EMPORIA STATE SOCCER FACES CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IN MIAA TOURNAMENT

Game 19
#6 Emporia State Hornets (8-8-2, 6-5-0 MIAA)
vs #3 Central Oklahoma Bronchos (12-5-1, 8-3-0 MIAA)
Wednesday, Nov. 2 • 3:00 p.m. • Thompson Soccer Field • Edmond, Okla.
Series Record: UCO leads 4-1-2 Last Meeting: ESU 2, at UCO 0 (10/02/16)
Live Stats • Game Notes
Up Next: MIAA Tournament • Friday, Nov. 4 • TBA

MIAA TOURNAMENT
Sixth seeded Emporia State travels to Edmond, Okla. to take on the third seeded Central Oklahoma in the first round of the MIAA Tournament at 3:00 p.m. on Thompson Soccer Field. The Hornets are 1-3 all-time in the tournament, with losses coming in 2011 to Northwest Missouri, 2013 to Southwest Baptist and 2014 Southwest Baptist. The single win was over Northeastern State in 2013.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State secured their spot in the MIAA Tournament with a 1-0 win at Washburn for their second Turnpike Tussle of the season. With 20:24 left in the first half, Tiffany Jones sent a cross towards the goal that Maddie Taylor redirected for the game winning goal, propelling the Hornets to their third straight win. With the win against the Ichabods, the Hornets improve to 13-0-1 in their last 14 matches in which they have scored first.
The Hornets dropped their last regular season match 1-0 at Neb.-Kearney. Emporia State fell in the final two minutes, the second time this season they have fallen in the last 90 seconds to the Lopers. The Hornets had a 4-1 advantage on corner kicks and a 5-3 edge in shots during the first half, but could not convert a goal. In the second half the Lopers had the advantage in shots at 7-3 and took the only corner after half.
 
THE COACHES
Bryan Sailer is 40-52-18 in his sixth year at Emporia State and is the winningest coach in program history. He has a career record of 99-75-20 that includes coaching four years at the community college level. He is 1-2-2 against Central Oklahoma.
Mike Cook is 265-117-28 in his 18th year at Central Oklahoma. He is 4-1-2 against Emporia State.
 
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 8-8-2 on the season and 6-5-0 in the MIAA. They are seeded sixth in the MIAA Tournament. They have outscored their opponents 21-13 on the season. They have been shut out 1-0 in seven of their eight losses this season. There have been 11 different players to score a goal on the season. Yadira Rivera and Astrid Buttner Costa have combined for six shutouts in goal.

SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS
Central Oklahoma is 12-5-1 on the season, 8-3-0 in the MIAA earning them the third seed in the conference tournament. The Bronchos lead the MIAA with 310 shots and are second with 93 corners. Central Oklahoma is also top five in the conference with 35 total goals.
Caitlin Moore comes in at second in the MIAA with six assists on the season. Katie Killion is fifth in the MIAA with eight goals on the season, joined by Asha Halle with six goals.
Goalkeeper Ally Salls has 1408:11 minutes in goal this year and is eighth in the MIAA with a .800 save percentage. Salls is also seventh with 64 total saves. The Bronchos are 10-5-1 on the season with Salls in goal.
 
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the eighth meeting between Emporia State and Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos lead the all-time series 4-1-2, having both ties and the loss to Sailer.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST UCO
Emporia State snapped a three game losing streak and handed Central Oklahoma their first MIAA loss with a 2-0 win in Edmond, Okla. It was also the first MIAA win for the Hornets as well as their first win over the Bronchos in program history.
The teams battled through a scoreless first half although the Bronchos out shot the Hornets 12-2 in the opening frame. In her first start of the season, Astrid Buttner Costa had five saves in the first half in goal for Emporia State.
In the 57th minute, Emily Haselwood connected off a corner kick from Maddie Taylor to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. Nicole Dietrich sent a cross in the 72nd minute and Kennedy Hoffman converted after a scramble in front of the goal to give Emporia State a 2-0 lead.
For the match, Emporia State was out shot 16-4, but the Hornets converted two of their three shots on goal while Buttner Costa recorded seven saves.
 
UP NEXT
If Emporia State defeats Central Oklahoma they will advance in the MIAA Tournament. They will face the winner of the #7 Missouri Western - #2 Fort Hays game on Friday, Nov. 4 against the highest remaining seed. The time is also still to be determined.
 
