Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, October 25
Scicluna Field
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Buffalo
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Senior Day Highlights Final Regular Season Homestand
10/23/2013 1:37:00 PM | Soccer
EMU soccer hosts Buffalo, Oct. 25, before facing Akron, Oct. 27, on Senior Day for five Eagles
Complete Release
Coach Hall Interview
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Following back-to-back shutout victories on the road, the Eastern Michigan University soccer team (9-6-1, 6-2-0 MAC) returns to Scicluna Field for its final homestand of the regular season. EMU hosts the University at Buffalo (5-8-2, 2-6-0 MAC) Friday, Oct. 25, at 3 p.m. before the University of Akron (5-8-3, 2-5-1 MAC) comes to town for Senior Day, Oct. 27, in which the five senior Eagles (Stephanie Clarke, Cara Cutaia, Allison Kaim, Emily Kowalzyk and Megan Pedro) will be recognized in their final regular season home contest.
Team co-captain Cutaia leads the offensive charge with 23 points and nine goals on the season, ranking second in the Mid-American Conference in points while recording the third most goals of any MAC student-athlete. Following closely behind are juniors Angela Vultaggio and Bianca Rossi, who have eight and six goals, respectively. Rossi, along with seniors Cutaia and Clarke, has five assists through the first 16 games of the 2013 campaign to follow behind Vultaggio's team-leading six assists. Clarke, Rossi and Vultaggio each have MAC Offensive Player of the Week awards under their belts this year.
EMU goalkeeper Megan McCabe holds down the defensive side of the pitch, stopping 73 shots in 16 games between the posts, leading to three individual shutouts. Overall, the sophomore boasts a 1.15 goals against average and a 79.3 save percentage while helping pitch four EMU shutouts this season. McCabe has earned three MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors due to her success throughout the 2013 campaign.
Scoreless Shutouts in Weekend Sweep: After a couple of tough, 1-0, setbacks at home, the EMU soccer team bounced back with a pair of shutout victories over cross-divisional foes Ohio University and Kent State University this past weekend. The Eagles used two goals from Cara Cutaia as well as a goal from Angela Vultaggio to down the Bobcats 3-0, Oct. 18. EMU sophomore Megan McCabe made seven saves in between the posts for the Green and White to earn the shutout victory.
Eastern continued the strong play Sunday afternoon at Kent State, scoring a pair of second half goals to fly past the Golden Flashes, 2-0, Oct. 20. Bianca Rossi began the scoring with a goal in the 58th minute and Vultaggio followed her penalty kick miss with a successful rebound shot to double the Eagles' advantage. McCabe stopped all five shots on goal to lead EMU to back-to-back shutout victories for the first time since 2012 when Jenna O'Dell held Northern Ilinois, Sept. 21, and Toledo, Sept. 23, scoreless to earn MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
McCabe Earns Third MAC Weekly Award of Season: EMU goalkeeper Megan McCabe was named the Mid-American Conference Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending, Oct. 20. The sophomore goalkeeper earned the honor for the third time this season and fourth in her career. She claimed the award after leading the Eagles to a pair of victories over two MAC East opponents by not allowing a goal in a 3-0 victory over Ohio, Oct. 18, and in a 2-0 win against Kent State, Oct. 20.
In 180 minutes over the past weekend, McCabe made 12 saves, preventing all opponents' shots on goal from finding the back of the net. The EMU defensive leader made seven saves against the Bobcats Friday, Oct. 18, to record her second individual shutout of the season before stopping all five shots on goal that the Golden Flashes sent her direction in Sunday's victory, Oct. 20.
Running with the Bulls: The Eagles and Bulls will meet on the pitch for the 19th time in history with EMU leading the overall series, 10-4-4. The Green and White has controlled the series as of late, going 4-0-2 in the previous six contests. Buffalo (5-8-2, 2-6-0 MAC) is led by senior Karen McMahon who paces the Bulls in nearly every offensive statistical catagory. Another senior leads the Bulls' defense as Ainsley Wheldon has started each game in goal for Buffalo, playing every minute of the 2013 campaign. Buffalo enters the weekend coming off a victory over Bowling Green, Oct. 18, before falling in double overtime to Central Michigan, Oct. 20. With just three games remaining and all of them coming away from home, UB is fighting for one of the four MAC Tournament spots still up for grabs.
Last Time Against Buffalo: In a low scoring affair EMU triumphed, 1-0, over the University at Buffalo Friday evening, Oct. 19, 2012. Sophomore Bianca Rossi scored the deciding goal in the 75th minute and freshman goalkeeper Megan McCabe recorded her first-career victory and shutout. Rossi followed a cross from Megan Trapp off the hands of the goalkeeper and tapped the ball into the empty cage forthe only goal in the contest. McCabe made seven saves and thwarted several UB scoring chances especially in the opening half.
Attention on Akron: EMU leads Akron, 8-2-2, all-time between the two programs as they meet for the 13th time Sunday, Oct. 27. Like Buffalo, the Zips (5-8-3, 2-5-1 MAC) are in contention for one of the last four open spots in the MAC Tournament. Last weekend, Akron fell to Central Michigan at home, Oct. 18, before holding off Bowling Green for a MAC win, Oct. 20. Junior forward Lani Smith leads the squad, scoring seven of the team's 19 goals this season. UA Head Coach Vernon Croft relies on a pair of sophomores between the posts, as Klaire Adee and Alex Luevano-Harden have each started eight contests for the Zips. Addee boasts better statistics between the two, including a record of 4-3-3.
Extra Time Needed to Outlast Zips: EMU needed extra time in order to top the Zips in the last outing between the two teams. Trailing, 1-0, with six minutes to play in regulation, the Eagles roared back to tie the game and win it in double overtime, 2-1, on the road, Oct. 21, 2012. Emily Dzik scored the game-winner off a corner kick in the 106th minute and clinched home-field advantage for the quarterfinal game of the 2012 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The game remained scoreless until the 73rd minute, when Akron's Kelly Deniro netted the go-ahead marker for the Zips. Then with just over six minutes left in regulation, Cara Cutaia scored the equalizer to send the game into overtime. In extra time, the EMU offense peppered Akron's defense with multiple scoring chances and put the game away when Cutaia perfectly executed a corner kick, which Dzik headed into the goal to send a jubilant Eagles squad streaming onto the field in celebration.
EMU Controls Its Own Destiny: With two shutout victories as well as other results around the Mid-American Conference, EMU has jumped over Western Michigan and Ball State to sit atop the MAC West Division along side Central Michigan. With three games remaining, the Eagles control their own destiny in the quest for their first regular season MAC title since 2003. If both Eastern and CMU were to win out, the Green and White would earn the top seed in the MAC Tournament due to its 3-0 victory over the Chippewas, Oct. 6.
Finding the Net First: Scoring first can be an important aspect of any game when it comes to momentum, confidence and strategy. Head Coach Scott Hall's squad has been extremely successful when posting the first number on the scoreboard. The Eagles have managed games efficiently when they are the first to find the net, holding a record of 8-1-0 in those contests.
Offensively Charged: Due to the recent offensive output in which the Green and White has scored 27 goals in the past 10 games, EMU leads the conference in several offensive categories including goals (35), assists (37) and points (107); moreover, the Eagles pace the conference in each of those sections when looked at a per-game ratio. In total goals, Miami is second in the MAC with 28 while Western Michigan's 27 goals are the third best in the conference. Similarly, EMU holds a strong lead in points with 107 while the RedHawks and Broncos follow with 80 and 76 points, respectively. Not only does EMU stand at the top of the conference in assists, but that mark also ranks 15th in the nation. Overall, the Eagles boast the country's 34th best scoring offense.
Magnificent McCabe: Sophomore goalie Megan McCabe not only held down the defensive side of the pitch in the Eagles' weekend sweep this past weekend, but she also recorded her third consecutive shutout away from the friendly confines of Scicluna Field against Kent State, Oct. 20. McCabe has been comfortable playing away from home this season, especially as of late. She has not allowed a goal in the last 308 minutes the Eagles have played on the road. Bowling Green's Taylor Bucaro was the last to score against McCabe during an Eastern road contest, Oct. 4, finding the back of the net in the 52nd minute of the game between the Eagles and Falcons.
