#17 EMPORIA STATE TAKES ON #11 CENTRAL MISSOURI IN MIAA SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Women's Soccer | 11/12/2021 10:27:00 PM

Game 21
MIAA Tournament Championship
#17 Emporia State Hornets (17-2-1, 9-2-0 MIAA)
at #11 Central Missouri Jennies (17-2-1, 9-1-1 MIAA)
Sunday, Nov. 14 • 1:00 p.m. • South Rec Complex • Warrensburg, Mo.
Series Record: UCM leads 25-5-2 Last Meeting: at ESU 4, UCM 3 OT (10/24/21)
Internet (Video): themiaanetwork.com/esuhornets
Live Stats • Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: winner earns automatic berth in NCAA Tournament
Friday, Nov. 19 • TBA • TBA • TBA

CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
Emporia State will make their first appearance in the MIAA Tournament Championship Match as they take on Central Missouri. It is the first time in MIAA Championship history that both teams are ranked in the Top 25 of the nation.

LAST TIME OUT
For the first time in school history Emporia State will play in the MIAA Women's Soccer Championship match following the Hornets 2-0 win over Northwest Missouri in the tournament semi-finals. Emporia State was going against the wind in the opening half.  With time winding down in the first half, Mackenzie Dimarco got the ball just past midfield, split two defenders and put a shot past the challenging Bearcat keeper with just 3:03 left in the half.  Emporia State took a 1-0 lead into the break as they had a 9-3 advantage in shots and a 3-0 edge in corner kicks in the first 45 minutes. With just over ten minutes left in the match Joanie Westcoat took a free kick from midfield that bounced off the left post. Hannah Woolery got a shot off from in front of the goal that was deflected and Gabby Crowell was able to put the rebound in the net for a 2-0 lead with 10:10 left in the match. For the match Emporia State outshot Northwest Missouri 14-9 with a 9-1 advantage in shots on goal.

THE COACHES
Bryan Sailer is 92-74-25 in his tenth year at Emporia State and is the winningest coach in program history and seventh winningest coach in MIAA history. He has a career record of 151-97-27 that includes coaching four years at the community college level. He has led the Hornets to eight straight .500 or better regular seasons, four straight MIAA Tournaments and their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. He is 2-9-1 against Central Missouri, and 0-2 against the Jennies in MIAA Tournament play.
Lewis Theobold is 253-37-11 in his 14th season for Central Missouri. He is 19-2-1 against Emporia State, 2-0 in tournament play.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 17-2-1, 9-2-0 in the MIAA, ranked #17 in the nation, #3 in the NCAA Central Region and are the #2 seed in the MIAA Tournament. They are in the top 25 in the nation and lead the MIAA in shots and shots on goal, are second in the league in goals and points, while ranking third in the MIAA in goals against. Mackenzie Dimarco is second in the nation in goals scored, ranks third in shots on goal, fifth in total points, sixth in shots, and ninth in game winning goals.

ABOUT CENTRAL MISSOURI
The Jennies are 19-2-1 overall, 9-1-1 in the MIAA, ranked #11 in the nation, #1 in the Central Region and are the top seed in the MIAA Tourney. They have won four straight matches. UCM leads the MIAA in scoring and is fifth in defense.

SERIES HISTORY
The Jennies lead the all-time series 25-5-2 although they have split their last four matches. Emporia State also picked up a 4-2 win in Warrensburg during the unofficial spring season.

LAST TIME VS. JENNIES
The #15 Hornets defeated #8 Central Missouri 4-3 in double OT. Hannah Woolery scored first in the 23rd minute. UCM responded ten minutes later with a goal from Sydney Leslie to send the match to the half tied 1-1. UCM took a 3-1 lead with a pair of goals in the first 18 minutes of the second half. Liz Palmer scored for ESU with 23 minutes remaining. In the final minute, the Hornets won a corner kick from Hannah Woolery. Aislinn Hughes' header found the back of the net with 4.3 seconds left to send the match to overtime. In the second overtime, Hughes doubled up with another headed goal from an Ashlynn Lakin throw-in to give the Hornets the 4-3 win.
 
