Soccer Hosts Bowling Green, Toledo
10/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
KENT, Ohio The Kent State University soccer team, owners of a five-game unbeaten streak, open a four-game homestand this weekend, playing Bowling Green, Friday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m., then Toledo, Sunday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m. The four-game stretch at home for Kent State will close out the MAC regular season schedule. Next weekend, the Golden Flashes host Ohio and Marshall. Kent State is currently tied with three other teams for fourth place in the conference standings.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST THE COMPETITION: Bowling Green leads the all-time series with Kent State 4-2-2. The teams played to a scoreless draw last season. KSU is 1-3 against the Falcons in Kent. Kent State leads the series with Toledo, 6-2. The Golden Flashes have won six straight contests after losing the first two. The current winning streak against the Rockets began with a MAC Tournament win against UT in Kent, Nov. 3, 1998.
KENT STATE ON FIVE-GAME UNBEATEN STREAK: The Golden Flashes are on a five-game unbeaten streak, in which Kent State has gone 3-0-2. In that stretch, Kent State has scored 12 goals, including scoring three goals or more three times. Through 14 games this season, the Golden Flashes are 7-0-1 when scoring two goals or more in a contest.
DIMITROFF TIES SINGLE-SEASON SCORING RECORD WITH FIVE TO PLAY: Freshman forward Kimberly Dimitroff (Oakville, Ontario/Iroquois Ridge) has tied the Kent State single-season scoring mark with her 10th goal of the season, coming at Northern Illinois. Dimitroff, who still has five games remaining on the season schedule, tied the mark previously set by Kelly Haggard in 1998 and equaled by Lauren Caminati in 2000.
KENT STATE RALLIES FOR WINS OF LATE: In each of the last four games, Kent State has rallied after falling behind or losing a lead to earn three victories and a tie. Against IPFW, KSU led 1-0 only to fall behind 2-1, but two goals in the final 15 minutes got KSU the victory. Against Buffalo, the Flashes lost a 2-0 halftime lead, but scored twice in the final 10 minutes for a 4-2 win. After getting out front 1-0 against Northern Illinois, Kent State allowed two straight to fall behind 2-1. But a goal early in the second half propelled Kent State to a 2-2 draw. And against Western Michigan, KSU carried a 2-0 lead to the half, only to have it evaporate in the second frame. But an overtime goal would lift KSU to a 3-2 win.
DIMITROFF BESTS BUFFALO WITH HAT TRICK: Freshman forward Kimberly Dimitroff (Oakville, Ontario/Iroquois Ridge) tied the Kent State record for goals in a game with a hat trick in a 4-2 win against Buffalo Oct. 3. Dimitroff scored the games opening goal, then netted two goals in the final 10 minutes to rally Kent State, which saw a 2-0 halftime lead evaporate. Dimitroff matched the record first set by Lauren Caminati, Aug. 25, 2000, when she scored three goals against Bucknell.
HEAD COACH ROB MARINARO: Now in his eighth year with the Kent State soccer program, Rob Marinaro (Clemson 92) is in his fourth season as head coach with a 31-27-7 career record. Marinaro was an assistant coach in his first four years at Kent State, and has been with the Golden Flashes since the programs inception in 1997. A 1992 graduate of Clemson University, Marinaro was a four-year letterwinner with the Tigers and played on the 1987 national championship team. He also played five seasons in the National Professional Soccer League and one year in the American Professional Soccer League.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: Bowling Green enters Fridays game with a 4-9-1 record and a 2-4-1 conference record. After a nine-game winless streak, the Falcons have won three of their last four games, including a 2-0 victory against Miami Oct. 8. Kristy Coppes leads the MAC with 11 goals. Ali Shingler has a 1.76 goals-against average, playing the majority of the minutes in goal for BGSU. The Falcons are coached by Andy Richards.
Toledo comes into the weekend with a 6-5-2 mark, 3-3-1 in MAC play. The Rockets knocked off Miami the last time out, snapping a two-game losing streak. Toledo is led by Diana Ginley, who has five goals for 10 points and Rebecca Hollins, who also has 10 points on four goals and two assists. Jen Whipple boasts a 1.13 goals-against average and three shutouts for the Rockets. Toledo is coached by Brad Evans.
