Kent State University
Miami(OH)
Kent State Soccer Receives Visit From Miami(OH) For MAC Home-Opener
9/19/2026 4:12:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Kent, Ohio- The Kent State Soccer team will play their first home Mid-American Conference game of the season on Sunday afternoon as a tough opponent in the Miami RedHawks come to town for a 1 P.M. start Zoeller Field at Dix Stadium.
Last Time Out
The Kent State Soccer team dropped their first Mid-American Conference matchup of the season in a close 1-0 decision over the Toledo Rockets on the road on Thursday night.Â
Both teams started out with great defense in the first half as both teams were scoreless while the Flashes were able to possess the ball for the first 45 minutes of the contest.Â
The Flashes were unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities in the second half while the Rockets scored early in the second half in the 47th-minute which held up to be the final goal of the game.
Despite the loss, KSU dominated in the shots category, outshooting Toledo by a count of 19-8 with eight of those shots being on goal compared to Toledo's four. The blue and gold also finished well above their season average in corner kicks with 10 while holding the Rockets to just two.Â
Senior Leah Shaffer played all 90 minutes in goal for the Flashes as she was able to come up with three saves on eight shots faced throughout the game.
Scouting Miami
The RedHawks enter their second MAC game of the season with a 5-4 record with no draws so far. Last year they finished with an 11-5-3 record and a trip to the MAC semifinals in Columbus.Â
In 2026, they have one common opponent with the Golden Flashes this season in the Youngstown State Penguins as the RedHawks defeated the Penguins by a score of 2-0 in Oxford.
Miami's offense will come from many areas of the field as the team comes in with five different mutli-goal scorers this season. Leading that group is Kayla Perfect who comes in with three goals and one assist. Millie Cook, Maris Jennings and Katie O'Malley each have six points coming off of two goals and two assists while Cotie Carson also has two goals so far in 2026.
As a team, the RedHawks shoot the ball 13.2 times per game and have 10 assists as a team. They also have effectively been able to produce opportunities with 57 corner kicks this season.Â
Starting in net for Miami will be Dominique Popa who has started all nine games in net, playing every minute this season. On 93 shots faced, she has allowed just 12 goals while producing 28 saves and three shutouts on a 70% save percentage.
Series History
Sunday's meeting will be the 33rd all-time meeting between the Flashes and the RedHawks as Miami currently holds the series lead with a record of 17-11-4. Last year, the RedHawks held on to a close 1-0 win in Oxford, while KSU won the last matchup that took place in Kent in 2024 by a score of 2-1.
Up Next
After the MAC home-opener for the Flashes against Miami on Sunday, they will next head east for a rare Saturday conference matchup. They will play the University of Massachusetts on the road for a noon start.
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