UP NEXT
Both teams should advance to the NCAA Central Regional next week.
MIAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Emporia State is 5-6-1 all-time in the MIAA Tournament with wins in each of the last three tournaments. This is their first MIAA Championship match appearance aftermaking three straight trips to the semifinals. Emporia State has played five road, four neutral site and three home matches in their previous 12 MIAA Tournament match-ups and they are undefeated on the ESU Pitch in MIAA Quarterfinal action.

IN THE RANKINGS
Emporia State is ranked #17 in the United Soccer Coaches Association National Poll.
In the more important for post season play NCAA Division II Regional Rankings, Emporia State is ranked third behind Central Missouri and Bemidji State.  The MIAA has four of the top six regionally ranked schools. The automatic qualifiers from the MIAA, NSIC and GAC along with the next four highest regionally ranked teams advance to the NCAA Central Region Tournament.

REGIONAL RANKING CRITERIA
The following criteria go into the regional rankings:
 ? In-region winning percentage.
 ? Division II winning percentage.
 ? Division II strength of schedule (opponents' average winning percentage and opponents' opponents' average winning percentage).
 ? Division II head-to-head competition.
 ? Results versus Division II common opponents.
 ? In-region non-conference won-lost record.
 ? In-region strength of schedule (opponents' average winning percentage and opponents' opponents' average winning percentage).
 ? Performance indicator.

BUILDING BLOCKS
Emporia State's 17 wins is a school record for the most wins in a season. It is the third straight season the Hornets have posted double figure victories. They are in the MIAA Tournament for the fifth straight season and are making their first appearance in the Championship match. Emporia State has finished the regular season with at least a .500 record for eight straight seasons.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Emporia State players have earned eight MIAA Soccer Athlete of the Week awards this season.
Mackenzie Dimarco has picked up three Offensive Player of the Week awards, first on September 14, again on September 28 and on November 2 for the final week of the season.
Joanie Westcoat has twice been named the Defender of the Week, first on September 14 and most recently on October 12.
Ashlyn Lakin was named the MIAA Defender of the Week on September 21.
Hannah Woolery was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on September 21.
Jillian Patton earned Goalkeeper of the Week honors on September 28.

RECORD BOOK
Since 2018 Emporia State has set seven individual single season school records and moved into the top five in three other categories.  Hornets have also set seven individual career records. They have also set an MIAA record
Mackenzie Dimarco tied the MIAA single season goals scored record. She holds Emporia State single season records for points, points per game, goals, goals per game, game winning goals, shots attempted, and shots per game.  She is the career record holder for goals, game winning goals, points per match, goals per match, shots, and shots on goal.
Jillian Patton has the Emporia State career record for wins in goal.
Hannah Woolery is third in single season shots, tied for third in single season assists, and tied for second in career assists.
Ashlyn Lakin is tied for second in career assists and tied for third in single season assists.

THE MARC
Forward Mackenzie Dimarco (So./Pleasant Hill, Mo.) was a First-Team All-MIAA selection at forward. She is leading the MIAA in goals, game winning goals and shots this season and is ranked second in total points and fourth in shot on goal accuracy. She is second in the nation in total goals, third in shots on goal per game, fifth in total points, sixth in goals and shots per game, and ninth in game winning goals. She had her second career hat trick against Neb.-Kearney on the way to the second of her three MIAA Offensive Player of the Week awards. Her three Offensive Player of the Week awards were tied for the most in the MIAA this season. She has tied the MIAA record of 20 goals in a season set by Jada Scott of Central Missouri while playing in 23 matches in 2018.
She was the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Central Region selection in 2019.  She had a school record 18 goals and 40 points scored on her way to MIAA Freshman of the Year honors as well.  Her 40 points rank tenth on the MIAA single season list. She also has the Emporia State single season records for points per game, goals per game, shots attempted and shots per game as well as the career mark for game winning goals, shots and shots on goal.
She is a three-time MIAA Offensive Player of the Week this season and earned the honor one time during her record setting freshman campaign.
Off the pitch she was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District performer with a 3.69 GPA in rehabilitation.

