Miami Soccer Continues MAC Play This Weekend
9/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 15, 2003
OXFORD, Ohio -
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Miami University's women's soccer team will continue the early portion of its MAC schedule when the Western Michigan Broncos and Northern Illinois Huskies come to Oxford for a pair of weekend matches. The RedHawks will take on the Broncos on Friday at 5 p.m., before taking on the Huskies on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Scouting Western Michigan: Western Michigan enters the weekend with a 2-3-1 record, after splitting at Buffalo and Michigan State over the weekend. The Broncos got a good jump on their league schedule with a 2-1 decision over a surprising Buffalo team on Friday, then dropped a match at regionally-ranked Michigan State on Sunday.
The Broncos feature a balanced offense, as three players have tallied four points. Chantal Robinson is tied for the team lead in points, contributing to three scores on the season (1g, 2a). Andrea Tyler and Jessica Pattison have each tallied a pair of goals for WMU. Katie Perz returns as a starter in net after an impressive 2002 campaign. In 2003, Perz has amassed a 2-3-1 record to go along with a 1.45 GAA and two shutouts.
Scouting Northern Illinois: The senior member of the MAC, Northern Illinois enters the week with a 1-4 mark after tough losses to Wisconsin and Buffalo. Wisconsin is ranked regionally, while Buffalo has been near the top of the MAC standings all season.
Like Western Michigan, the Huskies have received offensive support from a number of players. NIU's four goals have been scored by four different players, while Jill Heikkila leads the team with three points, tallying one of the team's two assists. In goal, Carrie Dvorak and Leigh Steigerwald have split time, combining for a 2.77 GAA and two shutouts.
Series Histories: Both teams are mainstays on the MAC schedule and Miami has played them throughout its existence.
Miami has beaten the Broncos in six of their seven meetings. The RedHawks opened the series with four wins, including two in 1999, and has won the last two. In their last meeting, three RedHawks tallying at least two goals and/or assists, with Danielle Berkemeier scoring two herself.
After dropping each of their first two meetings, Miami has beaten Northern Illinois four straight times to post a 4-2 series advantage. Last year, the RedHawks came out of DeKalb the 3-1 victors. Andrea Cunningham scored the first two goals and assisted on the third to pace the Red and White attack.
Last Time Out: The RedHawks outshot Ball State 22-4, including 15-1 in the second half, but were unable to score, as they fell to the Cardinals, 1-0, to open their MAC season. Late in the second half, a Ball State free kick led to a melee in front of Miami's net, and after two balls had been cleared off the goal line, Amy Holst was able to find the back of the net.
Less than 80 seconds later, Miami was awarded a penalty kick after Kathleen Vistica (Monrovia, Md./Urbana) was taken down in the box. Ashley Swinehart (Worthngton, Ohio/Worthington) took the PK, but was stopped when Megan Swafford guessed correct and collected the ball, falling to her left.
Making It Count: In Miami's win over Wright State on Friday, freshman Jessica Schmidt (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia)provided all the necessary offense, scoring both RedHawk goals in the 2-1 game. Making her first collegiate start, she scored on a one-time shot from Ashley Swinehart's flip throw-in in the 17th minute for her first collegiate points. After having a goal negated by an offsides call, Schmidt struck again. Her second goal, which proved to be the game-winner, came on a centering pass from fellow freshman Kathleen Vistica.
Rookie Attack: Jessica Schmidt's second goal was an all-freshman effort, as the play began with an outlet pass from Aimee Prevallet (Fairfax Station, Va./Centreville). Her ball went to Kathleen Vistica, who beat both a defender and the goalkeeper in seperate one-on-one's before getting the pass across to Schmidt. The assist was Vistica's first collegiate point.
Welcome Back To The MAC: Sunday's game with Ball State opened the MAC season for both teams. Miami has enjoyed its time in MAC play, compiling a 38-24-3 (.608) all-time record in conference play, including 34-12-1 (.734) over the past four-plus seasons. The Red and White has a winning record against 10 of the 12 MAC schools, and have gone a combined 25-2-2 (.897) against Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo and Western Michigan.
The MAC Tournament has not posed much of a threat either as the RedHawks have advanced to the championship game in each of the last four seasons, winning three times. Miami has an all-time MAC Tournament record of 11-0-1.
Helping Hands: With her signature flip throw-in against Wright State, Ashley Swinehart tallied the 200th assist in Miami soccer history. From the near side, Swinehart put the ball in play deep into the box where freshman Amanda Schmidt was able to one-time the ball into the net for her first collegiate goal. The RedHawks had rested at 199 since the first game of the season when Laura Freel (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) set up Swinehart's first goal of 2003. In its history, Miami has now scored 745 points on 272 goals and 201 assists.
