Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
3-1-4, 1-0-1
Central Michigan
2-6-1, 0-2-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Mich. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eastern Mich. | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Soccer Tops Central Michigan, 3-0, Behind Second-Half Surge
9/20/2026 4:15:00 PM | Soccer
Eastern has scored three goals in each of its three home matches
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University soccer team defeated Central Michigan University, 3-0, at Scicluna Field Sunday, Sept. 20, erupting for three second-half goals to claim its first MAC win of the season.
Eastern entered the match having drawn each of its previous two conference contests, but the Eagles left no doubt Sunday, breaking a scoreless deadlock in the 60th minute and adding two more goals before the final whistle to post a dominant shutout victory over the Chippewas.
How It Happened
The first half was a tightly contested, scoreless 45 minutes, with neither side able to break through. Eastern held a clear edge in possession and pressure but could not convert, sending both teams to the locker room level at 0-0.
The second half was a different story entirely. Meredith Werner (Broadview Heights, Ohio/North Royalton) broke the deadlock in the 60th minute, finishing off a pass from Olivia Sipsock (Medina, Ohio/Medina) to put Eastern ahead 1-0. The goal was Werner's first at Eastern Michigan.
Seven minutes later, Christie Fransen (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster/Bowling Green) stepped to the spot and converted a penalty kick in the 67th minute to double the advantage, making it 2-0. The goal was Fransen's second penalty kick goal at EMU and her third goal of the 2026 season.
Eastern put the match away in the 79th minute when Ella Miller (Mount Morris, Pa./Morgantown) found the back of the net off assists from Kate Cerveny (Elizabeth City, N.C./Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies) and Fransen, completing the 3-0 final. The goal was Miller's first at Eastern Michigan.
In goal, Ella Holland (Dunwoody, Ga./Dunwoody/Samford) was steady throughout, making one save to preserve the clean sheet and record her 20th career shutout at Eastern Michigan.
Game Notes
» Eastern moved to 3-1-4 overall (1-0-1 MAC) while Central Michigan University fell to 2-6-1 overall (0-2-0 MAC).
» Eastern held a 14-6 advantage in shots and a 6-7 deficit in corner kicks. EMU placed 10 of its 14 shots on goal.
» Christie Fransen converted a penalty kick in the 67th minute — her second PK goal at EMU and third goal of the 2026 season. She also added an assist on Ella Miller's goal in the 79th minute, her first recorded assist at Eastern Michigan.
» Meredith Werner scored the game-winning goal in the 60th minute — the first goal of her career at Eastern Michigan.
» Ella Miller scored in the 79th minute, the first goal of her career at Eastern Michigan.
» Ella Holland played all 90 minutes in goal, making one save to record her 20th career shutout at Eastern Michigan. Holland has now played 3,780 consecutive minutes in net for the Eagles.
» All three EMU goals came in the second half, with Eastern scoring in the 60th, 67th and 79th minutes after a scoreless first half.
» EMU improved to 3-0-0 at home at Scicluna Field in 2026, with all three home wins coming by a score of 3-0 or better.
Historical Notes
» EMU leads the all-time series against Central Michigan University, 18-8-5, across 31 total meetings. Eastern's all-time home record against the Chippewas is now 10-4-3.
» The 2026 Eagles are the first EMU team since 1997 to score three or more goals in each of their first three home matches. The 1997 squad opened with a 6-1 win, a 3-0 win and a 5-0 win at home; no season between 1998 and 2025 matched that feat.
» Eastern has allowed just three goals through its first eight matches of 2026 — a program first. No EMU team in program history (back to 1995) had allowed three or fewer goals through eight games; the previous best was four goals allowed through eight matches, achieved in 2006.
» At 3-1-4 through eight matches, the 2026 Eagles are the first EMU team since 1999 to have just one loss through the first eight games of a season. The 1999 squad went 7-1-0 through their first eight matches — the only other time in program history that feat was accomplished.
» Ella Holland's 20th career shutout at Eastern Michigan moves her up the program's all-time list. She entered the match ranked third in program history in career shutouts and seventh in career saves, with 284 saves at EMU entering Sunday's match.
Up Next
Eastern hits the road Saturday, Sept. 27, to face Buffalo in Buffalo, N.Y.
Follow Us
For more information on EMU Women's Soccer, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the Eagles on social.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Meredith Werner (1)
Assisted By: Olivia Sipsock
GOAL by EMU Werner, Meredith Assist by Sipsock, Olivia.
60:06
Christie Fransen (2)
EMU Christie Fransen PENALTY KICK GOAL.
67:37
Ella Miller (1)
Assisted By: Kate Cerveny , Christie Fransen
GOAL by EMU Miller, Ella Assist by Cerveny, Kate and Fransen, Christie.
79:44