MAC Regular Season Title At Stake On Halloween

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Coach Hall Interview

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After earning four crucial points last weekend, the Eastern Michigan University soccer team (10-6-2, 7-2-1 MAC) will close out its 2013 regular season with the Mid-American Conference regular season crown at stake. The Eagles head to Kalamazoo, Mich. to face Western Michigan University (9-4-4, 7-1-2 MAC) in a Halloween matchup, Oct. 31, at 3 p.m. A victory will give Eastern its first MAC regular season championship since 2003, but a draw or loss will see the Eagles below the Broncos in the West Division standings. Following the regular season finale, EMU will host a MAC Tournament quarterfinal contest Sunday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m. against a team to be determined. Cost of admission to get into the MAC Tournament contest at Scicluna Field is $5; however, EMU students will be permitted in free with a valid student ID.

Junior Angela Vultaggio paces the EMU high-octane offense with 11 goals and 29 points while senior Cara Cutaia follows closely behind with marks of 10 and 26, respectively. Vultaggio is also tied for the team lead in assists with teammate Stephanie Clarke as both Eagles have tallied seven on the season. Cutaia and Bianca Rossi's six assists apiece round out the distribution leaders as EMU ranks 11th in the nation with 42 assists on the year. Clarke, Rossi and Vultaggio all have MAC Offensive Player of the Week awards under their belts this year in part to leading the nation's 34th best scoring offense.

EMU goalkeeper Megan McCabe holds down the defensive side of the pitch, stopping 80 shots in 18 games between the posts, leading to three individual shutouts. Overall, the sophomore boasts a 1.12 goals against average and a 79.2 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.

Senior Day Success: With three goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, the Eastern Michigan University soccer team powered past the University of Akron Zips, 4-1, in the final regular season home game at Scicluna Field, Oct. 27. On a day where EMU honored five Eagles for Senior Day, the win assured the Green and White of hosting a MAC Tournament quarterfinal contest next Sunday, Nov. 3, as well as gave Eastern a chance to capture its first MAC regular season title since 2003.

It was the final regular season contest at home for seniors Stephanie Clarke, Cara Cutaia, Allison Kaim, Emily Kowalzyk and Megan Pedro. All five Eagles earned a starting spot in the game before being recognized during an on-field ceremony at halftime.

Regular Season Crown in Sight: With a victory against the Broncos Thursday, the EMU soccer team will capture the third MAC regular season championship in program history and the first since 2003. During the 2003 season, the Eagles struggled in non-conference action, going 1-7-1. Nonetheless, the Green and White found its groove in MAC play, finishing with a conference record of 8-2-2 to claim the conference crown. The other MAC regular season title came in Head Coach Scott Hall's inaugural season at the helm of the program, 1999, when the Eagles finished a program-best 17-4-3, including a 10-1-3 showing in MAC play that also led to a MAC Tournament Championship and Eastern's only NCAA Tournament appearance.

Battling the Broncos: Western Michigan enters the 2013 regular season finale with a record of 9-4-4, including 7-1-2 in MAC play to sit atop the West Division. The Broncos, like the Eagles, are a high scoring team, placing second in the conference in numerous offensive categories behind EMU. Western has remained unbeaten on its home field throughout the season with a record of 6-0-1 at the WMU Soccer Complex.

The Broncos are led in scoring by junior forward Aubrey Sudomier with 17 points, including a team best seven assists that tie for the lead in the MAC with EMU's own Stephanie Clarke and Angela Vultaggio. Midfielder Rachel Chaney's seven goals pace the Broncos, while Michelle Watson has started every game in net for WMU. The senior goalkeeper posts a 0.87 goals against average to go along with 61 saves for a 80.3 save percentage.

When the Eagles and Broncos take the pitch for a Halloween matchup in Kalamazoo, the two teams will be meeting for the 22nd time in history. Eastern holds a slight edge in the all-time series, 9-8-4, having just one setback in the previous seven contests between the in-state rivals. EMU won the last game against Western, a 2-1 victory at Scicluna Field, Oct. 25, 2012.

Last Time Against Western: EMU topped the Western Michigan University Broncos, 2-1, in the final regular-season match of the 2012 campaign Thursday, Oct. 25, at Scicluna Field. The win gave the Eagles their best overall win total since 2008 when the squad finished 11-4-5 in pre-tournament play. Eastern struck early as Bianca Rossi's goal in the ninth minute and a score from Cara Cutaia two minutes later put the Eagles up, 2-0, where they never looked back. Megan McCabe stopped seven-of-eight WMU shots on goal, allowing a goal in the 31st minute before shutting out the Broncos throughout the final 59 minutes of play.

Eagles Will Host, But Who?: EMU will host a MAC Tournament quarterfinal contest for the second straight season Sunday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m. While the Eagles know they will play on the friendly grass of Scicluna Field, the opponent will not be determined until after the Halloween games that conclude the regular season. However, the opponent possibilities are narrowed down to four teams: Ball State University, Kent State University, Northern Illinois University and Ohio University.

