Long Time, No See -- First Home Games for Field Hockey in More Than a Month
10/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Head Coach: Kerry de Vries (Iowa 92) seventh year
Upcoming Games
Kent State (5-7, 3-0 MAC) vs. Miami (1-8, 0-3 MAC)
October 10 3 p.m. Dix Stadium, Kent, Ohio
Kent State (5-7, 3-0 MAC) vs. #20 Louisville (6-4-1, 2-1 MAC)
October 11 1 p.m. Dix Stadium, Kent, Ohio
Perched atop the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Kent State University field hockey team (5-7, 3-0 MAC) returns to Dix Stadium for its first home games in more than a month this Friday and Saturday. Fridays contest with Miami University (1-8, 0-3 MAC) is at 3 p.m. while Saturdays match with No. 20 University of Louisville (6-4, 2-1 MAC) is at 1 p.m.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS: Miami comes to KSU off a thrilling 2-1 overtime defeat to Louisville Oct. 3. The team has fallen on hard luck recently, dropping their last six contests. Freshman goalkeeper Kerri Mathews has made an eye-popping 120 saves already this season, placing her sixth in the NCAA and tops the MAC. She made 13 stops in the loss to Louisville. Senior Angie Snedden leads the teams scoring punch with 14 points on seven goals. Her goal and point totals are third and fifth in the MAC, respectively.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Louisville, the lone ranked conference squad, has had the most successful non-conference campaign of any MAC school with wins over No. 19 College of William & Mary, the University of Massachusetts, Southwest Missouri State University and Ohio State University. Senior Olivia Netzler leads the team with 17 points on eight goals and an assist. Her goal total ties for first place in the MAC. As of Oct. 6, the Cardinal defense was tied for second in the nation in scoring defense at 1.5 goals per game. Louisville travels to Ohio University on Friday before coming to Kent State.
SERIES VS. OPPONENTS: The Flashes hold a slight 28-21-2 edge over Miami, with with KSU taking the most recent matchup 5-0 in the first round of last years MAC Championships. Kent State is a dominant 22-4 all-time with Louisville, but the Cardinals took a 2-0 win over the Flashes last season.
LAST WEEK WITH CMU, BSU AND INDIANA: Going 2-1 over the course of last weeks games, Kent State returned to first place in the MAC at 3-0. It took an award-winning performance from freshman Berber Rischen (Rotterdam, The Netherlands).
In Thursdays 3-2 victory over Central Michigan University, Rischen had two goals and an assist, and Becky Rahaim (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) added her second goal of the season for the victory.
In Fridays showdown of the only undefeated teams left in the MAC, Rischen notched three assists, including a penalty-corner stop on freshman Liz Fettrows (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) game winner. It was the first goal in Fettrows college career.
Sundays 1-0 loss to No. 20 Indiana University marked the Flashes fourth loss in as many tries against ranked opponents this season. Hoosier goalkeeper Molly Pulkrabek earned her third shutout of the season.
RISCHEN EARNS MAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kent State Universtys
Berber Rischen earned the Mid-American Conference Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 5, the conference office announced Oct. 6. The freshman midfielder had a hand in each of the six team goals scored over the course of the four-game week, scoring two and assisting on four.
She had both of her goals, including the game winner, in a conference victory over Central Michigan University Oct. 2. With 6:56 left in the game, Rischen scored on a pass from senior Becky Rahaim to give the Golden Flashes the 3-2 victory.
LONG TIME, NO SEE: Kent State field hockey just finished up an eight-game road stretch, lasting 33 days. During the time away from home, the Flashes went 3-5, with all three victories coming in conference competitions. KSU was 0-4 against ranked opponents during that stretch. The Golden Flashes thankfully get the chance for some home cooking for the next five games. Overall, the squad is 2-1 at home and 3-6 on the road this season.
CAGEMINDER CREEDEN CREEPING UP IN RECORD BOOKS: Senior Jessica Creeden (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) has five wins this season, giving her a total of 25 in her career at Kent State. Shes currently two behind fifth-place Val Beeman in the school record books. Creeden made a career-high 27 saves in the 4-0 loss to No. 1 Wake Forest on Sept. 14.
COACH DEVRIES HITS THE CENTURY MARK: With the 4-0 victory over Ohio Sept. 26, head coach Kerry de Vries reached the 100 career-win plateau.
Currently, de Vries, the winningest coach in school history, is 102-45-0 for a .694 winning percentage, the best mark of any field hockey coach in school history.
UP NEXT: The Golden Flashes continue their homestand with one game next week against Ohio University (3-6, 1-2 MAC) Friday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m.
