Miami Hawk Talk News

Vistica named to Academic All-District First Team

Junior forward Kathleen Vistica, with a 3.92 GPA in Accountancy to go along with her team-leading numbers in goals (seven), assists (five), and points (nineteen), has been named to CoSIDA's Academic All-District First Team. Her excellence in the classroom and leadership on the pitch exemplify what Miami athletics are all about. Congratulations to Kathleen!

More at MURedHawks.com.

Miami clinches MAC tourney bid

For the sixth time this season, the Miami soccer team posted a shutout, downing NIU 1-0 in Oxford on Saturday. This game, though, meant something more. With the victory, the RedHawks moved to 6-4 in league play, guaranteeing Miami a spot in the MAC tournament--the program's sixth such appearance in seven years.

The match's only goal came at 16:32 of the first half, as freshman Allison Berkey assisted on sophomore Lindy Slinger's third game-winner of the season. The Huskies were limited to eight shots, and goalkeepers Leigh Terry and Shannon Chew combined for three saves.

More at MURedHawks.com.

Miami finishes second at Harvard Invitational

The RedHawks soccer team went 1-1 on the weekend's trip to Boston, defeating Northeastern 3-0 and losing to host Harvard 1-0 in the title game to finish second at the Harvard Invitational.

In Thursday's game against Northeastern, the Miami offense exploded, showing no signs of letdown after a thrilling upset victory of Michigan. Juniors Katie Boyd and Kathleen Vistica each scored, as did sophomore Lindy Slinger. Leigh Terry and Shannon Chew once again split time in goal for the RedHawks, and they stopped eight shots from the Huskies.

While the defense did a fine job in Sunday's action against the Crimson, the offense couldn't find its way. Miami held Harvard scoreless for sixty-seven minutes, thanks in large part to a fantastic leaping save by Terry that drew loud applause from the Harvard faithful, but Crimson sophomore Megan Merritt found the back of the net in the sixty-eighth minute to secure the Harvard victory. The RedHawks managed a scant two shots on goal in the contest.

For her fantastic defensive performance, senior defender Lindsay Dunmead was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Miami opens MAC play on Friday at Buffalo.

Read more about the Harvard game and the Northeastern game at MURedHawks.com. For another perspective on Sunday's action, be sure to check out The Crimson's article on the game.

RedHawks upset #17 Michigan

Fate finally smiled on the Miami soccer team this weekend, and the RedHawks took advantage of it. After being shut out in every game this season, Miami used an early first-half goal followed by 70 minutes of solid defense to pull off a stunning 1-0 upset of the #17 Michigan Wolverines on Sunday.

The game-winning goal came in the 19th minute, when team captain Megan Ortner fired a perfect cross in front of the Wolverine goal that was headed in by sophomore midfielder Lindy Slinger. From then on, excellent defensive work preserved the RedHawk lead, as goalkeepers Leigh Terry and Shannon Chew combined for nine saves (four and five, respectively). Chew faced an offensive flurry from Michigan, who had twelve second-half shots while she was in net. Miami's defense even survived a one-player disadvantage during the final five minutes of the game after sophomore midfielder Jennifer Rush was red-carded for tackling in the box.

The win over Michigan was Miami's first over a ranked opponent in five years and only the second in team history (the other was in 2001, when the RedHawks beat #19 WVU in the first round of the NCAA tournament). The team begins a road trip to Boston on Thursday, when they play Northeastern. A match with the Harvard Crimson follows on Saturday.

More at MURedHawks.com.

Soccer drops exhibition opener, picked 8th in MAC

The Miami soccer team opened its 2005 exhibition schedule on Tuesday, losing to Cincinnati 1-0 in Oxford. The only scoring came from the Bearcats’ Lauren Buland, who scored on an unassisted chip shot over Miami keeper Leigh Terry in the 53rd minute. The RedHawks, who were outshot 11-5, still looked quite impressive at moments, according to head coach Bobby Kramig.

Also yesterday, the RedHawks were selected to finish eighth in the preseason MAC coaches’ poll. Other coaches saw the graduation of two-time MAC Player of the Year Ashley Swinehart as a big loss for Miami, but Kramig believes his veteran squad (with two seniors and ten juniors, not to mention two All-Freshman players from last season) will be more balanced than in previous years. Defending MAC Champion Kent State was picked to repeat, while Northern Illinois is expected to bring up the rear.

More here and here, courtesy of MURedHawks.com.

Miami Bows Out in MAC Tourney

The SoccerHawks failed to carry their late-season momentum into the MAC tourney, falling to Central Michgan 2-1 in yesterday’s quarterfinals.

RedHawks Take Home Finale 2-1

All we’ve got right now is the score. We’ll have more details as they become available. Now you can head down to Millett to watch the volleyball team play OU.

Home Game This Afternoon!

If you’re in the area, get out to support Miami soccer at 3:00 PM today. The RedHawks take on EMU in a game that will determine final seedings for the MAC tourney. If you can’t make it, try listening to the live broadcast on MSNi.

Miami Clinches MAC Tourney Berth

Miami scoreless tie against Akron on Friday and rode an Ashley Swinehart hat trick to a badly needed 3-2 win over Central Michigan yesterday. With the four-point weekend, the SoccerHawks clinched a berth in the eight-team MAC tournament. They finish up the regular season by hosting Eastern Michigan on Friday at 3:00 PM.

Miami Struggles, But Hanging on to a Playoff Spot

The SoccerHawks dropped two games this weekend, falling to UC, 2-1, on Friday and losing a heartbreaker to Ball State on an own-goal in Muncie on Saturday. Despite the losses, Miami continues to hold on to the eighth spot in the MAC standings. Miami finally finishes a stretch of five straight road games with a trip to Akron on Friday before returning home to play CMU on Sunday.