FLIPPING OUT
Defender Ashlyn Lakin (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) was a First-Team All-MIAA selection. She is second in the MIAA in assists this season with seven, six of them on flip throw ins. She scored her first career goal against Rogers State.
She earned second-team All-MIAA and All-Central Region honors as a sophomore in 2018 before sitting out the 2019 season with a knee injury.
She was named MIAA Defender of the Week on September 21 of this season.
She is tied for second in career assists and third in single season assists at Emporia State.

WOOLY BULLY
Midfielder Hannah Woolery (So./Overbrook, Kan.) earned First-Team All-MIAA honors this season. She is second in the MIAA in assists, third in shots on goal, fourth in points, fifth in shots, while ranking fifth in goals and seventh in shot on goal accuracy this season. She had a goal and two assists against Central Missouri and has two multiple goal games this season, most recently scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory over Washburn.
She is ranked third in single season assists, shots, and shots per game while ranking fourth in assists per match on the Emporia State single season list.
She was an honorable mention All-MIAA performer as a freshman in 2019.
She was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on September 21 following her two goal effort against the Ichabods.
Off the pitch she was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District performer with a 3.93 GPA in English.

WARM COAT
Defender Joanie Westcoat (So./Lee's Summit, Mo.) was named Third-Team All-MIAA this season. She is tied for fourth in the MIAA and on the Emporia State single season assist list with six this year. She has scored three goals on the season. She helped lead a Hornet defense that allowed an MIAA low 7.8 shots on goal per match this year, a full two shots fewer than the second place team.
She was twice named Defender of the Week in the MIAA this year.

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
Midfielder Aislinn Hughes (Jr./McPherson, Kan.) was named third-team All-MIAA after earning honorable mention in 2019.  She is tied for fourth in the MIAA with four game winning goals and is tied for fifth with nine total goals this season.  She had the game tying and game winning goals in Emporia State's 4-3 double overtime win against Central Missouri.

CORR MUSCLES
Defender Kailey Corr (Grad./Wichita, Kan.) was named honorable mention All-MIAA this season. She helped lead a Hornet defense that allowed an MIAA low 7.8 shots on goal per match this year, a full two shots fewer than the second place team. She was named honorable mention All-MIAA on defense in 2019.

PATTON PENDING
Keeper Jillian Patton (Jr./Olathe, Kan.) is third in the MIAA in goals against average, fifth in shutouts with five and ranks 12th in saves on the season.  
She was a second-team All-MIAA selection as a freshman in 2018. She holds the Emporia State record with 36 career wins between the pipes and is second with 18 career shutouts.  Her seven shutouts as a freshman ranks second on the Emporia State single season list.
She was named the MIAA Goalkeeper of the Week on September 28 after posting 135 minutes without allowing a goal including the first half against Neb.-Kearney and a full shutout of Fort Hays State.

ALL-MIAA HONORS
In addition to the already mentioned athletes, three other current Hornets have earned All-MIAA honors in their career. Sydney Martens (Jr./Wichita, Kan.) was an honorable mention All-MIAA defender as a freshman in 2018 before earning third-team honors as a sophomore in 2019.

IN THE CLASSROOM
Emporia State had a total of 18 of the 23 student-athletes on their roster named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll for their work in the classroom this year, highlighted by three Hornets being named MIAA Scholar-Athletes.  
Four of the players on the roster have yet to complete two semesters at Emporia State and are not yet eligible for the honor.

MIAA NOTES
This will be the first time in MIAA history that both participants in the Tournament Championship Match have been nationally ranked.