Kent State University
Buffalo
Flashes Head to Buffalo to Wrap Up Regular Season
10/25/2023 3:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State women's soccer team heads to Buffalo on Thursday to wrap up the regular season against the Bulls. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on YouTube.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Flashes (9-6-2, 6-4-0 MAC) clinched a spot in the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a resounding 4-1 win over Toledo on Sunday.
Mary Kate Lape paced the offensive attack, tallying three assists on the afternoon. Her impressive performance is tied for the second-most assists in a game in Kent State program history (behind only Jenna Hellstrom's four-assist game in 2013) and is the most in a single game by any MAC player this season. Lape doled out excellent passes on the first three goals of the game, setting up scoring chances for Siena Stambolich, Alisa Arthur, and Alanna Raimondo. Kelsey Salopek also scored late against the Rockets, this time off a pass from Tori Copfer.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Even though the Flashes have secured their spot in the postseason, what position they finish in the final table is still to be determined. Kent State currently sits fifth in the conference standings but can finish anywhere between third and sixth. Buffalo currently occupies the final playoff spot and a win against the Flashes secures their playoff berth, but a draw or a loss leaves its fate up to the other results across the MAC.Â
If the Flashes finish as either the three or four seed in the tournament, the quarterfinal match will be held at Zoeller Field at Dix Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m. Stay tuned for ticket information.
SCOUTING BUFFALO
The Bulls sit three points behind the Flashes in the standings but a win or draw on Thursday clinches a playoff spot. Buffalo (7-4-6, 4-3-3 MAC) beat Toledo 3-0 last Thursday but is fresh off of a 4-1 loss to Western Michigan on Sunday afternoon, making this matchup with Kent State even more important. The Bulls sport a 2-3-2 record at UB Stadium this season. posting shutouts in the last two games on home turf.
Katie Krohn, after earning a spot on the 2022 MAC All-Freshman Team, has had a breakout year for the Bulls this season. She leads the MAC with 12 goals and 28 points and her four assists are tied for the eighth-most in the conference. Leah Wengender's team-high five assists are tied for third in the MAC. Ellie Simmons, the 2022 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, anchors the Bulls' defense, playing 1518 minutes and tallying one assist.
Rebecca Winslow has handled the majority of time in goal, playing in 11 games and making 10 starts. She sports a 1.33 goals against average and has tallied 30 saves en route to five solo shutouts and one combined shutout.
SERIES HISTORY
Kent State and Toledo will face off for the 27th time on Thursday afternoon. The Golden Flashes hold a 13-11-2 advantage in the all-time series and sport a 4-2-1 record over the past six seasons. Last year, the Bulls knocked Kent State out of the Mid-American Conference tournament and secured the regular-season title with a 2-0 win at Zoeller Field at Dix Stadium.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
For more news and information about the team throughout the 2023 season, be sure to follow the Flashes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
