Miami University junior midfielder Hailey Pleshakov dribbles past a sliding Belmont University defender last Friday. (Ryan Holtz | The Miami Student)
Coming off of a 5-0 victory against Belmont University, the Miami University soccer team (2-1-0) figures to face stiffer competition this weekend as they take on Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) (2-2-0) and the University of Louisville (1-1-1).
While the RedHawks are not familiar with Louisville, they know the Mastodons of IPFW all too well. The 'Hawks fell to IPFW at home last year 1-0 in double overtime.
Senior defender Sam Parrish said she wants to exact revenge against the Mastodons Friday.
"Going into Friday's game we all want to kill IPFW," Parrish said. "They're definitely a beatable team and I think we're looking a lot stronger this year on our bench, so I think that will help us [keep] fresh legs out there."
Head coach Bobby Kramig said he knows what to expect against the Mastodons this year.
"IPFW is a very well coached, organized, disciplined team," Kramig said. "They're tough to breakdown; they don't make a lot of mistakes. IPFW is not a team that is going to beat themselves. So we're going to have to be real proactive, we're going to have to work hard to break them down."
The Mastodons lost their last game to Butler University 2-0.
Freshman midfielder Gaby Romo leads the Mastodons with four points on two goals. Their offense has stalled out of the gate so far this year, scoring only four goals in four games.
Kramig said he had not viewed any game tape on Louisville yet, but after reading scouting reports he said he believes the Cardinals will offer a similar challenge to the RedHawks as IPFW.
"[They both have] similar systems of play," Kramig said. "I think that's the one thing that we've got going for us this weekend. I think that we'll see kind of a version of the same game against both teams."
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The toughest challenge for Miami will be to contain Louisville's senior forward Charlyn Corral. Corral earned Big East first team honors last year and leads the Cardinals with seven points and three goals.
The RedHawks' defenders have played well so far this season, as they have recorded two straight shutouts against Valparaiso University and Belmont. Belmont only managed to get four shots off against the 'Hawks defense.
Senior goalkeeper Allison Norenberg said she believes the defense has improved each game that the 'Hawks have played.
"In the game we played against Belmont we looked really strong," Norenberg said. "You could tell that just by the amount of shots were taken on goal [by Belmont]. It's definitely coming together. It's something we've worked a lot on in practice."
Norenberg said the 'Hawks are much deeper this year on the defensive side of the ball.
"We have a deeper bench this year, especially on defense," Norenberg said. "Last year we were really struggling [with fatigue]. These first couple games are all about getting people in, like the new freshmen, and getting used to playing with each other."
Kramig said he agrees with Norenberg that the 'Hawks depth will aid them this weekend as they play two games in three days.
The bench saw significant playing time against Belmont, and Kramig said he believes this experience will prove invaluable as the season progresses, especially when conference play begins later this month.
"Our depth has helped us up until this point," Kramig said. "I expect that it will continue to help us. The more experience we get some of the younger players on the team, the better off we are going to be."
Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. for Friday's match at IPFW. The 'Hawks will then face Louisville 1 p.m. Sunday, at home.
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