Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Chloe Smith
Regular Season MAC Championship Highlights EMU Soccer Season
11/19/2013 12:53:00 PM | Soccer
The Eagles capture numerous individual awards to go along with first MAC title since 2003
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- With nearly the entire team returning from a season ago, the Eastern Michigan University women's soccer team came into the 2013 season with high expectations that included a Mid-American Conference championship. The Eagles accomplished that goal with a 12-7-2 (8-2-1) record for the program's third regular season conference crown and first since 2003.
Along with standing atop of the conference at the conclusion of the regular season, EMU led the MAC in several categories: points (137), goals (45), goals per game (2.14), assists (47) and assists per game (2.24). The offensively-charged Eagles produced the 33rd-best scoring offense in the nation, ranking 23rd nationally in points and 13th in assists. The 45 goals were the third-most scored in a single season in program history. Eastern was in every contest throughout the season as all seven losses were only by one goal.
Junior Angela Vultaggio (Chesterfield, Mich.-L'Anse Creuse North) paced the EMU high-octane offense with 13 goals and a MAC-best 34 points while senior Cara Cutaia (Burlington, Ontario-Notre Dame Catholic) followed closely behind with marks of 11 and 29, respectively. Vultaggio also led the team and conference in assists with eight as teammate Stephanie Clarke (London, Ontario-St. Thomas Aquinas) finished with seven on the season. Cutaia and Marisa Kozikowski (Troy, Mich.-Athens) had six assists apiece to round out the distribution leaders.
In her first full season in net for the Green and White, goalkeeper Megan McCabe (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) held down the defensive side of the pitch, stopping 93 shots in 21 games between the posts, leading to four individual shutouts. Overall, the sophomore tallied a 1.06 goals against average and an 80.2 save percentage while helping pitch five EMU shutouts. In 2013, she set an EMU single-season record facing 303 shots, passing Maggie Manville's previous school record of 277, set back in 2011.
As the MAC regular season champions, numerous Eagles graced the All-MAC teams, and two collected the coveted player of the year awards. Seniors Clarke and Cutaia, along with juniors Vultaggio and Emily Dzik (Troy, Mich.-Troy), earned All-MAC First Team spots while Kozikowski earned All-MAC Second Team accolades. In her debut season at EMU, freshman Madison Hirsch (Troy, Mich.-Troy) solidified her place on the All-Freshman Team. EMU Head Coach Scott Hall was tabbed as Coach of the Year for the third time in his career.
Leading the conference in nearly every offensive statistical category, junior forward Vultaggio became the third Eagle in program history to be named MAC Offensive Player of the Year. With 13 goals this season, the Chesterfield, Mich. native boasted the second-most goals scored in one season at EMU, trailing only Jessica Hupe, who scored 17 in 2002. Vultaggio's 34 points in 2013 ranked 31st in the nation and are also the second-most for one Eagle in a season, trailing Hupe's 39 points in her historic 2002 campaign. Leading the team in assists with eight, Vultaggio tied with Stephanie Janssens, Cyndi Mullins and Cutaia for the third highest total in one year.
Dzik shared the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award with Kent State University's Morgan Mah. The Troy, Mich. native led a back line that pitched five shutouts in 2013. Along with her play on defense, Dzik also proved to be an offensive threat on corner kicks as three headers found the back of the net this season. Starting every game for the Eagles, Dzik was second on the team in minutes played with 1,930 out of a possible 1,967 minutes. Dzik joined former EMU goalkeeper Monique Budani as the only Eagles to earn the MAC's highest defensive honor.
Rounding out the individual season awards, Clarke and Dzik were honored for their success on the pitch and in the classroom. Clarke was named Capital One Academic All-District First Team, and Dzik was selected Academic All-District Second Team as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Clarke boasts a 3.90 GPA as a biology major while the Dzik currently has a 3.98 GPA as a nursing major.
EMU started its 2013 campaign with a daunting non-conference slate that included four schools from the Big Ten Conference. The Eagles began with a 3-2 season-opening victory over in-state foe Detroit at Scicluna Field, Aug. 23. Two days later, Eastern traveled to Columbus to face then-No. 23 nationally ranked Ohio State. Cutaia put the Green and White on top early, but the Buckeyes tied the contest in the second half to force overtime, where they would score the game-winner in the 99th minute to escape the upset challenge by the Eagles. Despite the loss, McCabe's nine saves in the split weekend gave the sophomore goalkeeper MAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades.