EMU Falls In PKs At 2012 MAC Tournament: Last season, the No. 3-seeded Eagles were eliminated on penalty kicks by No. 6 University of Toledo at Scicluna Field in the MAC Tournament quarterfinal, Oct. 28, 2012. After the Rockets broke the scoring open 10 minutes in on a goal by Kristen Mattei, the Eagles found the equalizer on a Stephanie Clarke goal in the 36th minute. The game would remained tied throughout regulation and two overtime periods. Penalty kicks began with Clarke scoring for the Eagles. After Jenna O'Dell made a save on the first shooter, Mattei knotted the shootout at one apiece in the second round. Both squads were denied once and hit a goalpost in the third and fourth rounds. After Cara Cutaia missed the goal on EMU's fifth shot, Rachel MacLeod sent the Rockets to the semifinal with a low shot into the left side of the cage.

Hall Nearing Milestones: In his 15th season at the helm of the EMU soccer program, Head Coach Scott Hall is nearing two milestones in his career win column. Hall is currently one win away from No. 150 as the Eagles' leader boasts a record of 149-113-42. Moreover, Coach Hall is three MAC wins away from reaching the century mark in conference wins. With only one regular season conference game left, that milestone will have to wait until next season.

Back-to-Back Double Digits: With the Eagles' 4-1 victory over Akron, Oct. 27, they assured themselves back-to-back double digit win seasons for the first time since the 2008 and 2009 campaign where EMU rattled off records of 13-5-5 and 11-4-6, respectively. Last season, Eastern turned in an 11-6-2 record, an eight win improvement from 2011. With one game left to play in the 2013 regular season, the Green and White hold a record of 10-6-2, 7-2-1 MAC.

Valiant Vultaggio: Angela Vultaggio has been on a complete tear as of late, collecting 13 points in the last four games after recording 16 points in EMU's first 14 games of the season. The EMU junior earned seven points this past weekend with three goals and two assists, sending six of her seven shots on goal. The forward scored the lone goal in a 1-1 draw versus Buffalo, Oct. 25, before scoring two goals in EMU's, 4-1, win over Akron, Oct. 27. The three goal weekend gave Vultaggio 23 in her EMU career, placing her fourth all-time in EMU history. This season, Vultaggio leads the Eagles in scoring with 11 goals and 29 points. Her goal and point totals are tied for the fourth most ever in one season at EMU. The scoring barrage helped put EMU in an opportunity to win its first MAC regular season championship since 2003.

Magnificent McCabe: Sophomore goalie Megan McCabe has been comfortable playing away from home this season, especially as of late. McCabe has recorded three consecutive shutouts away from the friendly confines of Scicluna Field, not allowing 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.

Offensively Charged: Due to an offensive output in which the Green and White has scored 32 goals in the past 12 games, EMU leads the conference in several offensive categories including goals (40), assists (42) and points (122); moreover, the Eagles pace the conference in each of those sections when looked at a per-game ratio. In total goals, Western Michigan is second in the MAC with 32 while Miami's 30 goals are the third best in the conference. Similarly, EMU holds a strong lead in points with 122 while the Broncos have 92 points. Kent State and Miami, with 85 points each, follow in a tie for third. Not only does EMU stand at the top of the conference in assists, but that mark also ranks 11th in the nation. Overall, the Eagles boast the country's 34th best scoring offense.

Courteous Clarke: Senior midfielder Stephanie Clarke not only leads the Eagles in assists this year with seven, but she has done so throughout her career at EMU. Taking on Akron, Oct. 27, Clarke used a corner kick to find teammate Emily Dzik in the middle of the box. The defender connected her head with Clarke's perfect ball from the corner, giving the Eagles the lead for good against the Zips. The assist was No. 21 in Clarke's career, moving her up in the EMU career assist list to a third-place tie with Jessica Hupe, EMU's all-time leading scorer in both goals and points.

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 8-1-1 in those contests.

Cutaia Climbing the Career Charts: In her final season donning the Green and White, senior Cara Cutaia has been a leader in scoring while also climbing up the all-time career scoring categories here at Eastern. After her second half goal against Akron, Oct. 27, the Burlington, Ontario native moved into a tie for fifth on the all-time career goals list with Ashley Rodrigues. After collecting three points versus the Zips for 60 in her career, she is just five away from Katie Lewis who sits third in EMU laurels. With six assists in 2013, Cutaia's 18 career assists are one shy of the 19 collected by Courtney Sindelar, fifth in EMU history.

Eagles' Future Up In The Air: Depending on the outcome of Sunday's MAC Tournament quarterfinal contest at Scicluna Field, EMU could see its season come to an end or continue. A Green and White victory will secure the Eagles a spot in the conference tournament semifinals. If Eastern is the highest remaining seed in the tournament, the MAC Tournament semifinals and championship game will take place at Scicluna Field. The two semifinal matches will take place Nov. 8 with the championship game and NCAA Tournament berth on the line, Nov. 10.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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