Eagles Return to Scicluna Field to Host Akron, Buffalo

Soccer vs. Akron \| Buffalo
Date	Thursday, Oct. 24 - 4 p.m. \| Sunday, Oct. 27 - 1 p.m.
Venue	Scicluna Field - Ypsilanti, Mich.
Match Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com
Twitter	@EMU Soccer \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University soccer team returns home Thursday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 27 for its final home Mid-American Conference games of the season. The Eagles will take on Akron Thursday at 4 p.m. and Buffalo Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday's match will also feature a halftime senior day ceremony.
   Both matches will have live stats available. The links can be found on the schedule page of EMUEagles.com. Additionally, the action on the pitch will be live-tweeted from the team's account, @EMUSoccer.

SERIES HISTORY: The Zips and Eagles have met 18 times, with Eastern leading the series 13-3-2. The two sides last met Sept. 28, 2018, in Akron, Ohio. The Green and White came away with the win, 1-0, on an overtime goal by redshirt junior Sabrina McNeill (Whitby, Ontario-Henry Street).
   Buffalo and Eastern Michigan have played each other 24 times in program history, with the Eagles holding the all-time series lead 10-8-6. In the Sept. 30, 2018 meeting at UB Stadium, junior Alia Frederick (Linden, Mich.-Linden) scored for the Eagles, but the Bulls fought back to win, 2-1, in overtime.

SCOUTING THE ZIPS AND BULLS: Akron arrives at Scicluna Field with a season record of 6-9-1, 3-4-1 MAC. Ashley Amato leads team on offense with four goals and eight points, while Libby Harper has been a consistent presence in the net, logging 38 saves in just shy of 1200 minutes of play.
   The Bulls are 8-6-1, 5-3-0 MAC this season. Leading the charge is Marcy Barberic with five goals, three assists, and team-leading 13 points. In goal, Emily Kelly has allowed 16 goals in 15 contests while accumulating 65 saves.

40 FOR 10: McNeill's sixth-minute goal at Miami, Sept. 27, pushed her past the 40 career points mark. Adding a goal against Northern Illinois, Oct. 4, and a brace Oct. 18 at Kent State, McNeill sits at 47 career points with 18 career goals and 11 career assists. The redshirt junior became the seventh member of the 40-point club, and ranks tied for 10th all-time with Stephanie Clarke for career points.

2 IN 1: Eastern Michigan has had two Eagles record a brace so far this season. First, junior Lindsey Shira (New Baltimore, Mich.-Anchor Bay) became the first Eagle to score two goals in a game, Oct. 6 vs. Western Michigan, since redshirt senior Kristin Hullibarger (Brooklin, Ontario-Donald A. Wilson) scored both goals in Eastern's 2-0 win over Kent State Sept. 21, 2018. McNeill followed, scoring a pair of goals Oct. 18 at Kent State.

EYEING THE RECORD BOOKS: Hullibarger took over sole possession of 11th place in all-time career points after recording an assist Oct. 4 against Northern Illinois. Scoring EMU's only goal Oct. 10 against Toledo, Hullibarger's 46 career points are just one short of McNeill and Stephanie Clarke's 47.

2 DOWN, BUT NOT OUT: Eastern Michigan, down by two goals to Western Michigan, came back to score two goals the span of a minute to tie, and eventually complete the 3-2 comeback win, marking the first time in program history the Eagles have come back from two goals down to win. The Eagles came back from down two goals to tie Oakland, 3-3, Aug. 19, 2012.

DEFENDER ON OFFENSE: Shira recorded the first brace of her college career Oct. 6, 2019 against Western Michigan. The pair of goals pushed her to nine points on the season, exceeding her previous career-high of six points in a season. Shira is now three points shy of 20 career points.

GAME-WINNERS: Shira has scored both game-winning goals for the Eagles in two consecutive matches. Oct. 4 against Northern Illinois, Shira scored in the 62nd minute to seal the win. Oct. 6 against Western Michigan, Shira scored the momentum-changing first goal in the 70th minute and found the back of the net for the go-ahead goal in the 83rd minute.