Valiant Vultaggio: Angela Vultaggio was an offensive leader in both of the Eagles' road victories this past weekend. The EMU junior earned six points on the weekend with two goals and two assists, sending nine of her 13 shots were on goal. Vultaggio landed five of her six shots on goal, finding the net once in EMU's 3-0 win over Ohio, Oct. 18. At OU, the junior forward doubled the EMU lead, rebounding her own shot to put the Eagles up, 2-0, with 34:47 remaining in the first half. After scoring three points in Friday's win, the Chesterfield, Mich. native provided three more points as Eastern shut out MAC East Division-leading Kent State, 2-0, Oct. 20. Late in the second half, Vultaggio followed her own miss on a penalty kick to score past the KSU goalkeeper. The goal was the 20th of Vultaggio's career, tying for fifth all-time in EMU laurels with Chelsea Detrick and teammate Cara Cutaia.
Guaranteed More #MACtion: With a pair of shutout victories this past weekend, Oct. 18-20, the Eagles have clinched their spot in the 2013 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The top eight teams in the conference qualify for the MAC Tournament, with quarterfinals contests held at home fields of the top four seeds. Following the quarterfinals, the highest remaining seed will host the semifinals as well at the MAC Championship game with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line.
If the MAC Tournament started today, EMU would be the top seed and host eighth-seeded Northern Illinois in a quarterfinal contest, Nov. 3, at Scicluna Field. The winner of that game would advance to face the winner of the No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed match which would pit Western Michigan against Kent State.
Cutaia Climbing the Career Charts: In her final season donning the Green and White, senior Cara Cutaia has led the Eagles in scoring while also climbing up the all-time career scoring categories here at Eastern. After recording two goals at Ohio, Oct. 18, the Burlington, Ontario native moved into a tie for fifth on the all-time career goals list with Chelsea Detrick and teammate Angela Vultaggio. With 20 career goals, Cutaia is just two shy of passing Ashley Rodrigues for the fourth most goals in EMU laurels. After collecting five points last weekend for 57 in her career, she has already passed Rodrigues for fourth in that category. With five assists in 2013, Cutaia's 17 career assists are tied with the mark Katie Lewis had at the end of her career, fifth in EMU history.
Trip to Kalamazoo Before Tournament Time: EMU concludes the regular season with a trip to Kalamazoo to take on rival Western Michigan University in a Halloween matchup, Oct. 31. Following the regular season finale, the Eagles will compete in a MAC Tournament quarterfinal contest, Nov. 3, at a site to be determined.
Coach Hall Interview
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Following back-to-back shutout victories on the road, the Eastern Michigan University soccer team (9-6-1, 6-2-0 MAC) returns to Scicluna Field for its final homestand of the regular season. EMU hosts the University at Buffalo (5-8-2, 2-6-0 MAC) Friday, Oct. 25, at 3 p.m. before the University of Akron (5-8-3, 2-5-1 MAC) comes to town for Senior Day, Oct. 27, in which the five senior Eagles (Stephanie Clarke, Cara Cutaia, Allison Kaim, Emily Kowalzyk and Megan Pedro) will be recognized in their final regular season home contest.
Team co-captain Cutaia leads the offensive charge with 23 points and nine goals on the season, ranking second in the Mid-American Conference in points while recording the third most goals of any MAC student-athlete. Following closely behind are juniors Angela Vultaggio and Bianca Rossi, who have eight and six goals, respectively. Rossi, along with seniors Cutaia and Clarke, has five assists through the first 16 games of the 2013 campaign to follow behind Vultaggio's team-leading six assists. Clarke, Rossi and Vultaggio each have MAC Offensive Player of the Week awards under their belts this year.
EMU goalkeeper Megan McCabe holds down the defensive side of the pitch, stopping 73 shots in 16 games between the posts, leading to three individual shutouts. Overall, the sophomore boasts a 1.15 goals against average and a 79.3 save percentage while helping pitch four EMU shutouts this season. McCabe has earned three MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors due to her success throughout the 2013 campaign.
Scoreless Shutouts in Weekend Sweep: After a couple of tough, 1-0, setbacks at home, the EMU soccer team bounced back with a pair of shutout victories over cross-divisional foes Ohio University and Kent State University this past weekend. The Eagles used two goals from Cara Cutaia as well as a goal from Angela Vultaggio to down the Bobcats 3-0, Oct. 18. EMU sophomore Megan McCabe made seven saves in between the posts for the Green and White to earn the shutout victory.
