Soccer Has High Expectations for 2009

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- With the core of last year's Mid-American Conference Tournament runner-up team returning for the 2009 season, the Eastern Michigan University women's soccer team is primed for another successful season. Despite losing four letterwinners from last year, the Eagles welcome a seven-member freshman class with the hopes of a MAC Championship in 2009. EMU hit the double-digit win plateau for the seventh time in school history and the first-time since 2004, finishing the year at 13-5-5 with a 6-2-3 conference mark. The Eagles made it all the way to the MAC Championship game before dropping a heartbreaking, 1-0 decision to the University of Toledo.

That game, in which Toledo scored in the 84th minute, is still very fresh in the minds of the Eagles. This year's senior class, consisting of Katie Lozar, Carissa Wilson, Deana Kinter, Ashley Rodrigues and Kelly Poppaw have the experience of more than 250 games played between them and want nothing less than a MAC championship to add to their resume in 2009.

"Toledo has won three [straight] championships and they have a good chance at pushing for a fourth," Head Coach Scott Hall said. "We know we have to get through them to get to the championship."

Hall, entering his 11th season at the helm, got a good look at his group last spring when it played five games against some stiff competition. The Eagles went 4-1 against the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Valparaiso, Oakland and Madonna. It was a good test for what should be a pretty difficult non-conference schedule beginning with Eastern Illinois on August 28.

"The non-conference schedule is a great way to get us prepared for the MAC," mentioned Hall. EMU will have rematches with Michigan and Michigan State from last fall and spring this year. Indiana State, Detroit, Richmond, Loyola College and IUPUI will also test the Eagles heading into the MAC slate which kicks off with Akron, Sept. 25.

The Eagles posted a 5-2-2 overall record at home last season, going 4-2-1 at home against MAC competition. This year, they'll host 12 home matches with seven of their 11 conference tilts taking place at Scicluna Field. EMU will host Central Michigan and Buffalo this year, both of which the Eagles played to draws in 2008. The swing in home field advantage could be a difference-maker for Coach Hall and company for finishing in the top-four of the conference and earning at least one home match in MAC tournament play.

"Obviously, the MAC is a very tough conference, in that, it is very balanced," Hall said. "You don't get a day off. If we just survive the season being in the top end of the group, we'll be there."

The much-anticipated rematch with Toledo won't take place until Oct. 23, which is the third-to-last regular season match for the Eagles. Unlike last season's regular season and tournament battles, EMU will be hosting the Rockets in 2009 for at least its first meeting of the year.

"Last year, we took one game at a time, and as much as they are excited to play Toledo, they realize we won't play them until almost Halloween weekend."

Leading the Green and White this season will be the aforementioned seniors as well as Maggie Christensen, who will return following a knee injury that kept her out of 2008. The junior led the team in goals (6) and was second in points (14) back in 2007.

"I know Maggie is really hungry to get back on the field and to get back to the form she had in her sophomore season," Hall said. "I look at her as a player to watch this year."

Other individuals to keep an eye on will be the goalkeeper tandem of Monique Budani and Maggie Manville. The two combined for 10 shutouts in 2009, the third most by any team in the MAC. Defensively, Hall said the loss of All-MAC and All-Region selection, Katie Zundel, will be hard to replace, but that the combination of Julie Kaim, Brandi Wood and Poppaw will return to provide a solid backstop in front of Budani and Manville.

Offensively, the Eagles return their top goal scorer from last season in sophomore Chelsea Detrick as well as assists leader, Stephanie Janssens. As a team, EMU led the conference in points (111), goals (40) and was second in assists (31).

The success of the 2009 season will center around the core of seniors that Hall raves about.

"These seniors are a pretty special group of kids," Hall said. "In their first year together, we didn't make the MAC playoffs and they took that really personal. They have used that as a stepping stone for us to get better each and every year."

"We want to make sure we do everything we can for them to go out the way they want to go out and I think the rest of the team feeds off of that. That's what makes going into this season pretty exciting for us."

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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