Nov. 1, 2005

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio - In their first home playoff game since 2002, the Miami University women's soccer team (9-8-0, 6-5-0 MAC) advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 2-1 defeat of the Eastern Michigan Eagles (8-11-0, 6-5-0 MAC). With the win, head coach Bobby Kramig earned his 100th career victory with the Miami women's program.

At Miami Soccer Field on Tuesday, the RedHawks remained a perfect 7-0-0 all time in postseason home games as Katie Boyd's (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) game-winning goal at the 53:29 mark propelled Miami into the MAC Semifinals for the first time in three years. In her typical timely fashion, Boyd scored her third goal and third game-winner of the season off a scramble in front of the net. After both teams battled to gain possession, junior Kathleen Vistica (Monrovia, Md./Urbana) chipped a pass to Boyd who curled a low line drive just inside the far post.

Miami fell behind 1-0 in the 16th minute after the Eagles' Jessica Lathrop tallied the game's first score on an assist from Michele Lawrence, the MAC's leading goal scorer, but the RedHawks rebounded to score two unanswered goals and won for only the second time this season after allowing their opponent to score first.

As the RedHawks catalyst on offense, Vistica notched the game-tying goal at the 22:15 mark and also assisted on Boyd's game winner in the 54th minute, upping her season point total to 19. Vistica's goal was her team-leading seventh of the season while the assist was her fifth of the year, also tops on the team.

Miami's defense held steady after allowing the early goal as it limited the Eagles to just the single goal, the 11th time this season the RedHawks have limited an opponent to one goal or less. Eastern Michigan had an opportunity to tie the game as it posted two shots in the final 12 minutes of the match, but neither shot found the back of the net.

Kramig reached the 100-win plateau on his second attempt as the RedHawks defeated the Eagles for the second time this season. Kramig, who is in his 23rd season at Miami, won 138 games with the Miami men's program before taking over the women's program upon its inception in 1997.

The RedHawks now travel to Bowling Green, Ohio to face the top-seeded Falcons in the MAC Semifinals on Friday, Nov. 4. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. at Cochrane Field. The Falcons previously defeated the RedHawks, 3-1, on Oct. 2. at Miami Soccer Field, but Miami leads the all-time series 8-3-0.

MAC TOURNAMENT BRACKET

FIRST ROUND (Tuesday, Nov. 1 @ Campus Sites)
Bowling Green def. Toledo, 0-0 (3-2 on PK's)
MIAMI def. Eastern Michigan, 2-1
Central Michigan def. Western Michigan, 1-0
Kent State def. Ball State, 0-0 (3-1 on PK's)

MAC SEMIFINALS (Friday, Nov. 4 at Bowling Green, Ohio)
Kent State vs. Central Michigan (11 a.m.)
Bowling Green vs. MIAMI (2 p.m.)

MAC FINALS (Sunday, Nov. 6 at Bowling Green, Ohio)
BGSU/MIAMI winner vs. KSU/CMU winner (1 p.m.)