Eastern continued the strong play Sunday afternoon at Kent State, scoring a pair of second half goals to fly past the Golden Flashes, 2-0, Oct. 20. Bianca Rossi began the scoring with a goal in the 58th minute and Vultaggio followed her penalty kick miss with a successful rebound shot to double the Eagles' advantage. McCabe stopped all five shots on goal to lead EMU to back-to-back shutout victories for the first time since 2012 when Jenna O'Dell held Northern Ilinois, Sept. 21, and Toledo, Sept. 23, scoreless to earn MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
McCabe Earns Third MAC Weekly Award of Season: EMU goalkeeper Megan McCabe was named the Mid-American Conference Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending, Oct. 20. The sophomore goalkeeper earned the honor for the third time this season and fourth in her career. She claimed the award after leading the Eagles to a pair of victories over two MAC East opponents by not allowing a goal in a 3-0 victory over Ohio, Oct. 18, and in a 2-0 win against Kent State, Oct. 20.
In 180 minutes over the past weekend, McCabe made 12 saves, preventing all opponents' shots on goal from finding the back of the net. The EMU defensive leader made seven saves against the Bobcats Friday, Oct. 18, to record her second individual shutout of the season before stopping all five shots on goal that the Golden Flashes sent her direction in Sunday's victory, Oct. 20.
Running with the Bulls: The Eagles and Bulls will meet on the pitch for the 19th time in history with EMU leading the overall series, 10-4-4. The Green and White has controlled the series as of late, going 4-0-2 in the previous six contests. Buffalo (5-8-2, 2-6-0 MAC) is led by senior Karen McMahon who paces the Bulls in nearly every offensive statistical catagory. Another senior leads the Bulls' defense as Ainsley Wheldon has started each game in goal for Buffalo, playing every minute of the 2013 campaign. Buffalo enters the weekend coming off a victory over Bowling Green, Oct. 18, before falling in double overtime to Central Michigan, Oct. 20. With just three games remaining and all of them coming away from home, UB is fighting for one of the four MAC Tournament spots still up for grabs.
Last Time Against Buffalo: In a low scoring affair EMU triumphed, 1-0, over the University at Buffalo Friday evening, Oct. 19, 2012. Sophomore Bianca Rossi scored the deciding goal in the 75th minute and freshman goalkeeper Megan McCabe recorded her first-career victory and shutout. Rossi followed a cross from Megan Trapp off the hands of the goalkeeper and tapped the ball into the empty cage forthe only goal in the contest. McCabe made seven saves and thwarted several UB scoring chances especially in the opening half.
Attention on Akron: EMU leads Akron, 8-2-2, all-time between the two programs as they meet for the 13th time Sunday, Oct. 27. Like Buffalo, the Zips (5-8-3, 2-5-1 MAC) are in contention for one of the last four open spots in the MAC Tournament. Last weekend, Akron fell to Central Michigan at home, Oct. 18, before holding off Bowling Green for a MAC win, Oct. 20. Junior forward Lani Smith leads the squad, scoring seven of the team's 19 goals this season. UA Head Coach Vernon Croft relies on a pair of sophomores between the posts, as Klaire Adee and Alex Luevano-Harden have each started eight contests for the Zips. Addee boasts better statistics between the two, including a record of 4-3-3.
Extra Time Needed to Outlast Zips: EMU needed extra time in order to top the Zips in the last outing between the two teams. Trailing, 1-0, with six minutes to play in regulation, the Eagles roared back to tie the game and win it in double overtime, 2-1, on the road, Oct. 21, 2012. Emily Dzik scored the game-winner off a corner kick in the 106th minute and clinched home-field advantage for the quarterfinal game of the 2012 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The game remained scoreless until the 73rd minute, when Akron's Kelly Deniro netted the go-ahead marker for the Zips. Then with just over six minutes left in regulation, Cara Cutaia scored the equalizer to send the game into overtime. In extra time, the EMU offense peppered Akron's defense with multiple scoring chances and put the game away when Cutaia perfectly executed a corner kick, which Dzik headed into the goal to send a jubilant Eagles squad streaming onto the field in celebration.
