Flashes Host No. 13 Buckeyes in Home Opener
9/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
The Kent State field hockey team hosts No. 13 Ohio State Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 4) at Murphy Mellis Field.
This past weekend at the Temple Invitational, the Golden Flashes won back-to-back games for the first time since the 2005 season. Freshman Rachel Miller tallied a goal and two assists on the two-day trip and senior Charlotte Muller had a goal and an assist. Senior goalkeeper Kara Copeland allowed just one goal on the weekend and carries a 1.73 goals against average for the season.
Junior forward Natalie Barrett scored her team-leading third goal of the season in Sunday's 3-1 victory over Penn. Barrett has racked up six goals in her last six games played dating back to the 2006 MAC Tournament.
The Buckeyes finished 15-4 with a Big Ten regular season title in 2006 and were ranked fifth in the final NFHCA National Coaches Poll.
Ohio State returns a pair of All-America selections from last season- senior forward Yesenia Luces (13goals, 11assists) and junior midfielder Linda Haussner (11goals, 11assists). Luces and Haussner each have four goals on the current season.
Both teams bring a 2-2 record into Tuesday's game and played a pair of common opponents at the Buckeye Invitational during the season's opening weekend. Ohio State fell to Delaware 4-0 before bouncing back to defeat Bucknell 6-1. KSU dropped 3-2 decisions to both Bucknell and Delaware.
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series with the Flashes 15-5. KSU last defeated its in-state rival in 2002, a 3-1 victory at Dix Stadium. Ohio State has won each of the last three meetings from 2003-05.
The Golden Flashes will be back in action Sept. 14 & 15 for a pair of games on the campus of Northwestern. KSU will take on the host Wildcats before facing American on day two of its trip to Chicago.
