Eastern Michigan Athletics
Soccer Faces Toledo For MAC Tournament Title
11/8/2008 8:00:00 AM | Soccer
EMU making third title game appearance in school history
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ROCKETS AND EAGLES SQUARE OFF FOR TOURNEY TITLE: With a 2-0 semifinal defeat of Central Michigan University Nov. 7, the Eastern Michigan University soccer team advanced to the Mid-American Conference Tournament title game for the third time in school history. The Eagles will face the University of Toledo, which defeated Bowling Green 1-0 in the other semifinal game. UT is looking for its third consecutive MAC Tournament crown, while Eastern is seeking its first title since 1999.
LAST TIME OUT: In semifinal action, the Eagles blanked Central Michigan, 2-0, to reach the finals of the MAC Tournament. Just when it looked like the teams were going to hit the break at a scoreless tie, Deana Kinter took advantage of a CMU miscue and found the back of the net to give the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish. Freshman Vanessa Atanasoski tacked another goal on the board early in the second half to give EMU a comfortable two goal lead. Keeper Mona Budani made three saves in the backstop to pick up her fifth shutout of the season, helping send the Eagles to the final game of the tourney.
ROCKET REWIND: The last time these two teams met, Oct. 17, Toledo came away with a 2-0 victory at Scicluna Field. The Eagles had a few offensive opportunities early in the contest, but UT keeper and MAC Freshman of the Year Vicki Traven came up with several key stops to keep the Eagles off the board. Since that loss, the Eagles have not dropped a contest, going 5-0-1 during the past six matches.
EAGLES AND THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday’s contest marks the third time that EMU has reached the final game of the MAC Tournament. The Eagles first appeared in the title contest of the 1997 season, falling to Northern Illinois, 3-2, in overtime, Nov. 9, 1997. The Eagles made it back to the title match Nov. 7, 1999 when they took on Miami. After 110 minutes of scoreless play, the two teams went to a shootout, where the Eagles prevailed 5-3 to win the tournament and the automatic NCAA berth.
EMU AND THE MAC TOURNAMENT: Since the tournament began in 1997, the Eagles have qualified for postseason play every year except the 2006 season. With Sunday’s, Nov. 2, win over Northern Illinois and a semifinal win over Central Michigan, EMU is now 7-9 in tournament action, having won the tourney in 1999 and earning the MAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
SIX IN A ROW...TWO TO GO: The Eagles hit the finals of the MAC Tournament riding a five game unbeaten streak and look to keep it going. The last loss the Eagles suffered was a 2-0 setback to the University of Toledo, Oct. 17. The Eagles will have a chance to exact revenge on the Rockets, squaring off against UT for the MAC Tournament title. Since that defeat, EMU has gone 5-0-1 down the stretch. In addition to the current streak, the Eagles have had two other unbeaten stretches of four games.
SCORING MEANS WINNING: Or at least not losing. The Eagles have only dropped four contests all season, and in each one, they have failed to score. When Eastern scores at least one goal, the team has come away with at least a tie.
DOUBLE DIGIT WONDERS: For the first time since the 1999 season, the Eagles boast a pair of players who have both reached double digits in goals or assists. Freshman Chelsea Detrick has 11 goals on the season while Stephanie Janssens has chalked up 11 assists this year. The last EMU duo to accomplish this was Amanda Kulikowski (12 assists) and Tania Orlow (11 goals). Kulikowski also had 11 goals during the 1999 season, making her the only EMU player in history to hit double digits in both categories in a single season.
BUDANI MAKES A COMEBACK: After missing all of the 2007 season and part of 2008 with a knee injury, goalkeeper Mona Budani has come back on top of her game. In eight games, she carries a 6-0-2 record with four shutouts. She has made 47 saves in the backstop for EMU, chalking up a microscopic 0.53 GAA. In MAC games, she leads the conference in save percentage (.912), goals against average (0.55) and saves per game at 6.20.
ATOP THE MAC: The Eagles have a few players at or near the top in the latest MAC standings. Chelsea Detrick leads the conference in points (24) and goals (11) despite never starting a contest this season. Stephanie Janssens leads the way in assists, chalking up 11 assists in 21 games this season, placing her second on the all-time single season list. In MAC games only, keeper Mona Budani is first in save percentage (.912), goals against average (0.55) and saves per game (6.20).
JANSSENS NAMED MAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore midfielder Stephanie Janssens was selected the MAC Co-Player of the Week after helping the Eagles to a weekend sweep of Akron, Oct. 24, and Ohio, Oct. 26. She had a hand in both game-winning goals, totaling three points on the weekend. Against Akron, her corner kick in the ninth minute of the first half deflected off a UA defender and found the back of the net, staking the Eagles an early lead they would not relinquish. In a 2-1 overtime win at Ohio, it was her corner kick that set up Katie Zundel’s game-winning header.
HALL HITS THE CENTURY MARK: Head coach Scott Hall picked up his 100th career win as the Eagles’ head coach, Oct. 12 in Kent, Ohio, when EMU defeated Kent State, 3-1. Hall is now only the second active MAC coach with 100 wins, joining Miami’s Bobby Kramig. The 10th year head coach now owns a record of 103-76-24 during his tenure with EMU. With . 12) The victory marked the first time in program history that the Eagles have won at Kent State, as the Eagles had been winless in five prior trips.