The following game, EMU faced another nationally ranked foe in Washtenaw County rival No. 14 Michigan. The Green and White took the Wolverines to overtime before U-M found the golden goal in the extra frame to win 2-1, Aug. 30. Eastern battled its third straight B1G opponent on the road, Sept. 6, falling to Indiana in another one-goal decision. Staying in the Hoosier State, EMU and Butler played to a 1-1 tie, Sept. 8, the first draw of the season for the Eagles. Returning to Scicluna Field a week later, the Michigan State Spartans used two penalty kicks to sneak by EMU, 3-2, as the heartbreaking losses continued for Coach Hall's squad.
With a tough start to the season that produced a record of 1-4-1, Eastern got the ball rolling with a sweep over Stetson and Indiana State to end non-conference play. The Green and White downed the Hatters, 5-1, Sept. 20, and followed with a 4-0 shutout of Indiana State, Sept. 22. Vultaggio earned her first MAC Offensive Player of the Week honor and McCabe claimed her second Defensive Player of the Week award as the Eagles swept the weekly conference accolades. For the weekend, Vultaggio recorded a .700 shots-on-goal percentage, scoring on three of her seven attempts on goal. After scoring one goal and adding an assist against Stetson, she found the net twice against Indiana State to round out her weekend with seven points (three goals, one assist). McCabe allowed just one goal while making 11 saves in her strong defensive effort in 173 minutes of weekend play.
The Eagles carried its strong end to the non-conference portion of the schedule by defeating Northern Illinois and Toledo to open MAC play. Bianca Rossi (Mississauga, Ontario-St. Marcellinus) added a pair of goals and assists in the two victories to secure MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. One week later, the winning ways proceeded on the road as EMU took down Bowling Green, Oct. 4, and shut out Central Michigan, 3-0, Oct. 6. For the third consecutive week, an Eagle was tabbed the conference's best offensive player for the week as Clarke scored the game-winner against the Falcons while providing two assists in the three-goal victory over the Chippewas. During the six-game winning streak, EMU out-scored the opposition 22-6 to improve to 7-4-1 (4-0-0 MAC) on the season.
Eastern saw its winning streak come to an end as Ball State and Miami invaded Ypsilanti, Oct. 11 and Oct. 13, respectively. Both opponents escaped with 1-0 wins, which proved to be EMU's only setbacks in conference play against two strong MAC teams. The RedHawks of Miami ended the season as the MAC East Division champions while Ball State advanced to the MAC Tournament championship game, one win away from an NCAA Tournament berth.
The back-to-back losses placed the Eagles behind the eight ball in the quest for a MAC West Division title as well as the overall MAC crown. Nonetheless, the Green and White took care of business by rattling off a 3-0-1 record in its next four games, including a 4-1 victory over Akron on Senior Day, Oct. 27. Also, McCabe earned her third MAC Defensive Player of the Week as well as MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week for the period ending, Oct. 20. One week later, Vultaggio would earn recognition for her classwork and success on the pitch for back-to-back scholar athlete honors.
The four-match unbeaten streak as well as other results around the conference set up a battle for the MAC Championship on Halloween between the Eagles and rival Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich. The winner of the contest earned the right to call themselves the best in the West and MAC regular season champions, while the other would have to settle for the fourth seed in the MAC Tournament.
Despite the brutal weather conditions of sideways rain and a soggy field, the Eagles used a pair of second half goals to come back and down the Broncos, 2-1, at the WMU Soccer Complex, Oct. 31. Trailing 1-0 at the half, the Eagles kept the ball on their offensive side of the field for the majority of the second half, finally finding the open net in the 61st minute. After the WMU controlled the ball on the other side of the field, Cutaia made a run down the center of the field. The team co-captain found Vultaggio on the right side of the box, and the junior forward curled the ball past the WMU goalkeeper to tie the game, 1-1.
