials could have considered delaying the project start until the end of the spring semester, but a delayed start could delay the halls’ opening. Judging from the timeliness of recent CMU projects — the field hockey team had to play two scheduled home games away because its field wasn’t ready until more than a month after its projected completion date, contractors need all the head start they can get. Until the pathway can be reopened, students and drivers will have to be careful while driving or walking on or around Ojibway Court. If students feel uncomfortable venturing near the site, there are other campus sidewalks. Take a detour.


Athletics finishes evaluation

(04/18/05 4:00am)

Jonas Cook has been through the year-long, painstakingly tedious process of evaluating CMU’s athletics department before. Cook, the associate vice president of Financial Services and Reporting, chaired a steering committee that looked at three main aspects within the department. In 1995-96, CMU’s Division I-A status was evaluated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Cook chaired a similar steering committee. He said during the past year the committee looked at equity and welfare, governance and commitment to rules compliance and academic integrity. The Athletics Department’s findings during its year-long study was due to the NCAA Friday. “We made a series of recommendations and proposals that will be reviewed by the NCAA,” said Derek van der Merwe, associate athletic director in charge of compliance. “As we get closer to the time, the NCAA comes in to take a look at it.” The NCAA will be on CMU’s campus Sept. 11-13 to see how much progress CMU has made since filing the report and make recommendations for any further improvements. “I would be surprised if it would be anything that suggested that we should have our Division I-A status revoked,” Cook said. “We run a very good program here. With the staff we have in athletics, it’s just a well-run operation.” The NCAA mandates that every member institution be evaluated every 10 years. Field hockey coach Cristy Freese participated in the study and said it helped to shed light on other aspects of the CMU’s athletics program. “There are a lot of things that I only know for my sport,” she said. “As we have gone through some budget cuts during the last four years, it is always nice to realize how other people have had to sacrifice.” In 1996, CMU told the NCAA it would add two women’s sports. It added soccer and was very close to adding women’s swimming and diving. However, Cook said neither of the two pools on campus were deep enough for diving and racing. Cook said adding the sport was not economically feasible because of the amount and cost of work that would have to be done to the facilities. CMU spent a combined $1,288,000 when it installed FieldTurf in Kelly/Shorts Stadium and built the CMU Field Hockey Complex last summer. Cook said there were people who did not like all the money being thrown to athletics in tight financial times. “I think you are always going to have folks that challenge the input of financial resources into an athletic program whether on this campus or any other whether there is a good budget environment or a bad budget environment,” Cook said. “There will always be difference of opinion relative to the fund of athletics.”


NCAA asks for nickname justification

(04/13/05 4:00am)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is forcing 31 schools to explain the necessity of the use of American Indian tribes as mascots or nicknames. This is the second time in less than five years that CMU’s Chippewas nickname will be under scrutiny. The report is due May 1. “There are American Indians that are offended by their use,” said Ronald Stratten, NCAA vice president for Education Services. “We are a country of immigrants, yet there are certain cultures that don’t get the same respect. That’s not what the NCAA is about.” Derek van der Merwe, associate athletics director in charge of compliance, said it is a way to check up on CMU. “The NCAA wants to know the context of how we use the nickname,” he said. “Our assessment is it is strictly name only and we are using it out of respect and dignity.” The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe signed a resolution in 1988 that allowed CMU to continue its use of the nickname, and the university discontinued the use of any mascots or American Indian depictions at the start of the 1989 athletic season. Field hockey coach Cristy Freese’s team was unable to play a game at Iowa University last season because Iowa’s administration said it would not play non-conference teams that had American Indian nicknames. The Chippewas drove all the way to Iowa City to play Stanford instead. “Iowa wouldn’t play us because of our nickname and that bothered me a lot because they have no idea,” Freese said. “Everything we do here is appropriate.” The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is being sued by the Illinois Native American Bar Association because of its use of Chief Illiniwek and the Fighting Illini nickname. The Fighting Illini mascot comes out and does a four to five minute rendition of an “Indian celebrating dance,” said Thomas Hardy, executive director for university relations at U of I. “We have had considerable dialogue and debate over the chief in the last 15 years,” Hardy said. “Our Board of Trustees is currently engaged in process to find a conclusion.” Hardy said there is no longer any members of the Illini tribe in the state. Illinois did not officially recognize the mascot’s use until 1995.



