Kent State University
Miami
Flashes Return Home Before Heading to Ball State for First Full Weekend of MAC Play
9/25/2025 10:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
The MAC slate for the Kent State field hockey team (1-6) kicks into full swing this weekend, as the Flashes host Miami at Murphy-Mellis Field on Friday before heading to Ball State on Sunday. Friday's contest against the RedHawks will begin at 2 p.m. It is the team's annual Cancer Awareness Game, featuring a colored bracelet giveaway and a fundraiser for cancer research. Sunday's game in Muncie is slated to begin at noon.
Miami: WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
Ball State: WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
About the Flashes
The Golden Flashes are set for the team's second and third conference contests of 2025 against Miami and Ball State this weekend. Kent State opened MAC play last Friday at No. 12 UMass, falling 4-0 to the preseason conference favorites. The Flashes were selected fifth in the preseason coaches' poll after going 5-3 in conference play in 2024, culminating in a MAC tournament semifinal appearance. Friday's home game against Miami will be Kent State's first contest at Murphy-Mellis Field since the season-opener against Mercyhurst on August 29, a 10-1 victory.
Kent State wrapped up non-conference play at UMass Lowell last Sunday, falling 3-2 in overtime to the River Hawks. With a defeat in the Flashes' first overtime contest of the season, Kent State concludes the non-conference slate at 1-5, with the lone victory coming over Mercyhurst in the season-opener.
Maybritt Duwel and Emma Rolston each scored in last Sunday's defeat at UMass Lowell, further cementing their places as the team's top two goal scorers in the 2025 season. Duwel leads the team with a tally of five goals, followed closely by Rolston's total of four goals. Emma Seger recorded an assist on Duwel's goal against the River Hawks, bringing her 2025 assist total to a team-high of four.
With the first MAC games for all ten teams taking place last Friday, the conference standings are beginning to fill in. The preseason top four selections of UMass, Miami, James Madison, and App State each took care of business with wins, while Ball State was the final victor of the day with a 4-3 overtime win against Longwood.
Scouting Miami
Miami possesses one of the strongest offenses Kent State will face in 2025. The RedHawks, who have scored 30 goals this season, opened MAC play with a dominant 11-0 victory at home over Bellarmine before flying the flag on Sunday with a 3-1 win over Michigan State to improve to 5-2 on the season. Miami was ranked No. 20 in the NFHCA Coaches' Poll two weeks ago, subsequently dropping out after neutral-site losses to No. 15 Iowa and No. 1 Northwestern. Freshman midfielder Justina Intzes leads the RedHawks with seven goals this season, just ahead of freshman midfielder Malena Sabez, who has a tally of six. Fifth-year defender Berta Mata, a 2024 All-MAC First Team selection, leads Miami with five assists, also adding four goals.
The Flashes lead the all-time series with Miami 51-42-2. Despite the lead in the series history, the RedHawks have been victorious in the last two matchups between the squads, defeating Kent State 2-0 in the most recent contest between the schools, which took place in 2024 in Oxford. The Flashes' last win over Miami came in the most recent matchup between the sides to take place in Kent, a 2-1 win in 2023.
Scouting Ball State
Sunday's contest between the Flashes and Ball State may prove crucial in the race for a MAC Tournament bid, as the teams finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the conference in 2024. Ball State enters the weekend with a 3-6 overall record, but began MAC play on the right foot with a 4-3 overtime victory on the road at Longwood last Friday. The Cardinals will have the opportunity to improve to 2-0 in conference action before facing the Flashes, as they host Central Michigan on Friday afternoon. Junior forward Julia Verratti leads the Cardinals with four goals in 2025, also registering two assists. Ball State averages seven saves per game through nine contests this season as Carleigh Hofelich and Cali Hyman have split time in the cage.
Kent State improved to 42-33 all-time against Ball State with two wins over the Cardinals last season. The Flashes have claimed 16 consecutive wins over Ball State, with the most recent Cardinal victory coming in Muncie in 2011. Kent State defeated the Cardinals 1-0 in Kent during the regular season in 2024, before claiming a 1-0 overtime victory over Ball State in the quarterfinal of the MAC Tournament.
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