Five minutes later, Cutaia struck again, this time finding the net herself. Martha Stevens (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Marian) would pass to the senior midfielder, and Cutaia rifled a shot over the keeper from 20 yards out, handing her team a one-goal advantage, 2-1, with just 24:08 remaining in regulation. As they have done a superb job of all year, the Eagles held onto the lead, controlling ball possession and playing solid defense. The Broncos would not threaten for the rest of the game, as McCabe and the backline held strong. As the clock ticked down, the EMU faithful who made the trip began to get loud and on their feet. When the horn sounded to complete the Eagles' quest for the conference title, the EMU bench stormed the field to celebrate with their teammates.
With the conference's best record at the end of regular season play, Eastern earned the top seed for the 2013 MAC Tournament, hosting No. 8 seed Ohio in a quarterfinal contest at home. EMU held the Bobcats scoreless in the regular season with a 3-0 victory in Athens, Oct. 18, and the same result occurred Nov. 3 in the opening round affair as the Eagles cruised to a 3-0 win. The 'W' guaranteed that the remainder of the conference tournament would take place at the friendly confines of Scicluna Field. For EMU, a rematch with Western Michigan awaited, while Miami and Ball State would tangle in the other semifinal matchup.
While the Green and White took the regular season crown on WMU's home pitch, it was the Broncos who would get revenge eight days later as a goal in the early minutes of the contest proved to be enough for the 1-0 semifinal decision, ending the Eagles' magical ride. Eastern fell to a strong WMU team who ended up defeating Miami, 1-0, in the MAC Championship game to earn an NCAA Tournament berth where it defeated Marquette, the No. 8 ranked team in the nation, in the opening round.
The 2013 campaign meant the end of the careers for five Eagles: Clarke, Cutaia, Allison Kaim (Palos Hills, Ill.-AA Stagg), Emily Kowalzyk (Tinley Park, Ill.-Victor J.) and Megan Pedro (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Canterbury). Clarke's name will be etched in EMU history with 21 assists, the third-most in any EMU career. Cutaia will also be included in the record books as her 22 career goals rank fifth in EMU laurels while her 63 points are fourth on the program's career list. Over the past four seasons, the EMU seniors led the soccer program to 35 victories, including 25 in MAC play. In their last campaign, the seniors guided the team to 12 victories, the most at EMU since 2008. The five Eagles will leave the EMU soccer program as champions, capturing a 2013 MAC Championship in their final season.
Along with standing atop of the conference at the conclusion of the regular season, EMU led the MAC in several categories: points (137), goals (45), goals per game (2.14), assists (47) and assists per game (2.24). The offensively-charged Eagles produced the 33rd-best scoring offense in the nation, ranking 23rd nationally in points and 13th in assists. The 45 goals were the third-most scored in a single season in program history. Eastern was in every contest throughout the season as all seven losses were only by one goal.
Junior Angela Vultaggio (Chesterfield, Mich.-L'Anse Creuse North) paced the EMU high-octane offense with 13 goals and a MAC-best 34 points while senior Cara Cutaia (Burlington, Ontario-Notre Dame Catholic) followed closely behind with marks of 11 and 29, respectively. Vultaggio also led the team and conference in assists with eight as teammate Stephanie Clarke (London, Ontario-St. Thomas Aquinas) finished with seven on the season. Cutaia and Marisa Kozikowski (Troy, Mich.-Athens) had six assists apiece to round out the distribution leaders.
In her first full season in net for the Green and White, goalkeeper Megan McCabe (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) held down the defensive side of the pitch, stopping 93 shots in 21 games between the posts, leading to four individual shutouts. Overall, the sophomore tallied a 1.06 goals against average and an 80.2 save percentage while helping pitch five EMU shutouts. In 2013, she set an EMU single-season record facing 303 shots, passing Maggie Manville's previous school record of 277, set back in 2011.
As the MAC regular season champions, numerous Eagles graced the All-MAC teams, and two collected the coveted player of the year awards. Seniors Clarke and Cutaia, along with juniors Vultaggio and Emily Dzik (Troy, Mich.-Troy), earned All-MAC First Team spots while Kozikowski earned All-MAC Second Team accolades. In her debut season at EMU, freshman Madison Hirsch (Troy, Mich.-Troy) solidified her place on the All-Freshman Team. EMU Head Coach Scott Hall was tabbed as Coach of the Year for the third time in his career.
