Eagles Shutout Bobcats, 3-0, in MAC Tournament Quarterfinals

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Game Highlights.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Coming off clinching the Mid-American Conference regular season crown, the No. 1 seed Eastern Michigan University soccer team opened up MAC Tournament play with a 3-0 shutout victory over the No. 8 seed Ohio University Bobcats Sunday afternoon, Nov. 3, at Scicluna Field.

With the quarterfinal victory, the top-seeded Eagles (12-6-2, 8-2-1 MAC) will now host the remainder of the 2013 MAC Women's Soccer Tournament with semifinals taking place, Nov. 8, and the championship game set for Nov. 10. EMU will face the No. 4 seed Western Michigan University Broncos Friday, Nov.8, in one semifinal, while No. 2 Miami University will play No. 6 seed Ball State University in the other contest.

After scoring all three of her goals on penalty kicks during the regular season, senior Stephanie Clarke (London, Ontario-St. Thomas Aquinas) did not need the penalties to score EMU's first two goals of the contest against the Bobcats. Angela Vultaggio (Chesterfield, Mich.-L'Anse Creuse North) recorded the assist on Clarke's second goal before scoring one of her own in the second half to put the game out of reach. Junior Marisa Kozikowski (Troy, Mich.-Athens) helped her teammates find the open net, tallying two assists on the afternoon.

Megan McCabe (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) (12-6-2) stopped all six OU shots on goal to record her fourth individual shutout of the season. In goal for the Bobcats (7-8-5, 3-5-3 MAC), Mattie Liston (7-7-5) recorded five saves with all of them coming in the first half.

The high-powered EMU offense had its foot on the gas early, out-shooting Ohio 13-3 in the first 45 minutes of play. In the second half, Ohio came on the attack, taking 12 shots compared to just three for Eastern. However, with the lead, the Eagles were able to play solid defense and shutout out the Bobcats for the second time this season. Each team had five attempts at corner kicks, but both were unable to come up with a goal of any of them.

Clarke began the scoring in just the fifth minute of the contest. Coming down the right side of the field, the senior midfielder attempted a cross into the box. Instead of finding a teammate, the ball clanged off the far post and ricocheted into the back of the net, putting the Eagles ahead, 1-0 with just 40:06 remaining in the first half.

In the 33rd minute, Clarke struck again, this time from the top of the box. Vultaggio slipped a pass in to the London, Ontario native, and she sent a rocket past a lunging Liston to give Eastern a two-goal advantage that the team would take into the halftime break.

Vultaggio used some sweet footwork to score an insurance goal in the second half. After receiving a lead pass from Kozikowski, the crafty junior sprinted on a run to reach the ball before it arrived to an Ohio defender. The Chesterfield, Mich. native then sneaked past the defender where the OU goalie came out to challenge the shot. A couple of swift moves with her feet caused Liston to race after the ball, but Vultaggio chipped it over her head and into the net for her team-leading 13th goal of the season. With the three-goal advantage, the EMU back line held strong once again to produce the fifth shutout of the 2013 campaign.

After meeting just a few days ago, Oct. 31, to close out the regular season, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan will face off in the MAC Tournament semifinals, Nov. 8, at Scicluna Field. The start time is still to be determined. For the latest on EMU soccer and the 2013 MAC Women's Soccer Tournament, check out EMUEagles.com and mac-sports.com.

Eagles Shutout Bobcats, 3-0, in MAC Tournament Quarterfinals

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Team Stats

Stephanie Clarke

Angela Vultaggio

Marisa Kozikowski

Martha Stevens

Eastern Michigan Athletics