Shots Galore: As the leading returning scorer from a 2002 squad that generated 55 goals, Ashley Swinehart has done her part to kickstart the Miami offense in 2003. So far in the young season, Swinehart has launched 27 shots. With an average of 5.4 shots per game, she leads the MAC in shots per game by almost two shots per match. Included in the season figure is a nine-shot performance against Cincinnati, when her offensive pressure led to an own goal and a 2-1 lead for Miami. Also inflating her season total is a school-record 10-shot performance in the season-opener against Xavier. Her 10 shots tied a figure reached twice by former letterwinner Andrea Cunningham.
45-Minute Match: Miami's match against Cincinnati on Sept. 7 marked the first time in 2003 that Miami headed into the break with a lead. The game marked the first time since Oct. 21, 1998 failed to win when leading after the first half. The match ended Miami's 39-game winning streak when leading at halftime, but did extend their 40-game unbeaten streak.
Down, But Not Out: With their 2-0 loss to Virginia Tech on Sept. 5, the RedHawks dropped to 0-2 on the season for the first time since 2001. That year, Miami rebounded, and finished the season by going 15-5-1 and winning the MAC Tournament Championship. The Red and White then advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in team history via a 1-0 win at No. 19 West Virginia.
Youngins: After starting the 2002 season with 10 upperclassmen and just eight freshmen and sophomores, Kramig and his coaches are dealing with something new in 2003. With 26 roster spaces, Miami is made up of 19 freshmen and sophomores, and only seven upperclassmen. At least three freshmen have started each match for the RedHawks, with four getting the starting nod twice.
Moving On: When Miami kicked off the 2003 season, it marked the beginning of a new era, one without Danielle Berkemeier or Andrea Cunningham. were in Kramig's starting 11 since the 1998 season. As members of last year's seven-player senior class, the two helped build the Miami soccer program into a MAC and regional power. In their four years, the RedHawks went 64-21-4 (.741), won three MAC Tournament Championships, advanced to three NCAA Tournaments and won a regular-season MAC crown.
Individually, Berkemeier (2002) and Cunningham (2001) were named back-to-back MAC Players of the Year and amassed more goals and points in their careers than any other players in MAC history. With 60 goals and 148 total points, Berkemeier tops both categories, just ahead of Cunningham's 58 goals and 141 points. Third place in each category is 40 goals and 105 points.
Komen Foundation: For the second consecutive season, Miami University's women's soccer team will donate money to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for each home goal scored. This year, the team will donate $50 for each home score to the foundation that funds breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment. Last year, Miami donated $20 per goal. Finishing the regular season with 19 home tallies, the team donated $380 to the foundation.
Promotions: Miami University's women's soccer team and sports marketing department have worked together to gives fans an added reason to attend RedHawk soccer this fall. At each home game there will be a giveaway to a preset number of fans.
2003 Miami Soccer Promotional ScheduleSept. 16, Western Michigan - T-Shirt Day :: Sept. 21, Northern Illinois - M-League/Youth Soccer Day :: Oct. 3, Toledo - Mini-Ball Day :: Oct. 5, Bowling Green - Miami Soccer Scarf Day :: Oct. 24, Butler - Freshman Day :: Oct. 27, Akron - Fan Appreciation Day
Head Coach Bobby Kramig: Entering his seventh season at the helm of Miami's women's soccer program is veteran head coach Bobby Kramig. Kramig, who has headed the women's program since its inception in 1997, has been the mentor of Miami Soccer since 1983.
As women's coach, Kramig has successfully guided the program through its transition from club to varsity status. In 1997, the inaugural team finished the season ranked fourth in the nation among first-year programs and placed three players on the Soccer Buzz magazine first-year all-national team. In 1999, Kramig led the RedHawks to a landmark season that included a trip to the MAC Championship match and a then-Miami record 17 wins.
This past season, Kramig led the RedHawks to a school-record 19-3-2 record and the program's first regular-season MAC Championship, third-straight MAC Tournament Title and a trip into the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.
In his tenure as head women's coach, Kramig has coached players to 21 all-MAC selections and 15 NSCAA all-Region honors. He also has had a pair of players earn both MAC Player of the Year and NSCAA All-America honors in Andrea Cunningham and Danielle Berkemeier.
Kramig's coaching record with the Miami women's soccer program stands at 76-42-7 (.636), while he has led the RedHawks to the last four MAC Tournament Championship games. Overall, Kramig has coached both men and women to a 227-188-27 (.544) at the college level.