Leading the conference in nearly every offensive statistical category, junior forward Vultaggio became the third Eagle in program history to be named MAC Offensive Player of the Year. With 13 goals this season, the Chesterfield, Mich. native boasted the second-most goals scored in one season at EMU, trailing only Jessica Hupe, who scored 17 in 2002. Vultaggio's 34 points in 2013 ranked 31st in the nation and are also the second-most for one Eagle in a season, trailing Hupe's 39 points in her historic 2002 campaign. Leading the team in assists with eight, Vultaggio tied with Stephanie Janssens, Cyndi Mullins and Cutaia for the third highest total in one year.
Dzik shared the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award with Kent State University's Morgan Mah. The Troy, Mich. native led a back line that pitched five shutouts in 2013. Along with her play on defense, Dzik also proved to be an offensive threat on corner kicks as three headers found the back of the net this season. Starting every game for the Eagles, Dzik was second on the team in minutes played with 1,930 out of a possible 1,967 minutes. Dzik joined former EMU goalkeeper Monique Budani as the only Eagles to earn the MAC's highest defensive honor.
Rounding out the individual season awards, Clarke and Dzik were honored for their success on the pitch and in the classroom. Clarke was named Capital One Academic All-District First Team, and Dzik was selected Academic All-District Second Team as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Clarke boasts a 3.90 GPA as a biology major while the Dzik currently has a 3.98 GPA as a nursing major.
EMU started its 2013 campaign with a daunting non-conference slate that included four schools from the Big Ten Conference. The Eagles began with a 3-2 season-opening victory over in-state foe Detroit at Scicluna Field, Aug. 23. Two days later, Eastern traveled to Columbus to face then-No. 23 nationally ranked Ohio State. Cutaia put the Green and White on top early, but the Buckeyes tied the contest in the second half to force overtime, where they would score the game-winner in the 99th minute to escape the upset challenge by the Eagles. Despite the loss, McCabe's nine saves in the split weekend gave the sophomore goalkeeper MAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades.
The following game, EMU faced another nationally ranked foe in Washtenaw County rival No. 14 Michigan. The Green and White took the Wolverines to overtime before U-M found the golden goal in the extra frame to win 2-1, Aug. 30. Eastern battled its third straight B1G opponent on the road, Sept. 6, falling to Indiana in another one-goal decision. Staying in the Hoosier State, EMU and Butler played to a 1-1 tie, Sept. 8, the first draw of the season for the Eagles. Returning to Scicluna Field a week later, the Michigan State Spartans used two penalty kicks to sneak by EMU, 3-2, as the heartbreaking losses continued for Coach Hall's squad.
With a tough start to the season that produced a record of 1-4-1, Eastern got the ball rolling with a sweep over Stetson and Indiana State to end non-conference play. The Green and White downed the Hatters, 5-1, Sept. 20, and followed with a 4-0 shutout of Indiana State, Sept. 22. Vultaggio earned her first MAC Offensive Player of the Week honor and McCabe claimed her second Defensive Player of the Week award as the Eagles swept the weekly conference accolades. For the weekend, Vultaggio recorded a .700 shots-on-goal percentage, scoring on three of her seven attempts on goal. After scoring one goal and adding an assist against Stetson, she found the net twice against Indiana State to round out her weekend with seven points (three goals, one assist). McCabe allowed just one goal while making 11 saves in her strong defensive effort in 173 minutes of weekend play.
The Eagles carried its strong end to the non-conference portion of the schedule by defeating Northern Illinois and Toledo to open MAC play. Bianca Rossi (Mississauga, Ontario-St. Marcellinus) added a pair of goals and assists in the two victories to secure MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. One week later, the winning ways proceeded on the road as EMU took down Bowling Green, Oct. 4, and shut out Central Michigan, 3-0, Oct. 6. For the third consecutive week, an Eagle was tabbed the conference's best offensive player for the week as Clarke scored the game-winner against the Falcons while providing two assists in the three-goal victory over the Chippewas. During the six-game winning streak, EMU out-scored the opposition 22-6 to improve to 7-4-1 (4-0-0 MAC) on the season.
