Women's Soccer Opens 2015 at Michigan and Butler

Live Stats va. Butler.

EAGLES TAKE TO THE ROAD FOR SIX STRAIGHT TO OPEN 2015 SLATE: Looking to start the 2015 season strong, the Green and White will have to do so on the road. After opening the season against Michigan Friday night, Aug. 21, EMU heads to Indianapolis for a bout with the Butler Bulldogs, Aug. 24, before squaring off against a trio of teams in Illinois.

RECAPPING EMU'S EXHIBITION MATCH AGAINST OAKLAND: Plenty of questions were answered in EMU's exhibition match against Oakland University, Aug. 15. Losing a majority of their top scorers from last season, the Eagles showed that several players have the ablility to be offensive threats as the Green and White netted five goals on their way to a 5-1 win. Kristin Nason tallied a match-high five points (2 goals, 1 assist) as the Eagles soared past the Golden Grizzlies for the first time in nearly a decade.
   With five goals scored, much of the spotlight turns towards the attack but equal credit is deserved by a tenacious defense. Rachel Washburn and Hallee Kansman imposed their physicality on Oakland's attack, leaving them with very few scoring opportunities. The veteran duo anchored the back line with Julia Lombardi and a trio of others containing runs down the sidelines. More impressive than the defensive showcase put on by the Eagles was the decision making by Washburn and Kansman. Winning possession, the pair consistently set up attacking opportunities for the Eagles with smart plays through the midfield while also recognizing opportunities to play the ball through to forwards.

SCOUTING REPORT: MICHIGAN: All eight of the players that scored a goal for the Wolverines a season ago return for the 2015 season, giving Michigan plenty of experience for the upcoming season. Nicky Waldeck and Ani Sarkisian return as dynamic offensive pair that combined for 49 points (16 goals, 17 assists), and exactly half of the Wolverines' goal prodcution. Defensively, Michigan welcomes back Megan Hinz between the pipes. The Wolverines' starting keeper as a "true" freshman last season, Hinz tallied 57 saves while boasting a 0.85 save percentage and a 11-3-3 record.
   In the last meeting between these neighboring rivals, a late goal by EMU's Bianca Rossi netted the equalizer in the 84th minute to force overtime. The Eagles fired of the first shot of overtime but No. 14 Michigan prevailed in the 100th minute, handing the Green and White a 2-1 loss.

SCOUTING REPORT: BUTLER: The Bulldogs enter an early week match up after opening the season with a match against Cleveland State Friday, Aug. 21, looking to build off of their 9-8-2 record from 2014. With the graduation of Elise Kotsakis, Butler's top goal scorer from last season, the Bulldogs will turn to Sophia Maccagnone and McKenzie Muchow on the offensive side of the pitch. Maccagnone totaled 20 points in her junior season, scoring five goals while adding 10 assists. Teaming up with Maccagnone in the midfield, Muchow added four points and four assists as a sophomore. While Maccagnone and Muchow will lead the offense, Jayne Heinrih returns in goal to anchor the Bulldogs' defense. Heinrich collected three shutouts as a sophomore, owning a 6-6 record with 32 saves and a .696 save perecentage.
   Last season's exhibition match up against the Bulldogs at Scicluna Field, Aug. 16, 2014, opened quietly as each team imposed it's defensive prowess to a scoreless match through 38 minutes of play until the Eagles broke into the scoring column. Moving the ball up field, Hallee Kansman sent a cross into the box. Leaping above the defense, Megan Trapp headed the cross past Butler's keeper, giving the Eagles an early 1-nil advantage. A foul inside the box in the 74th minute provided Maccagnone with a penalty kick opportunity for Butler. Nearly 15 minutes after Maccagnone's pentaly kick even the score at one, EMU's Madison Hirsch blasted a free kick from 20 yards out in the back of the net for the game winner as the Eagles won 2-1.

NON-CONFERENCE SLATE POSTS CHALLENGES FOR EMU: In preperation for Mid-American Conference play, the Eagles will play a grueling non-conference schedule featuring a pair of 2014 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament teams and an experience Michigan squad.
   EMU will take on No. 21 ranked DePaul in Chicago, Aug.28, their lone ranked opponent on the schedule. The Blue Demons hoisted the Big East Conference crown last season, earning an automatic bid to the national tournament. Unable to move past the opening round, DePaul was blanked 2-0 by Wisconsin.
   One week later, the Eagles will take the pitch against Illinois State in Normal, Ill. The Redbirds ran the table in Missouri Valley Conference play, posting a perfect 6-0 mark before winning the MVC tournament title, 2-1, over Evansville. Illinois State's impressive run continuted into the NCAA tournament, where they downed South Florida, 3-2, to advance to the second round. The Redbirds run came to an abrupt halt in round two as Pepperdine sent Illinois State packing with a 4-0 setback.
   A young team a season ago, the Wolverines return with an experienced roster for 2015. With their offensive pieces returning, and a pair of Big Ten All-Freshman selections on this year's squad Michigan has the experience last year's team lacked. With hopes of returning to their nationally ranked prowess of a few season ago, the Blue will challenge the Eagles in their season opener.
   With a strong overall non-conference schedule on the horizon, EMU's matches against DePaul, Illinois State, and Michigan will serve as early barometers for Coach Scott Hall's young team before jumping into a grueling conference schedule.

