Soccer Concludes 2021 Season Against Central Michigan

Soccer vs. Central Michigan
Date	Thursday, Oct. 28 - 3 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. - Scicluna Field
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Match Program
Live Stats	Live Stats
Twitter	@EMUSoccer \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University soccer team will conclude its 2021 season hosting Central Michigan Thursday, Oct. 28, at Scicluna Field.
   The match against the Chippewas is set to begin at 3 p.m. in Ypsilanti. Fans can follow the match against CMU via live stats. Additionally, updates will be posted from the team's Twitter account, @EMUSoccer.

LEADING THE EAGLES: EMU is led by a three-headed attack that includes redshirt junior Madeline Olson, sophomore Amanda Cripps, and freshman Jamie Lefebvre, all of whom lead the Eagles in goals (2). Cripps paces the Green and White in points (5), netting two and adding an assist to her season totals. The four points on the year for Olson puts her over the 20-point mark for her career (21) as she is now nine points away from the 30-mark.
   The Eagles' attack has been diverse as 10 different athletes have scored this season including Olson, Cripps, and Lefebvre; seniors Haley Tausend and Lindsey Shira, redshirt junior Chloe Chatzis, junior Sarah Ash, sophomore Tiffanie Hollingsworth, and freshman Maddie O'Farrell. Shira and freshman Lexy Alston lead the Eagles with two assists on the season. Additionally, Cripps paces EMU with 27 total shots and 11 shots on target.
   In net, senior Chelsea Abbotts leads the Eagles in saves (74) and owns both wins for Eastern in the 2021 campaign. Abbotts currently leads the Mid-American Conference in saves per game (6.17) and is fourth in the conference in total saves (74).

VIEWS FROM 2021: Eastern Michigan has a Mid-American Conference record of 1-7-2 entering the final match of the 2021 regular season. The Eagles finished non-conference play with an overall record of 1-5-1. Eastern will look to finish MAC play strong after the team dropped both matches this past week, falling to Ohio, 1-2, and Kent State, 1-2.
   Last time out, EMU dropped its match against the Golden Flashes by a goal, Oct. 24. sophomore Amanda Cripps led all Eagles with one goal on six total shots and three shots on goal. The forward scored her second goal of the season converting a penalty kick try to cut the two-goal deficit in half, but it was not enough for the Eagles. The goal was Cripps' 12th collegiate score as she now sits at 27 career points, three points shy of the 30-mark.
   The Bradford, Ontario native's six shots were a season-high and the first time Cripps has tallied five-plus shots since she recorded seven at Western Michigan, March 7, 2021.
Senior Chelsea Abbotts also tabbed six saves in 90 minutes of action in net for the Green and White.

RETURN OF THE MAC: Since 2012, Eastern Michigan has an overall record of 50-50-7 in Mid-American Conference play, outscoring the opposition 151-149 in that span.
   Head coach Scott Hall enters the 2021 campaign with a 131-92-26 career conference record. Hall's teams have qualified for the MAC Tournament 15 times and captured one tournament title, three regular-season titles, three appearances in the MAC title game, and nine top-five regular season finishes.

SAVES ON SAVES ON SAVES: After Sunday's match against Kent State, Oct. 24, senior Chelsea Abbotts is now tied for 26th in NCAA Division I ranks in saves per game (6.17). That mark also puts her atop the category in the Mid-American Conference.

SIX APPEARANCES, FIVE-PLUS SAVES: Sophomore Rebecca Przybylo made her sixth appearance in net for the Eagles versus Ohio, Oct. 21, tallying six saves for the Green and White. Przybylo has now tallied five-or-more saves in all six of her appearances in net for the Eagles (five starts).
   The Canton, Mich. native has 38 saves this season and 43 total career saves donning the Green and White.

A LOOK AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas come to Ypsilanti looking to earn a winning streak to end the regular season. CMU has an overall record of 8-7-1 and has a Mid-American Conference record of 5-4-1. Central's conference mark ranks them sixth in the MAC.
   The Chippewas will need a win on Thursday against the Eagles to stay in contention to make the MAC Championships. The top six teams make the postseason tournament and CMU ranks sixth with 16 points, while Miami ranks seventh with 15 points.
   Central's attack includes Jaelyn Dobrowolski who is tied for third in the MAC in assists (6) and tenth in the conference in shots (40).

HISTORY VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN: This will be the 26th meeting between EMU and CMU. The Eagles lead the all-time head-to-head series 16-6-3. The Eagles look to maintain a four-game winning streak held against the Chippewas, outscoring CMU 9-4 in those four contests.
   In the most recent contest, sophomore Amanda Cripps tallied the game-winning score in a 1-0 victory over Central, April 4, 2021.

LAST TIME IN YPSI: The last time the two teams met in Ypsilanti came inside the St. Joe's Sports Dome when the Eagles defeated the Chippewas, 2-1, March 4, 2021. Junior Sarah Ash and freshman Lexy Alston each scored for the Green and White in the victory.
   The last time the two programs met at Scicluna Field, EMU defeated CMU, 3-2, in an overtime victory. Former Eagle Sabrina McNeill, and then-sophomores Haley Tausend and Madeline Olson all scored for the Green and White in the victory. Tausend tallied the game-deciding goal for her first collegiate score.

SEASON FINALE: EMU is 5-5 in the program's last ten regular-season finales. Although the Eagles won't be a part of the postseason tournament, Head Coach Scott Hall and company will look to close the 2021 campaign with a victory on Thursday at Scicluna.

For updates on all things Eastern Michigan soccer, continue to check EMUEagles.com and be sure to follow the team on Instagram and Twitter, @EMUSoccer.

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Players Mentioned

Chelsea Abbotts

Lexy Alston

Sarah Ash

Chloe Chatzis

Amanda Cripps

Tiffanie Hollingsworth

Jamie Lefebvre

Sabrina McNeill

Maddie O'Farrell

Madeline Olson

Rebecca Przybylo

Lindsey Shira

Haley Tausend

Eastern Michigan Athletics