EMU Controls Its Own Destiny: With two shutout victories as well as other results around the Mid-American Conference, EMU has jumped over Western Michigan and Ball State to sit atop the MAC West Division along side Central Michigan. With three games remaining, the Eagles control their own destiny in the quest for their first regular season MAC title since 2003. If both Eastern and CMU were to win out, the Green and White would earn the top seed in the MAC Tournament due to its 3-0 victory over the Chippewas, Oct. 6.
Finding the Net First: Scoring first can be an important aspect of any game when it comes to momentum, confidence and strategy. Head Coach Scott Hall's squad has been extremely successful when posting the first number on the scoreboard. The Eagles have managed games efficiently when they are the first to find the net, holding a record of 8-1-0 in those contests.
Offensively Charged: Due to the recent offensive output in which the Green and White has scored 27 goals in the past 10 games, EMU leads the conference in several offensive categories including goals (35), assists (37) and points (107); moreover, the Eagles pace the conference in each of those sections when looked at a per-game ratio. In total goals, Miami is second in the MAC with 28 while Western Michigan's 27 goals are the third best in the conference. Similarly, EMU holds a strong lead in points with 107 while the RedHawks and Broncos follow with 80 and 76 points, respectively. Not only does EMU stand at the top of the conference in assists, but that mark also ranks 15th in the nation. Overall, the Eagles boast the country's 34th best scoring offense.
Magnificent McCabe: Sophomore goalie Megan McCabe not only held down the defensive side of the pitch in the Eagles' weekend sweep this past weekend, but she also recorded her third consecutive shutout away from the friendly confines of Scicluna Field against Kent State, Oct. 20. McCabe has been comfortable playing away from home this season, especially as of late. She has not allowed a goal in the last 308 minutes the Eagles have played on the road. Bowling Green's Taylor Bucaro was the last to score against McCabe during an Eastern road contest, Oct. 4, finding the back of the net in the 52nd minute of the game between the Eagles and Falcons.
Valiant Vultaggio: Angela Vultaggio was an offensive leader in both of the Eagles' road victories this past weekend. The EMU junior earned six points on the weekend with two goals and two assists, sending nine of her 13 shots were on goal. Vultaggio landed five of her six shots on goal, finding the net once in EMU's 3-0 win over Ohio, Oct. 18. At OU, the junior forward doubled the EMU lead, rebounding her own shot to put the Eagles up, 2-0, with 34:47 remaining in the first half. After scoring three points in Friday's win, the Chesterfield, Mich. native provided three more points as Eastern shut out MAC East Division-leading Kent State, 2-0, Oct. 20. Late in the second half, Vultaggio followed her own miss on a penalty kick to score past the KSU goalkeeper. The goal was the 20th of Vultaggio's career, tying for fifth all-time in EMU laurels with Chelsea Detrick and teammate Cara Cutaia.
Guaranteed More #MACtion: With a pair of shutout victories this past weekend, Oct. 18-20, the Eagles have clinched their spot in the 2013 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The top eight teams in the conference qualify for the MAC Tournament, with quarterfinals contests held at home fields of the top four seeds. Following the quarterfinals, the highest remaining seed will host the semifinals as well at the MAC Championship game with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line.
If the MAC Tournament started today, EMU would be the top seed and host eighth-seeded Northern Illinois in a quarterfinal contest, Nov. 3, at Scicluna Field. The winner of that game would advance to face the winner of the No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed match which would pit Western Michigan against Kent State.
Cutaia Climbing the Career Charts: In her final season donning the Green and White, senior Cara Cutaia has led the Eagles in scoring while also climbing up the all-time career scoring categories here at Eastern. After recording two goals at Ohio, Oct. 18, the Burlington, Ontario native moved into a tie for fifth on the all-time career goals list with Chelsea Detrick and teammate Angela Vultaggio. With 20 career goals, Cutaia is just two shy of passing Ashley Rodrigues for the fourth most goals in EMU laurels. After collecting five points last weekend for 57 in her career, she has already passed Rodrigues for fourth in that category. With five assists in 2013, Cutaia's 17 career assists are tied with the mark Katie Lewis had at the end of her career, fifth in EMU history.
Trip to Kalamazoo Before Tournament Time: EMU concludes the regular season with a trip to Kalamazoo to take on rival Western Michigan University in a Halloween matchup, Oct. 31. Following the regular season finale, the Eagles will compete in a MAC Tournament quarterfinal contest, Nov. 3, at a site to be determined.
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