D IT UP
Emporia State has given up just 13 goals in 18 games, and three of them came while playing a person down, while playing the second most minutes in the MIAA this year.  They are ranked fourth in the league with a 0.72 goals against average.  The Hornets have posted seven shutouts on the season with three different keepers taking a part in them.
 
KEEP IT OUT
Keeper Yadira Rivera (Sr./Emporia, Kan.) missed three matches with a knee injury before returning to action against Central Missouri. She is ranked third in the MIAA in saves per match and save percentage, fourth in goals against average and eighth in shutouts. Her four shutouts this year give her 25 in her career. She is a three time All-MIAA performer and was named MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year as a sophomore in 2014. She has 350 career saves and a 0.99 goals against average in 64 career matches.
 
IT'LL COST YA
Keeper Astrid Buttner Costa (So./Asuncion, Paraguay) played in three and a half matches in goal and has not given up a goal while the Hornets are playing with a full team. She played the final 58 minutes at Northeastern State and gave up three goals while Emporia State was playing a person down.  Since then she has gone 251:13 without giving up a goal and became the first Hornet keeper to post three straight shutout wins against MIAA competition in school history.
 
THE DEFENSE RESTS
A large part of the Hornet keeper success rests with the veteran back line of defenders. Defenders Emily Haselwood (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) and Jaide Allenbrand (Sr./Olathe, Kan.) along with midfielder McKenzie Koch (Sr./Shawnee, Kan.) have been a big part of the Hornet defense over their careers. 
Haselwood was named MIAA Defender of the Week when the Hornets posted shutouts of Southwest Baptist and Missouri Southern following a clean sheet against Central Oklahoma. She has started every match since she set foot on campus, except for her red-shirt season last year.
Allenbrand has also started every game she has suited up for at Emporia State while missing the 2014 season with an injury. She is a two-time All-MIAA selection, earning third team honors in 2015 and second-team recognition in 2013.
Koch has one assist on the year with a total of nine goals and six assists in her career.  She has started all 71 games since setting foot on campus in 2013.  She was the Hornets leading scorer with five goals and an assist on her way to honorable mention All-MIAA honors as freshman.
 
YOUNG ONES
Nine of the 11 Hornets that have scored a goal are either freshmen or sophomores. 
Maria Walden (So./Wichita, Kan.) has two goals on the season. She was an honorable mention All-MIAA pick last year. She has started all 31 matches she has played in since coming to Emporia State from Bishop Carroll HS.
Tiffany Jones (So./Tulsa, Okla.) has 12 starts and has played in all 18 games this year with a goal and two assists. She has not missed a game at Emporia State since coming here after starting for four years at Broken Arrow HS.
Shelby Keyes (So./Shawnee, Kan.) had two assists against Missouri Southern and has started all 32 matches since she arrived at Emporia State. She was a first-team All-Class 5A player at St. James Academy.
Jacki Martinek (So./Topeka, Kan.) has started 13 of 18 games this year with a goal at UC-Colorado Springs. She started 17 of 18 matches last season for the Hornets. She was a part of back to back Class 4A State Championship teams at Topeka Hayden HS.
Savannah Hallier (So./Gardner, Kan.) has played in 13 games this year. She scored a goal in just six minutes of action against Missouri Southern. She was the leading scorer in Gardner-Edgerton HS history.
Maddie Taylor (Fr./Manhattan, Kan.) has three goals and three assists for nine points on the year.  She was a first-team All-Class 6A performer for Manhattan HS.
Kennedy Hoffman (Fr./Shawnee, Kan.) has three goals and one assist in 15 games on the season with just four starts. She earned second-team All-Class 5A honors for Mill Valley HS last season.
Tanna Benefiel (Fr./Wichita, Kan.) has scored three goals for the Hornets, dished out three assists and has started all 18 games this year. She led Maize HS to an 18-1-1 record as a senior.
Nicole Dietrich (Fr./Ft. Collins, Colo.) scored the game winning goal against Ft. Hays State in overtime. She was a first-team All-Front Range League selection as a senior at Ft. Collins HS.
Elizabeth Andersag (Fr./St. Pankratz, Italy) has started three matches and scored a goal at UC-Colorado Springs.