FIRST CAREER...: The first conference weekend of the season contained a couple milestones for Eastern Michigan soccer players. At Miami, Sept. 27, senior Aubrey Martin (Toronto, Ontario-Father John Redmond) recorded her first career point on an assist to junior Tessa Osborne's (Mentor, Ohio-Lake Catholic) 80th-minute goal.
   At Ball State Sept. 29, sophomore Sarah Ash (South Lyon, Mich.-South Lyon) recorded her first career goal, assist, and points. Her first goal came on her first career shot, as well. Ash assisted on McNeill's goal in the sixth minute and scored in the 50th minute at Ball State for her first three points.

ROAD WARRIORS: Eastern Michigan played six consecutive road games for the third time in the team's 25-year history. After first completing the road swing in 2001, the Eagles repeated the feat a decade later in 2011.
    The longest road swing the Green and White have taken occurred in 2008 for a seven-game non-conference road slate.

110 MINUTES WITHOUT A GOAL: Eastern Michigan and Youngstown State ended in a 0-0 tie after two overtime periods Sept. 13, 2019. This is the first scoreless draw for the Eagles since October 16, 2016 against Kent State. This was the 19th time in 25 seasons that Eastern has ended in a scoreless tie.

GOAL SCORING DEBUT: Freshman Amanda Cripps (Bradford, Ontario-Trinity Catholic) became the first freshman to score for Eastern Michigan in her collegiate debut since Angela Vultaggio Aug. 19, 2011 in a 2-2 2OT draw with Pittsburgh.

SUPER SENIORS: Returning for their redshirt senior seasons, Hullibarger and Peyton Davis (North Ridgeville, Ohio-Holy Name) look to leave their mark on EMU soccer. Hullibarger led the Eagles with eight goals and 21 points during the 2018 season and grabbed Second Team All-MAC honors. Hullibarger's 18 career goals to date ranks ninth all-time in program history.
Davis returns for her final season after sitting out the 2018 season due to injury. In the season prior, she led the team with five goals and 12 points while earning Second Team All-MAC and Academic All-MAC honors.

OFFENSIVE POWER: Of the 27 goals scored by Eastern Michigan in 2018, 26 were scored by returning members to the 2019 roster (Hullibarger (8), McNeill (7), Olson (3), Kerr (2), Frantz (1), Osborne (1), Cobetto (1), Frederick (1), Tausend (1), Chatzis (1)).

OH, CANADA!: The 2019 Eastern Michigan roster features 11 Canadian players. The 11 members tie the 2018 roster record for most Canadian members of the team.

IRONMAN OF THE MAC: Scott Hall enters his 21st season at the helm of Eastern Michigan's soccer program. Hall is the longest tenured coach in the MAC, and his three MAC Regular Season titles are tied for the most in conference history. Hall has compiled a 194-175-53 career record and 121-84-27 mark in MAC play.

MAC PRESEASON POLL: The Eagles were selected to finish seventh in the Mid-American Conference in 2019 after finishing the 2018 campaign with an overall record of 10-11, 5-6 in the MAC. The Eagles return 23 of 26 members from the 2018 squad.

2019 MAC Preseason Poll
1. Bowling Green
2. Ball State
3. Kent State
4. Buffalo
5. Ohio
6. Western Michigan
7. Eastern Michigan
8. Central Michigan
9. Akron
10. Toldeo
11. Miami
12. Northern Illinois

ON THE HORIZON: The Eagles will conclude regular season MAC play Thursday, Oct. 31 at Central Michigan. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.

FOLLOW THE ACTION: Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUSoccer and @EMUAthletics on Twitter for all of the latest EMU soccer updates. Be sure to use the hashtag #EMUEagles.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sarah Ash

Amanda Cripps

Peyton Davis

Alia Frederick

Kristin Hullibarger

Aubrey Martin

Sabrina McNeill

Tessa Osborne

Lindsey Shira

Angela Vultaggio

Eastern Michigan Athletics