Eastern saw its winning streak come to an end as Ball State and Miami invaded Ypsilanti, Oct. 11 and Oct. 13, respectively. Both opponents escaped with 1-0 wins, which proved to be EMU's only setbacks in conference play against two strong MAC teams. The RedHawks of Miami ended the season as the MAC East Division champions while Ball State advanced to the MAC Tournament championship game, one win away from an NCAA Tournament berth.
The back-to-back losses placed the Eagles behind the eight ball in the quest for a MAC West Division title as well as the overall MAC crown. Nonetheless, the Green and White took care of business by rattling off a 3-0-1 record in its next four games, including a 4-1 victory over Akron on Senior Day, Oct. 27. Also, McCabe earned her third MAC Defensive Player of the Week as well as MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week for the period ending, Oct. 20. One week later, Vultaggio would earn recognition for her classwork and success on the pitch for back-to-back scholar athlete honors.
The four-match unbeaten streak as well as other results around the conference set up a battle for the MAC Championship on Halloween between the Eagles and rival Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich. The winner of the contest earned the right to call themselves the best in the West and MAC regular season champions, while the other would have to settle for the fourth seed in the MAC Tournament.
Despite the brutal weather conditions of sideways rain and a soggy field, the Eagles used a pair of second half goals to come back and down the Broncos, 2-1, at the WMU Soccer Complex, Oct. 31. Trailing 1-0 at the half, the Eagles kept the ball on their offensive side of the field for the majority of the second half, finally finding the open net in the 61st minute. After the WMU controlled the ball on the other side of the field, Cutaia made a run down the center of the field. The team co-captain found Vultaggio on the right side of the box, and the junior forward curled the ball past the WMU goalkeeper to tie the game, 1-1.
Five minutes later, Cutaia struck again, this time finding the net herself. Martha Stevens (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Marian) would pass to the senior midfielder, and Cutaia rifled a shot over the keeper from 20 yards out, handing her team a one-goal advantage, 2-1, with just 24:08 remaining in regulation. As they have done a superb job of all year, the Eagles held onto the lead, controlling ball possession and playing solid defense. The Broncos would not threaten for the rest of the game, as McCabe and the backline held strong. As the clock ticked down, the EMU faithful who made the trip began to get loud and on their feet. When the horn sounded to complete the Eagles' quest for the conference title, the EMU bench stormed the field to celebrate with their teammates.
With the conference's best record at the end of regular season play, Eastern earned the top seed for the 2013 MAC Tournament, hosting No. 8 seed Ohio in a quarterfinal contest at home. EMU held the Bobcats scoreless in the regular season with a 3-0 victory in Athens, Oct. 18, and the same result occurred Nov. 3 in the opening round affair as the Eagles cruised to a 3-0 win. The 'W' guaranteed that the remainder of the conference tournament would take place at the friendly confines of Scicluna Field. For EMU, a rematch with Western Michigan awaited, while Miami and Ball State would tangle in the other semifinal matchup.
While the Green and White took the regular season crown on WMU's home pitch, it was the Broncos who would get revenge eight days later as a goal in the early minutes of the contest proved to be enough for the 1-0 semifinal decision, ending the Eagles' magical ride. Eastern fell to a strong WMU team who ended up defeating Miami, 1-0, in the MAC Championship game to earn an NCAA Tournament berth where it defeated Marquette, the No. 8 ranked team in the nation, in the opening round.
The 2013 campaign meant the end of the careers for five Eagles: Clarke, Cutaia, Allison Kaim (Palos Hills, Ill.-AA Stagg), Emily Kowalzyk (Tinley Park, Ill.-Victor J.) and Megan Pedro (Fort Wayne, Ind.-Canterbury). Clarke's name will be etched in EMU history with 21 assists, the third-most in any EMU career. Cutaia will also be included in the record books as her 22 career goals rank fifth in EMU laurels while her 63 points are fourth on the program's career list. Over the past four seasons, the EMU seniors led the soccer program to 35 victories, including 25 in MAC play. In their last campaign, the seniors guided the team to 12 victories, the most at EMU since 2008. The five Eagles will leave the EMU soccer program as champions, capturing a 2013 MAC Championship in their final season.
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