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Red and White fall short in MAC championship game

Drew McDonell

The Miami University field hockey season came to an end Nov. 6  after Kent State University defeated the RedHawks in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship game 3-2 in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

The RedHawks started the MAC tournament with a bye into the semifinals, where they took on the Ohio University Bobcats Nov. 5.

The Bobcats attacked the goal early, shooting three shots on goal within the first 10 minutes. Freshman Sarah Mueller blocked all three shots, keeping the RedHawks level in the game.

The game remained scoreless the majority of the half until freshman Kelsey Lund sunk the ball into the net with an assist from sophomore Olivia Miller. The Bobcats attacked the Miami goal relentlessly until the first half ended with a score of 1-0.

Miami came back from halftime full of momentum. Senior Mary Hull wasted no time, as she scored another point for Miami with an assist from senior Kate Snyder. In the 63rd minute, junior Kylie Landeros scored the final point of the game, clinching the win 3-0.

"I think it was a really good battle today between two really good teams," Head Coach Jill Reeve said. "We really had to fight for it."

The RedHawks advanced to the championship game, where they took on the Kent State University Golden Flashes. The game was evenly matched during the first half, with both teams taking five shots on goal.

"I was really excited for our games because they are such huge rivals," freshman Emily Gruesser said. "They were both very aggressive and physical games. For me, that makes it more exciting because we have an extremely tough team."

Miami was the first to put a point on the board, when Landeros scored during the 45th minute of play with an assist from junior Amanda Seeley. The Red and White did not remain in the lead for long. Kent State scored a shot on the RedHawk's goal, tying the game 1-1.

Miami was back on the offensive as Gruesser broke away and scored another point for Miami. The Golden Flashes fired back within 30 seconds, leveling the score back at 2-2. The game remained tied until the end of the period when Kent State scored the game-winning point, ending the match at 3-2.

While the 'Hawks did not take home the championship title, the team was still proud to take home several MAC awards. Hull and junior Amanda Seeley were named First Team All-MAC, while Landeros, Mueller and senior Christine Brightwell were named Second Team All-MAC.

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Reeve also won an award and was given Coach of the Year honors, a first in Miami history. Reeve has led Miami to a 13-6 record in 2010 and has a 77-72 record overall. This is the first time Miami has earned a share of the MAC crown since 1984.