Soccer Welcomes Toledo for Thursday Match

Soccer vs. Toledo
Date	Thursday, March 18 \| 4 p.m.
Venue	St. Joe's Sports Dome \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Match Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com
Twitter	@EMU Soccer \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Coming off a 3-0 win at Northern Illinois, March 14, the Eastern Michigan University soccer team returns home to Ypsilanti to host the University of Toledo, Thursday, March 18, at the St. Joe's Sports Dome. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
   Fans can follow the game via live stats. The link can be found on the soccer schedule page of EMUEagles.com. Additionally, updates will be posted from the team's Twitter account, @EMUSoccer.

THAT'S 200: Eastern Michigan Soccer Head Coach Scott Hall notched his 200th career victory Sunday, March 14, with the Eagles' 3-0 win over Northern Illinois. Holding a career record of 200-177-54 and a 127-90-26 conference mark, Hall has compiled all his wins in Ypsilanti as the Head Coach at Eastern Michigan.
   The "Ironman of the MAC" is the longest tenured soccer coach in the conference, and his three MAC Regular Season titles are tied for the most in conference history.

MAKE WAY FOR MCNEILL: Redshirt senior Sabrina McNeill was the difference-maker for Eastern Michigan in its shutout of Northern Illinois, March 14. It took the Whitby, Ontario native just 13 minutes to find the back of the net for the game-winner, a shot taken from just outside the six-yard box in front of the goal.
   With the game locked up for the Eagles, 2-0, McNeill corralled a deflection from a blocked shot and made her way into Husky territory, taking the goalkeeper one-on-one and record the brace in the 78th minute.
   McNeill's four-point performance brings her to 56 career points, good for eighth place on the program's all-time career points list. With four more points, she can become the seventh player all-time to record at least 60 career points.

KYLIE'S KORNER: Eastern Michigan junior Kylie Frantz recorded her first goal of the season, and third of her career, at Northern Illinois, March 14. After being awarded a corner in the 19th minute, Frantz sent a perfectly executed kick into play, curving past the NIU defense to find the back of the net and put Eastern up, 2-0.

ALL ABOUT ABBOTTS: Senior goalkeeper Chelsea Abbotts had a strong showing at Northern Illinois, March 14. The Ottawa, Ontario native notched the first clean sheet victory of her career, tallying three saves on three shots on goal and facing eight total shots in the 3-0 victory for EMU.
   Abbotts went 110 minutes without allowing a goal to Bowling Green, Nov. 10, 2019, but the Eagles ultimately fell in the MAC Tournament Championship game in penalty kicks, 0-0 (1-3).

TALLY HO: Eastern Michigan's 3-0 win at Northern Illinois, March 14, was won by three players tallying their first points of the season. Sabrina McNeill and Kylie Frantz each notched points from their first goals of the season, while Alia Frederick assisted on McNeill's first goal to tally her first points in 2021.

SHUTOUT OR BE SHUTOUT: After being shutout by Western Michigan, 4-0, March 7, the Eastern Michigan soccer team returned to the pitch for its next contest and shutout Northern Illinois, 3-0, March 14.
   The last time the Eagles were shutout in a loss and shutout an opponent in its next game for a win was during the 2018 season, falling to Bowling Green, 1-0, Oct. 7, and shutting out Northern Illinois, Oct. 12, 1-0.
   The three-goal win also marks Eastern's largest margin of victory in shutout fashion since the Eagles defeated Miami by the same score, Oct. 18, 2018.

GAME OF POSSESSION: In each of its first three matches in 2021, Eastern Michigan has finished the match with the advantage in possession. Controlling the ball for 52% of the time against Central Michigan, March 4, and 54% of the time at Western Michigan, March 7, the Eagles continued to trend upwards, holding possession for 61% of the time at Northern Illinois, March 14.

PUTTING THEM ON FRAME: Through three games in 2021, Eastern Michigan not only leads its opponents in shots (45-34), but also in shots on goal. The Eagles have managed to put 29 of their shots on target, compared to opponents' 14, and leads its opponents in shots on goal percentage (.644 to .412).

SERIES HISTORY: Toledo holds a slight advantage over the Eagles in all-time matchups, 14-13-1. The Rockets have won the last three meetings between the two sides, scoring no less than four goals in its last three outings against EMU.

LAST MEETING: Eastern Michigan University fell to Toledo, 6-1, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, at Paul Hotmer Field. Then-redshirt senior Kristin Hullibarger recorded the lone goal of the game for the Green and White in the 63rd minute.
   Toledo took the lead in the 42nd minute, 1-0, and found the game-winner just 20 seconds into the second half. The Rockets would score four more times en route to their victory.

LAST TIME IN YPSILANTI: Eastern Michigan was tripped up in overtime, 4-3, by Toledo, Oct. 4, 2018 at Scicluna Field. Eastern Michigan held a 3-2 edge halfway through the second period, but Toledo prevailed with strikes in the 76th and 93rd minutes.
   Then-redshirt sophomore Sabrina McNeill put the Eagles on the board and in the lead in the 28th minute, 1-0, but Toledo responded with two goals to take a 2-1 halftime lead. Then-redshirt junior Kristin Hullibarger found the equalizer in the 58th minute, and then-sophomore Madeline Olson put the Green and White back in front with a strike of her own in the 62nd minute, 3-2.
Tying the match in the 76th minute, Toledo would notch the golden goal to win the game, 4-3.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan continues its three-game homestand, hosting Ball State University, March 21, at 1 p.m. at the St. Joe's Sports Dome. The following week, EMU will host Western Michigan, March 28, at 1 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Chelsea Abbotts

Kylie Frantz

Alia Frederick

Kristin Hullibarger

Sabrina McNeill

Madeline Olson

Eastern Michigan Athletics