Soccer Plays at Miami, Ball State This Weekend
9/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
KENT, Ohio The Kent State University soccer team hits the road for a pair of Mid-American Conference games this weekend. The Golden Flashes will play a pair of crucial conference matchups as they look to maintain their hold on third place in the MAC standings. Kent State plays at Miami, Friday, Sept. 24, at 5 p.m., before taking on Ball State, Sunday, Sept. 26, at 2 p.m. CT. The Golden Flashes are currently 5-1-2 (2-1 MAC) on the year, while Miami boasts a 3-3-1 (1-0-1 MAC) record and Ball State is 4-1-3 (0-1-3 MAC).
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST THE COMPETITION: All-time, Kent State is 2-4-1 in seven games against Miami, while the Flashes hold a 3-2 edge in five contests against Ball State. A year ago, Miami and Kent State played to a scoreless draw, while KSU defeated Ball State 2-0.
DIMITROFF-FREY CONNECT FOR A PAIR IN WIN: Freshman forward Kimberly Dimitroff (Oakville, Ontario/Iroquois Ridge) and junior forward Jen Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) were a dynamic tandem in last Sundays win against Eastern Michigan, as Frey assisted on each of Dimitroffs goals in the victory. Frey has four assists on the year, two coming on goals by Frey, the other two coming on goals by freshman midfielder Amy Kessler (Lexington, Ohio/Lexington). Dimitroff leads the team with six goals.
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 29-27-7 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.
LAST WEEKENDS RECAP: Kent State started the weekend with a 4-0 loss to Central Michigan, the worst loss for the Golden Flashes since a similar 4-0 defeat Oct. 5, 2001 against Ohio. The Chippewas scored 42 seconds into the contest and never looked back, handing Kent State its first loss of the season. The Golden Flashes rebounded, however, with a thrilling, come-from-behind 2-1 overtime victory against Eastern Michigan. Trailing 1-0 midway through the second half, freshman forward Kimberly Dimitroff (Oakville, Ontario/Iroquois Ridge) scored to tie the game, then added the game-winning goal eight minutes into overtime to improve Kent State to 2-1 in the conference.
DIMITROFF SCORES IN FOUR STRAIGHT: 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) recently went over 1,000 career minutes, making her eligible for KSUs career leaders list. She immediately became the schools all-time leader in goals-against average (0.54) and saves percentage (83.9), while her nine victories are third all-time and seven shutouts tie for second.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: Miami is 3-3-1 (1-0-1 MAC) on the year. The RedHawks are coming off a tie with Northern Illinois and a win against defending MAC Tournament champion Western Michigan last weekend. Miami is coached by Bobby Kramig.
Ball State currently stands 4-1-3 (0-1-3 MAC) in the early going. Last weekend, the Cardinals lost a 1-0 decision to Western Michigan, then earned a 1-1 draw with Northern Illinois. Ball State is coached by Ron Rainey.
SUCCESS ON THE HOME PITCH: The Golden Flashes are 2-1 at the KSU Soccer Field this season and 10-3-1 in the last two years at home. Kent State has won 16 of its last 23 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 47-22 in the last 23 games at the KSU Soccer Field.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: As a team, the Golden Flashes are third in the MAC in points (37) and second in goals (14), while ranking third in the conference in goals-against average (0.95). Individually, freshman forward Kimberly Dimitroff (Oakville, Ontario/Iroquois Ridge) is third in the MAC in points (13) and goals (6), while junior forward Jen Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) leads the conference in assists (4). Sophomore keeper Alicia Fernandez (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) is sixth in goals-against average (0.97).
FROM 10 TO ONE: After losing 10 seniors to graduation last year, just one senior, Nikki Lichtenfeld (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley), dots the roster in 2004. "Since I have been at Kent State, we have never had such a turnover in terms of personnel from one season to the next," head coach Rob Marinaro said prior to the season. Marinaro welcomes 11 newcomers to the roster in 2004, including nine freshmen.
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 returns to the KSU Soccer Field to take on IPFW Friday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. and Buffalo, Sunday, Oct. 3, at 1 p.m.
