Field hockey enters final weekend before MAC Tournament
Miami’s Emily Gruesser (right) is struck by Kent’s senior midfielder Alyssa McFerren’s stick after she passed the ball on Oct. 27, 2013 at Murphy-Mellis Field. Miami fell to Kent, 3-1. Photo by Matt Hafley.
The Kent State field hockey team, having recently clinched a share of the regular season Mid-American Conference championship, will finish the MAC portion of its schedule on Saturday, when they will travel to Athens, Ohio, and face the Ohio Bobcats (6-9, 2-2 MAC). at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Flashes (8-8, 4-0 MAC) will also face the Louisville Cardinals at noon Sunday.
In what will be only the third match played at Pruitt Field on the Campus of Ohio University, Ohio’s home field, the Flashes will be looking to finish undefeated in the MAC. The last three matches between the Flashes and the Bobcats all went into overtime, with the Flashes winning two of them.
“We’re coming into the end of a good practice week in preparation for OU,” head coach Kathleen Wiler said. “We look forward to finishing the regular season strong. Every year we’re in pursuit of a championship and the pursuit still hasn’t ended.”
Previewing the Bobcats:
Luli Gomez Teruel, who has scored 24 points this season, and Jessica Jue, who has 12 points, lead the offense for the Bobcats. Gomez Teruel and Jue are the only two players for the Bobcats that have double digit points, while the Flashes have seven players in the double-digit category.
The Bobcats have managed to score just three goals in their last three matches. Offensively, Kent State will be looking to continue the offensive production it has built in the previous four conference games.
Brittany Walker has been the main goaltender for the Bobcats this year, recording a 1.17 goals-against average in conference play. Flashes goaltender Andrea Rinehart has been playing very well as of late and has an impressive 1.75 goals-against average.
Previewing the Cardinals:
The No. 14-ranked Cardinals will likely pose a challenge to the Flashes. Louisville, who is 13-4, including a perfect 8-0 record at home, sits at first place in the Big East standings. Offensively, the Flashes and Cardinals each have scored 54 goals as a team so far this season.
Junior forward Julia Hofmann has 26 points, which leads Kent State. The Cardinals have three players who have scored at least 21 points this season.
The Flashes will be facing goaltender Sydney King, who has 13 wins and three shutouts to her credit.
Contact Chris Ginley at [email protected].