SUCCESS ON THE HOME PITCH: The Golden Flashes are 4-1 at the KSU Soccer Field this season and 12-3-1 in the last two years at home. Kent State has won 18 of its last 25 matches on the friendly pitch. In 2002, the Golden Flashes posted a 6-2-1 record at the KSU Soccer Field, picking up each of their wins on the home turf. The Flashes have outscored their opposition 54-26 in the last 25 games at the KSU Soccer Field.
DIMITROFF SCORES IN FOUR STRAIGHT, SETS KSU RECORD: Freshman forward KIMBERLY DIMITROFF (Oakville, Ontario/Iroquois Ridge) set a Kent State record by scoring a goal in four straight games to start the season. She currently leads the team in scoring and with nine points (4G, 1A). Dimitroff was named the Kent State Athlete of the Week following the first weekend of the season. She tallied the game-winning goal in the win against Northern Arizona (Sept. 5).
KESSLER TALLIES FASTEST GOAL IN HISTORY: Freshman midfielder AMY KESSLER (Lexington, Ohio/Lexington) scored the fastest goal to start a game in KSU history when she tallied 1:21 into the 2-1 against Northern Arizona (Sept. 5). It broke the previous record of 1:40 that Bethany Sanker set against Youngstown State in 1999. The goal was Kesslers second of the season.
FERNANDEZ MOVES ONTO RECORD LIST: Sophomore keeper Alicia Fernandez (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) went over 1,000 career minutes earlier this season, making her eligible for KSUs career goalkeeping leaders list. She immediately became the schools all-time leader in goals-against average (0.99), while her 14 victories and eight shutouts are second.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: As a team, the Golden Flashes are second in the MAC in points (77) and tied for first in goals (27), while ranking fifth in the conference in goals-against average (1.27). Individually, freshman forward Kimberly Dimitroff (Oakville, Ontario/Iroquois Ridge) is second in the MAC in points (24) and is second in goals (10), while junior forward Jen Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) is tied for first in assists (7) and is eighth in points (13). Sophomore keeper Alicia Fernandez (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) is eighth in goals-against average (1.28).
WHOS BACK? Kent State returns 11 letterwinners and four starters from last seasons MAC championship squad. Two All-MAC Second Team performers are back in junior forward Jen Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) and sophomore goalkeeper Alicia Fernandez (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne). Also returning is sophomore defender Britt Laing (Brampton, Ontario/Mayfield Secondary), a 2003 All-MAC Freshman Team pick, and junior midfielder Raetta Hord (Mason, Ohio/William Mason). The Golden Flashes lost three of the top four scorers, but Frey and junior defender Amanda Messer (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNichoals) each placed in the top five on the team in goals, registering three apiece.
GOLDEN FLASHES WERE MAC CHAMPIONS: Kent State earned its first-ever MAC regular-season championship last season, sharing the conference title with Eastern Michigan. Both teams finished with 8-2-2 marks in MAC play. The Golden Flashes had never finished better than fourth in the conference standings prior to 2003.
BEST-EVER MAC RECORD: The Golden Flashes finished 8-2-2 in conference play, posting the best MAC record in school history last season. Kent State established a program record for MAC wins, bettering the five victories recorded in 1998, 1999 and 2001. The Flashes eight league wins in 2003 were as many as KSU posted in the 2001 and 2002 seasons combined.
DEFENSIVE STALWARTS IN 03: The Golden Flashes established a school-record and tied the single-season MAC record last season with 11 shutouts, having bested the previous KSU mark of seven set in 1998. Keepers Alicia Fernandez (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) and Shannon Lynn each have five shutouts this season. As a team, the Golden Flashes had a 0.67 goals-against average and a .831 save percentage, having allowed just 14 goals in 20 games.
12-GAME UNBEATEN STREAK: The Golden Flashes lost their second game of the 2003 season against Arizona 3-0 in the Arizona Classic Aug. 31, then went on a school-record 12-game unbeaten streak, which included a 10-game winning streak, also a school record, before having that string come to an end with a 2-1 loss at Eastern Michigan (Oct. 17). Kent States 10-game string came to an end with a 0-0 tie against Miami (Oct. 10), which was the first blemish on KSUs MAC record.
COMING UP NEXT: Kent State plays the final weekend of MAC regular season play, when it hosts Ohio, Friday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m., followed by a contest against Marshall, Sunday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. Games are at the KSU Soccer Field.