South African midfielder highlights recruiting class

(03/30/05 5:00am)

The CMU field hockey team signed five student-athletes for the 2005 season Tuesday. Forward Moyra Betuzzi (Kelowna, British Columbia), defender Allison Kist (St. Louis, Mo.), forward Kelly Jordan (Burt, Ny.), forward Amanda Lucik (Zionsville, Pa.) and midfielder Samantha Sandham (Cape Town, South Africa) signed with CMU. “This is a talented class from top to bottom,” said coach Cristy Freese. “We’re excited to bring in new recruits.” CMU is excited about Sandham. “She’s an amazing player. This is the type of player we needed to compete with the University of Michigan, and teams with the caliber of Michigan State,” said assistant coach Earl Marais. Sandham played on the South Africa Under-18 National secondary team and was a reserve for the primary team. “We graduated five players, so we we’re really happy to fill our needs with this recruiting class,” Freese said. Central graduates defensemen Michelle Fogle and Amy Kauffman, utility players Stasia Burroughs and Kristi Seufert, and forward Kristy Reed. CMU finished third in the Mid-American Conference last season, losing in the first round of the conference tournament. “Honestly, it was somewhat disappointing to finish the way we did,” Freese said. “Hopefully with the new student-athletes we’ve recruited, we can turn that around.” Moyra Betuzzi won a provincial bronze medal as a forward at Mount Boucherie Secondary School in British Columbia. Kist earned first-team all-conference, and all-metro honors, and was selected to play in the St. Louis senior game. Jordan was selected as an all-state member, and was a first-team All-Western New York member in 2002 and 2003. Lucik was a first-team academic all-state member in Pennsylvania for Emmaus High School. “We wanted to bring in recruits with experience,” Marais said.


Seven players awarded national academic honors

(03/23/05 5:00am)

Despite an 8-11 record and not having a home field for part of the season, the field hockey team’s hard work paid off. The field hockey team and seven of its student-athletes were awarded the National Academic Team Award for its success in the classroom. The team award is given by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association to each team that achieves an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0. Seven players have been named to the National Academic Team for achieving a minimum GPA of 3.30 through the fall semester. The players earning the honor are Stasia Burroughs (Kent, OH/Sr.), Kim Ferris (St. Louis/ Jr.), Michelle Fogle (Columbus, OH/Sr.), Alisa Folk (Richmond, B.C, Canada./Jr.), Laura Glaza (East Rochester, NY/Jr.), Kristi Seufert (Vista, CA/Sr.), and Erica Takach (Duncannon, PA/Jr.). “This says a lot about our team and how focused we are,” Ferris said. The team had only four home games this year because of the construction of the new field. The team was forced to play its first two home games at Michigan State and spent most of the season on the road. “I’m proud of all the hard work we put in this season,” Takach said. “We missed a lot of school during the season being on the road and had to take a lot of make up exams.” Coach Cristy Freese has always pushed the team to academic success. “We recruit hard working players who are self motivated,” Freese said. “The girls utilized any time they could get to study whether it was on the bus or in the hotel. They deserve all the credit for this award.”


Annual Day pushes women to excel in sports

(02/14/05 5:00am)

