OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University field hockey team (12-7 5-1 MAC) shutout Appalachian State by a 2-0 margin to advance to the MAC Tournament final for the fifth-straight season. The No. 2 RedHawks will face the top-seeded Kent State at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Miami Field Hockey Complex.

Miami began the game with pressure as Allie Grace Joyner created a one-on-one with Rachel Gaines, the Appalachian State goalkeeper within the first minute of play. Gaines came up with her first of six saves on the day.

The teams traded penalty corners in the next few minutes with Gaines stopping Leonor Berlie's shot in the fourth minute. Only one shot separated the two teams in a scoreless first quarter with Miami having the 4-3 edge.

The RedHawks recorded the only two shots of the second quarter and earned the lone penalty corner but a Mountaineer defensive save kept the game scoreless going into halftime.

Lexi Silver put Miami on the scoreboard first with her fifth goal of the season during the 37^th minute of play. She put the rebound in after Gaines stopped the initial shot on a penalty corner chance.

Kenzie Peterson scored her first of the season just 1:40 later as Neely Lochmoeller fed Peterson a pass through Appalachian State's defensive unit and Peterson tapped it in by the far post.

The RedHawks took four shots and earned three penalty corners during the fourth quarter but scoring was capped at 2-0, the same margin as when the two teams met during the regular season.

After the first quarter, Miami's defense did not allow a penalty corner and only allowed one shot. The RedHawks led the game in shots (14-4), shots on goal (8-2) and penalty corners (9-2). Berlie led all players with five shots, four of those coming on target. Perese recorded her third solo shutout of the season with two saves.