OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University field hockey team (13-7, 5-1 MAC) won its third-straight MAC Tournament Championship with a 2-1 victory over Kent State on Saturday at the Miami Field Hockey Complex. This marks the 10
th MAC Championship in the nine years of Iñako Puzo's leadership at Miami and the RedHawks eighth-consecutive tournament win in Oxford.
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Leonor Berlie was named MAC Tournament MVP. Joining Berlie on the All-Tournament Team are
Noor Breedijk,
Isabelle Perese and
Neely Lochmoeller.
Lexi Silver took the first shot of the game, a dangerous ball after one minute of play, but it was Kent State that scored first. The Golden Flashes struck during the fourth minute of play to take an early 1-0 lead as the Golden Flashes batted in a loose ball.
Miami rallied back with a shot but Azure Fernsler stood tall with her first of two saves in the half. Kent State earned the first penalty corner of the game and took the next three shots of the game but all were off target.
The RedHawks began the second quarter with a penalty corner opportunity after a shot from Berlie went just wide of the cage. The resulting shot from Berlie was blocked.
With five minutes to play in the second quarter, Kent State earned a penalty corner following a save from Perese. After a blocked shot on the first penalty corner, the Golden Flashes earned another opportunity. Perese stood tall with her second save on Kent State's final shot of the half.
Taylor Curran took a shot on target with 30 seconds remaining in the first half but Fernsler preserved Kent State's one goal lead after 30 minutes of play. At the break, the Golden Flashes also led the game in shots (8-5) and penalty corners (3-1).
The most dominant defense in the MAC stepped up and allowed just one shot and one penalty corner to Kent State's offense during the second half and neither during the fourth quarter. Miami's defense led the conference with the best goals-against average (0.94) and a conference-fewest shots on goal (27), corners (16) and shots (36) in MAC play and a conference-fewest shots on goal (97), corners (61) and shots (148) during the regular season.
Both teams registered just one shot each during the third quarter as Kent State switched goalkeepers, tagging Mary Crumlish into the game. The Golden Flashes shot was three minutes into the quarter and wide. With seconds remaining in the quarter, Kent State was given a yellow card and
Lexie Nugent put a shot on target as time expired but Crumlish was there to meet it.
Nugent tied the game less than one minute into the fourth quarter with her third goal of the season.
Neely Lochmoeller's pass found its way to Nugent in the center of the circle.
Miami's offense continued generating pressure, earning back-to-back penalty corners in the two minutes following the game-tying goal. Crumlish made her second stop of the half on a shot from
Allie Grace Joyner.
With under five minutes to play, Nugent drew a penalty stroke for Miami as her shot from the penalty corner made contact with a Kent State player located behind the goalkeeper. Berlie scored her fourth game-winning goal and 14
th goal of the season by making the penalty stroke count. Berlie was named All-MAC First Team earlier this week after leading the conference in goals (13), points (31), shots (98) and shots on goal (54) this season. She also led the conference in MAC games in goals (7), points (17), game-winning goals (2), shots (33) and shots on goal (24) this year.
The Golden Flashes replaced their goalkeeper with a field player with two minutes remaining in the game.
The NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed on Sunday at 10 p.m.
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