University Recreation and the Athletics Department hosted the sixth annual Girls and Women in Sports Day Saturday at the Student Activity Center. The event was designed to celebrate females in sports and to educate and expose young girls to a variety of athletic activities. Girls ages eight to 13 and their mothers or female mentors took part in a variety of sports skill clinics taught by CMU coaches and athletes. “It gives girls and their mothers or mentors the opportunity to try different sports and emphasizes the importance of sports and fitness,” said Laurie Braden, URec’s director of programs. “It’s an opportunity for CMU to give back to the community and also for University Recreation to give back as well.” Sports clinics included soccer, volleyball and field hockey and were explored on a rotation basis. Beth Grawburg, Mount Pleasant resident, has attended with her daughters for the past six years. “We first came because it gave me opportunity to spend one-on-one time with my daughter, but we had so much fun that we just kept coming back,” she said. Grawburg’s 11-year-old daughter Lauren Grawburg also has enjoyed the sports clinic. “The best part is hanging out with and meeting college students and coaches,” Lauren Grawburg said. The clinics gave girls the opportunity to participate in a physical activity, something that is extremely important in regards to their well being, Braden said. “Research shows that if not involved in a sport or physical activity by the sixth grade, girls have a 1 in 25 chance in picking up one later on in life,” Braden said. “It’s important to expose girls to sports early on in order to be active later.” Besides the benefit of physical activity, the young girls were given the chance to interact with female athletes, who served as examples of what women in sports can achieve. “Young kids always look up to people. By seeing other female athletes they can see what someone else has achieved and work toward their own goals,” said Cortney Blanchard, a South Africa sophomore and field hockey team member who volunteered at the event. Blanchard said it is important to devote special focus on women athletes. “Women are often overlooked, and our society is male dominated. So it’s important to start the girls young, educate them about different sports and show them that they can achieve anything they want,” Blanchard said. Earl Marais, assistant coach of CMU’s field hockey team, lent his expertise on the sport during one of the clinics. “Not many people know a lot about field hockey. It is actually the second largest sport played globally behind soccer,” he said. “We are enthusiastic to demonstrate what the sport is all about.”


SMS likely candidate to fill MAC field hockey vacancy

(12/06/04 5:00am)

The Mid-American Conference must add a sixth team to guarantee a Field Hockey NCAA Tournament bid. Field hockey affiliate Louisville is departing the MAC to join the Big East next season, leaving the MAC with only five teams. The MAC hands its automatic bid to the winner of the season-ending MAC Tournament. Southwest Missouri State, located in Springfield, Mo., is a potential candidate to replace Louisville as an affiliate member of the MAC for field hockey. “We are excited about possibly joining the MAC,” said SMS coach Dawn Porter. Porter said she hopes it will become official in the next couple of weeks. “We have been looking for another team for the past six to nine months,” said CMU field hockey coach Cristy Freese. “We are waiting for approval from all of the MAC athletic directors.” Freese said she thinks the official decision should be made next month. “We have played a lot of teams from the MAC in our non-conference schedule,” Porter said. “We played Ball State, Miami and Ohio last season.” The Bears beat Ball State and Ohio last season and lost to Miami University. Central beat Southwest Missouri State 1-0 in its last meeting in 2002. SMS is a member of the NorPac Field Hockey Conference. The NorPac has teams from around the country, including California, Pacific and Stanford. Southwest Missouri State had a 3-3 conference record and 11-9 record overall last season. Pacific won the conference tournament last season, but California is traditionally the conference powerhouse, winning three consecutive conference titles before 2004. California finished the 2004 season ranked No. 17. “The competition between the conferences should be the same,” Porter said. Despite being further south than the other MAC teams, SMS will travel less than years past. SMS has had to make one trip a season to California since 2002. “Obviously, we had to fly out to California,” Porter said. “But, now we can bus to Ohio and up to CMU.” Louisville is heading to a competitive Big East. Conference champion Connecticut finished the season ranked No. 6 by the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Poll, and Boston College finished No. 13. Officials from the Mid-American Conference would not return phone calls to Central Michigan Life.


Thank you, CMU student groups

(11/29/04 5:00am)

Speaking for the Isabella County Commission on Aging and the older adults served, I would like to extend our warmest thanks to several CMU student groups. The CMU “Greek End Project,” the Field Hockey team, Homecoming Service Project, several honors groups, the Student Dietetic Association, Student Social Work Association, His House Christian Fellowship, the Red Cross and the American College of Health Care Executives raked leaves, cleaned yards and washed windows for many older adults in Isabella County. The enthusiasm and commitment to service shown by the students made this project a huge success. Ginny CainGold Key coordinator


Deromedi wants to propose athletics fee again at Dec. 6 trustees meeting

(11/17/04 5:00am)

Athletics Director Herb Deromedi wants to again propose a one-time athletics fee to the CMU Board of Trustees Dec. 6. “We have not received word back from the board yet,” Deromedi said. “We would like to propose it again and see if we can get it passed.” Deromedi said no word has come back yet whether it will appear on the agenda. The fee would charge incoming freshmen $300 and transfer students $200 to help fund the Athletics Department. Academic Senate members and some trustees expressed dislike for the proposal last year when Deromedi introduced it to the A-Senate in October. The board never voted on the proposal last year. The fee would help plump the athletic department’s slim budget, further trimmed recently with the installation of FieldTurf in Kelly/Shorts Stadium and the building of a field hockey complex. A new women’s sport could also be funded by the fee. Ten of the 13 Mid-American Conference schools have a similar student fee in place. The amount proposed is below the conference average, Deromedi said. If approved, the fee would be instituted for the 2005-06 school year. “This would not affect any freshmen or transfer students this year or next semester,” he said. The Student Government Association is forming a committee to look into the athletics fee and why it is being proposed again. “(SGA) fully supports the athletics fee and feels it will be a benefit for students and the university,” said SGA President Melody Hull, White Cloud senior.


Time’s up, must fire Herb Deromedi

(11/17/04 5:00am)

It’s far overdue, but it’s time for President Michael Rao to fire Herb Deromedi. His record speaks for itself. It started when he spearheaded the 1997, $30 million bonds for renovations to a football stadium that on most Saturdays sits empty. People can talk about the sports fee, the state of the art baseball stadium that floods, the displacement of the field hockey team, and other things, but Herb, along with other administrators, gambled on football as a way to enhance CMU’s national reputation. Unfortunately, their big bet has not paid off. The marketing plan was simple: Build the stadium and we’ll win football games. Obviously, that has not happened, and the lone man left in the decision is Herb. If the school takes $30 million from education and spends it on sports to get a decade worth of losing football, a budget bleeding department and non-existent student participation, someone should be held accountable. Herb has been in charge from day one, seemingly answers to nobody and has received all the gifts he has requested. He has no excuses. Which leads us to today, on the verge of losing Division I-A status. How can this make anyone proud of our program? Where is our dignity? CMU has no business competing at the Division I-A level and when we start winning games at the lower level people will not even remember. Herb’s chance has come and gone. He was a great football coach, but his legacy is now tarnished given his record as AD. My charity-giving checks read the University of Chicago, an academic institution where I know my money won’t be helping a bleeding athletic department. Fire Herb. Dave BoroughChicago residentClass of 1997




Chippewas begin MAC Tourney

(11/03/04 5:00am)

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.”


Field hockey clinches No. 3 seed in tourney

(11/01/04 5:00am)

The field hockey team secured the No. 3 seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament despite falling 2-1 to Kent State Saturday. The Chippewas will face Miami University in the first round Thursday at Ball State. Miami finished with a conference record of 1-9. Central finished the regular season 5-5 in the MAC and 8-10 overall. Kent State shared the MAC regular season title with Louisville. “In the tournament anyone is dangerous and Miami, despite its record, has been playing very well defensively,” coach Cristy Freese said. “Miami is in an enviable situation because it can play with nothing expected of them.” CMU had numerous chances to score as it outshot KSU 16-8 and had a 11-3 penalty corner advantage. The Golden Flashes took the lead early in the first half on a goal from Kate McGowan. Senior Kristy Reed tied the game at one early in the second half. “She has been doing good things other than scoring all season,” Freese said of Reed. “Now she is really starting to play well in all areas, especially on corner shots.” Elizabeth Lahey scored the match-winner in the 55th minute. CMU sophomore goalkeeper Danielle Frank made five saves in the game, while her counterpart Linz Markwart made 10. Reed said despite the loss the team is starting to play its best field hockey of the season. “Even though it is the end of the season, we are starting to gel,” Reed said. Central held off a late comeback from Ohio to win 2-1 Friday. “We had more opportunities than the ones we converted on,” Freese said. CMU outshot Ohio 15-6 and had a penalty corner advantage, 9-4. Reed scored to take a 1-0 lead in the middle of the first half on an assist from junior Erica Takach. Kristen Hann scored a goal with five minutes remaining to pull within one, but the Bobcats could not put another goal past Frank. Takach again assisted on the match-winning goal by sophomore Erin Dottery. Takach ends the regular season scoring 10 goals and three assists. Central scored both its goals on the penalty corner, where Freese said Central gains an advantage against the opponent. “When the goalkeeper goes down to make the save we get a lot of rebound opportunities,” Freese said. “That is an area where we can gain an advantage.” Reed said the home crowd was important in the win because it got the team fired up. “It helps playing at home because when we hear the crowd cheer we get a rush of adrenaline,” she said.