MAC PRESEASON POLL RELEASED, EAGLES PREDICTED TO FINISH THIRD IN WEST: After topping the Mid-American Conference West division the last two seasons, the Eagles were tabbed to finish third according to the MAC Preseason Poll. Ball State and Western Michigan tied atop the West with Buffalo favored to win the East. Predicted to finish behind Buffalo in the East, Miami received a conference-best six votes as the favorite to win the 2015 MAC Tournamanet champions.

AGGRESSIVE STYLE OF PLAY, KEY FOR EAGLES: As seen in the exhibition match, the Eagles ability to impose their physicality on opponents and play aggressively is a key for success. From winning balls in the air to winning battles on the sidelines, the Eagles dominating effort propelled them to the 5-1 victory over Oakland, Aug. 16.

FRESHMEN IMPRESS IN EXHIBITION DEBUTS: Thw Aug. 16 match featured a handful of new faces, beginning to make their case for minutes over the course of the season. Redshirting last season, Kristin Nason made her debut, leaving a mark that's hard to overlook when skimming the box score. Nason scored the Eagles' first two goals, en route to the 5-1 win, while collecting an assist on Michelle Rollins' goal in the 68th minute. Freshman Peyton Davis joined Nason as the only other underclassmen to register a point in the match. Collecting a cross from Rollins in the box, Davis powered a shot past the keeper.
   While Nason and Davis' impact were visibile on the stat sheet, Mikayla Cupp, Mackenzie Etienne, and Kaylin Williams also showed promise.Cupp earned minutes in the midfield, displaying a calm and collective demeanor under pressure. Battling in the midfield, Cupp also added to the aggressive style of play the Eagles embrace. Etienne took on a defensive role in her first action sporting the green and white, shutting Oakland down in transition and disrupting attempted plays near goal. Playing the entire second half, Williams split time in goal with senior Megan McCabe, making two saves with one goal against.

ODDAN, McCABE TO WEAR CAPTAINS ARM BAND: Seniors Megan McCabe and Chelsie Oddan will sport the red captains arm band for the Eagles in 2015. McCabe enters her fourth season with the Green and White, and third as the starting keeper. Appearing in 42 matches for the Eagles, McCabe has totaled 186 saves while boasting a 1.00 goals against average with 13 shutouts. Closing out her career, Oddan looks to add to her three goal and six assist stat line as a driving force in the EMU midfield.

DEFENSIVE STAPLES RETURN FOR 2015: Despite the loss of a large senior class, the Eagles backline is seemingly intact. With Megan McCabe between the pipes for the third straight season, Julia Lombardi, Rachel Washburn, and Hallee Kansman return to hold down the back line. In the fourth and final defensive spot, a combination of Chanel Vani and Jennifer Bentley could fill the slot. Vani earned the exhibition start, with Bentley earning minutes in the second half as she looks to return to her 2013 form. A starter for the Green and White in 2013, an injury kept Bentley from the pitch last sesaon. While one of the two will claim the starting spot before too long, the other will serve in important role of the bench as the season plays out.

AFTER WAITING IN THE WINGS, NASON PREPARED FOR NEW ROLE: Sitting a season, redshirt-freshman Kristin Nason had the opportunity to watch from the sidelines, learning a lot in the process. In her second season doning the Green and White, Nason is prepared for action. Earning a spot in the starting eleven in the Eagles' preseason match, Nason delivered a five-point effort to help EMU soar past Oakland University, 5-1. Displaying the patience and decision making of a veteran, spending one year watching the game has certainly helped Nason adapt to the speed at the college level. Showing the ability to break through opponent's backlines, Nason will be one of several attacking threats for the Eagles this season.

THERE'S NO 'I' IN TEAM: Recent Eagles' squads have rallied around one or two strikers to deliver a majority of the team's scoring, with graduation leaving this year's team in search of scoring. While it's easy to look to two players to step into the shoes of last year's duo, this year's team has another plan in mind. Filling the socring column with a committee of players instead of one or two, with the realization that more balanced scoring makes this team that much more dynamic. Red-shirt senior Chelsie Oddan returns for her sixth season as the Eagles most proven goal scorer alongside senior Megan Trapp and juniors Ellie Tillar and Madison Hirsch, while a talented group of underclassmen proved their ability to score in EMU's exhibition match. Working collectively as a unit, rather putting the load on two playmakers, this year's squad is poised to prove that they can claim the MAC West for the third straight year.

McCABE REBOUNDING WITH PLENTY OF MOTIVATION: The last time senior goalkeeper Megan McCabe was on the pitch, the Eagles were handed a 3-2 seson-ending loss in double-overtime by Western Michigan. The early exit from the MAC tournament stung the entire team, but perhaps McCabe even more. A hearbreaking loss was followed by an injury that left her off the pitch for an extended period of time. Sticking to a recovery plan, McCabe returned to preseason ready to reclaim her post. A four-save shutout effort in the Eagles' exhibition match under her belt, McCabe will look to be the first EMU goalkeeper to record a win against Michigan.

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Players Mentioned

Jennifer Bentley

Mikayla Cupp

Peyton Davis

Mackenzie Etienne

Madison Hirsch

Kristin Hullibarger

Hallee Kansman

Julia Lombardi

Megan McCabe

Chelsie Oddan

Michelle Rollins

Bianca Rossi

Ellie Tillar

Megan Trapp

Chanel Vani

Rachel Washburn

Kaylin Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics