Kent State University
Ohio
Flashes Conclude Regular Season at Ohio
10/24/2018 10:27:00 AM | Women's Soccer
The Kent State (9-7-2, 5-4-1) soccer team will close out Mid-American Conference play at Ohio (8-6-3, 6-2-2) on Thursday, Oct. 25th at 3 p.m. The Golden Flashes are currently the No. 5 five seed in the MAC Tournament, but have the possibility of being anywhere from fourth to eighth.
Last Time Out
Kent State dropped the first match of the weekend to Western Michigan, 4-3, on Thursday evening. The Golden Flashes struck first, scoring four minutes into the match. Sophomore Cameron Shedenhelm bumped in a header from four yards out. In the final 25 minutes of the first half, the Western Michigan offense exploded with four goals. The Golden Flashes showed fight in the second half and scored two times on a goal from sophomore Isabelle Mihail and an own goal. Kent State led in shots, 15-12.
The Golden Flashes took control in Sunday's match out of the gate and rolled, 6-0, over Northern Illinois in the second highest scoring game in program history. Kats recorded her best performance in a Kent State jersey, scoring six points. which is tied for second in school history. She scored two goals with two assists and garnered MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career. Shedenhelm and senior Paige Culver both scored their third and second goals on the season respectively. Senior Dominique DiNardo scored in the 78th minute, and nearly for a second time in the 87th minute, but went off an NIU defender for an own goal. Kent State's defense was also in control on Sunday, only allowing four shots, and recorded its fifth shutout of the season.
#FlashFacts
Kent State is in fifth-place in the MAC standings with a 5-4-1 record and 16 points.
Kent State's 35 goals this season is tied for first in the MAC and is fifth most in school history. The 96 points is also fifth in school history.
The Golden Flashes have won five MAC weekly awards this season. Sophomore midfielder Vital Kats, senior forward Dominque DiNardo, sophomore forward Isabelle Mihail and freshman forward Khyla Porter have all earned offensive player of the week recognition and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Faith O'Neill earned defensive honors.
Freshman Khyla Porter, junior Yasmine Hall, and sophomores Maddie Holmes, Vital Kats, and Isabelle Mihail have each scored two goals in a match this season. It's the first time in program history that five different players in a single-season have recorded multi-goal games.
Kats has recorded nine assists this season, which is tied for 11th nationally and is 22nd with 0.5 assists per game. She is tied for fifth in program history with Nicole Downey (1999). She is in a four-way tied for eighth in the school record book with 23 points along with Stephanie Haugh (2012), Lauren Caminati (2003) and Kelly Haggard (1998).
Senior goalkeeper Ashleah McDonald now stands atop the program record book with 36 career victories and passed Stephanie Senn (2013-15) against Syracuse on September 13th.
Kent State is 2-0-2 in overtime matches and 7-1 when scoring multiple goals in a match this season.
Goalkeeper Faith O'Neill registered an assist on DiNardo's game-winning goal at Akron in double-overtime. She's the first Kent State net minder with an assist since Stephanie Senn on October 5, 2014 against Western Michigan.
Three of sophomore Vital Kats' seven goals this season have come on penalty kicks which is tied for second most in school history and 26th in the NCAA this season.
MAC Standings
Team (Overall) W-L Points
1. Bowling Green (11-4-2) 9-1-0 27
2. Ball State (11-3-2) 7-2-1 22
3. Ohio (8-6-3) 6-2-2 20
4. Western Michigan (12-6-0) 6-4-0 18
5. Kent State (9-7-2) 5-4-1 16
5. Buffalo (11-6-0) 5-5-0 15
7. Central Michigan (7-11-0) 5-5-0 15
7. Toledo (8-8-2) 4-5-1 13
9. Akron (7-9-2) 4-5-1 13
10. Eastern Michigan (9-10-0) 4-6-0 12
11. Miami (3-13-1) 1-9-0 3
11. Northern Illinois (2-16-0) 1-9-0 3
The top eight seeds in the league qualify for the MAC Tournament, which begins on Sunday Oct. 28th with the four-highest seeds hosting quarterfinal games. The highest remaining seed after the quarterfinal round hosts the semifinals and championship game on Friday, Nov. 2nd and Sunday, Nov. 4th.
Scouting Ohio
The Bobcats have won four of their last five matches with three shutouts. Ohio is led offensively by junior Alivia Milesky's 14 points. The Bobcats have seven shutouts and have used two different goalies in net. Ohio was selected to finish eighth in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll and is led by fifth-year head coach Aaron Rodgers.
Series History
Kent State has not dropped a match against Ohio since the 2009 season, outscoring the MAC foe, 19-9 in that time. The Golden Flashes lead the all-time series 12-11-2. The two teams met twice last season and Kent State took the regular season match, 2-1. The Bobcats and Flashes met later that week in the MAC Tournament quarterfinal, and Kent State advanced on penalty kicks, 4-2.
Follow the Flashes
Be sure to follow Kent State Soccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and in-match updates about the squad.