Students remember the good ol’ days

(10/29/04 4:00am)

A framed picture in the football office shows the scene. Central Michigan, at 1-8, faced off with 8-1 Western Michigan at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The underdog Chippewas prevailed 21-17 that Saturday afternoon in 2000, but have not beaten the Broncos since. Most of this year's Chippewas, including coach Brian Kelly, were not around for CMU’s last victory in this rivalry. Most of CMU's current student body also were in high school. But some were here, including Portland senior Troy Miller. “It's painful to admit that I’ve seen every Central-Western game since 2000. We won my freshman year when Western was on the brink of breaking into the top 25,” he said. “But since then we've been beat three times in a row — something that’s not been done in 25 years I believe. It would be nice to graduate by putting this streak to rest this year.” The win continued Chippewa dominance against WMU in Mount Pleasant. Until 2002, the Broncos had not won a game at CMU since 1973. Most students, especially freshmen at the time, were apathetic toward CMU football and planned to use the weekend as a good excuse to drink. “I had a hockey bag full of beer,” said Canton senior Dan Mclean. “It was a good time.” CMU scored first, snapping some students back into soberness. But even a lead against its bitter rival couldn’t keep everyone interested. “I left at halftime because it was freezing, and went back to my friend's dorm room,” said Monroe senior Seth Longton. “But then people started getting in trouble for drinking, so we went back.” Longton and every other CMU fan was rewarded with a victory, which was sealed as WMU was unable to score after driving to the CMU 21-yard line. The Chippewas took over with 1:14 remaining and ran out the clock. CMU students rushed the field in a frenzy after the game, most not believing what they had just seen. Bay City senior George Whittaker expects that if CMU wins tomorrow's game, even though WMU is just 1-6, students will grace CMU's new FieldTurf. “My best memory will be when we take down the goalposts,” he said. “Because we don't know when we'll beat Western again.” Whatever happens, Mclean said he'll have fun. “I'll have a hockey bag full of beer,” he said. “And it will be a good time.”



Finally home; venue debuts today

(10/22/04 4:00am)

The field hockey team will make its first public appearance in its new $650,000 complex this weekend. The Chippewas host Indiana at 3 p.m. today and Ball State at 1 p.m. Saturday. The team played its first two scheduled home games at Michigan State University because of delayed construction on the new field west of the outdoor track and south of the softball complex. The turf company contracted to build the field initially said the field would be done Sept. 13. “We have to get a home game routine down,” said coach Cristy Freese. “It is going to be different not getting on a bus and traveling five or six hours to play.” Playing at home comes as a relief to the team after playing away for seven consecutive weeks. “We can go to class Friday before the game,” said senior Kristy Reed. “We don’t have to get on the bus and travel and it is just nice knowing the field is ours, we aren’t sharing it.” Field hockey’s first home games Indiana, 3 p.m. today Ball State, 1 p.m. Saturday Senior Amy Kauffman is used to waking up in a hotel the morning before a game. She said today will be different. “I can sleep in my own bed the night before,” Kauffman said. “We will eat breakfast as a team as always and then have our usual pre-game workout.” The team has practiced on the new field five times and has a good feel of the surface. “We are already used to it,” Reed said. “We have played on so many different fields it doesn’t even phase us.” Central is 6-7 overall and 3-4 in the Mid-American Conference. The MAC Tournament, which was originally scheduled to take place at CMU, will take place at Ball State in early November and Central is trying to end its season strong to get the best possible seed. “Four losses in the conference is not going to win any championships,” Freese said. “We need to win our last three conference games and give ourselves the best possible chance to get the third seed.” Central will use the non-conference game against Indiana to find consistency in its lineup and to get the best possible combinations of players. The Hoosiers are 8-6 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten. “We need to get on a roll down the stretch,” Freese said. “We need to be more consistent and find who the most consistent players are going to be.” The Cardinals won the teams’ first meeting of the season 4-1.