Oct. 25, 2009

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami University women's soccer team is headed to its sixth-straight Mid-American Conference Tournament in 2009 after a pair of second-half goals gave the RedHawks a 2-0 win over Northern Illinois Sunday afternoon at Miami Soccer Field and locked up a berth in the eight-team championship. Miami (9-7-1, 5-4-1 MAC) donned pink jerseys in the match as the game was the RedHawks' Breast Cancer Awareness Game.

"We were hoping to lock up a berth on Friday but it didn't work out for us," Miami head coach Bobby Kramig said. "I'm very pleased with the way the team rebounded today and responded to being in a bit of a pressure situation. We had to win today and this was a hard game. We were very disappointed on Friday with how that turned out (a 1-0 loss to Western Michigan) but we were patient today. We kept working at it, never got discouraged and ended up scoring two very good goals."

Miami's defense led the way, limiting the Huskies (5-11-2, 1-7-2 MAC) to just seven shots for the match, which tied for the fewest a MAC foe has taken against the 'Hawks in 2009, including only one shot on goal, which is a season low for any Miami opponent this year. Senior keeper Krista Pace (Toronto, Ont.) made the only stop she needed to earn her sixth clean sheet of the season, which ties for second on Miami's single-season shutouts list (Katie Karlander holds the record of seven in 2001). Pace already is the all-time shutouts leader at Miami with 14, including today's.

Neither side was able to create much attack in the first 45 minutes with the 'Hawks holding a 6-2 edge in shots in the opening half while also earning the only two corners of the period. NIU was unable to get its first shot off until the 32nd minute and took its only shot on goal of the match five minutes later. Senior Stephanie Laser (Hinsdale, Ill.) had a header off a corner kick sail high in the 18th minute while sophomore Courtney Clarke (Scarborough, Ont.) had both of her first-half shots blocked despite dribbling the ball through Huskie defenders to find space.

Miami wasted no time jumping in front in the second half as sophomore Krysti Clarke (Scarborough, Ont.) earned the RedHawks' second penalty kick of the season when she was pulled down in the box less than three minutes into the period. Senior Jodi Zwingelberg (Elgin, Ill.) chipped the ball over the NIU defense to an open Clarke, who was dragged down before she could get the shot off. Senior Kersta Carlson (Plymouth, Minn.) took the penalty kick for Miami and put the 'Hawks ahead 1-0 as the Huskies' junior keeper Lindsey Curnock dove to the correct side but was only able to deflect the ball, as it had enough power to still cross the goal line. The penalty kick was Miami's first successful penalty kick of the season and Carlson's second tally of 2009.

Northern Illinois earned a pair of corners in the 75th and 76th minutes but was unable to put any shots on target. The RedHawks finally opened up the NIU defense over the final 15 minutes, finding space down both sides of the field. Miami then padded its lead in the 79th minute when senior Allison Berkey (Hopkinton, Mass.) ripped a shot past Curnock to make it a 2-0 game. Zwingelberg garnered her fifth assist of the campaign, a career high, on the score as she fed a perfect cross into the box that Berkey one-timed out of mid-air for her fifth goal of 2009, which ties for the team lead.

"The game finally opened up and we were able to break their pressure a little bit," Kramig said. "Once the game opened up we felt pretty good about it. Krysti Clarke worked very hard to earn that penalty kick and it was deserved. And it was a classic cross and finish from Jodi to Allison Berkey. It was very well struck by Allison."

The RedHawks finished with 13 shots in the match, including seven in the second stanza, and a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks. Five different 'Hawks took two shots while Carlson put both of hers on goal.

Miami has now won three straight over the Huskies by a combined 7-1 and leads the all-time series 9-3-1.

The RedHawks conclude their three-game home stand and the regular season Thursday, Oct. 29, when the Ball State Cardinals invade Miami Soccer Field. Miami will look to improve its seeding for the MAC Tournament against Ball State and will also aim to earn its first 10-win season and first winning season since 2002. First touch is set for 3 p.m. ET.

--MURedHawks.com--