Women’s soccer team hosts Adrian in MIAA Tournament semifinals

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College women's soccer team hosts Adrian College in the semifinals of the 2017 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet. The start time for the game has been moved up to 3:30 p.m.

THE MATCHUP: Adrian (13-5-2, 10-4-2 MIAA) vs. Olivet (13-6, 11-5 MIAA)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, Nov. 2, at 3:30 p.m.
VENUE: Cutler Athletic Complex; Olivet, Mich.
LIVE STATS: olivetcomets.com/sports/wsoc/2017-18/boxscores/20171102_sqa5.xml

MIAA TOURNAMENT: The Comets are the No. 2 seed, while the Bulldogs are the No. 3 seed. The other semifinal features No. 1 seed Hope College hosting No. 4 seed Calvin College. The winners of the two semifinal games will play in the tournament championship game Saturday, Nov. 4, at a time to be determined. The game will be played at the highest remaining seed.

SEASON SERIES: Adrian and Olivet split the regular season meetings, with each team winning on its home turf. The Bulldogs shutout the Comets, 3-0, on Sept. 20 at Docking Stadium in Adrian. Olivet defeated Adrian, 3-2, Oct. 21 at the Cutler Athletic Complex in Olivet

OLIVET HEAD COACH SARAH MARACANI: Sarah Maracani is in her first season as the Comets' head coach. She served as an assistant coach at Olivet during the 2016 season.

ADRIAN HEAD COACH ALI ALAMDARI:  Ali Alamdari is in his 10th season at the helm of the Bulldogs and has a 107-68-24 record. Prior to starting at Adrian in 2008, he was an assistant coach at Albion College for two seasons.

CAPTAINS: The captains are seniors Dominique Giroux, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Miranda Quick, of Swartz Creek, and junior Emma Essen, of Blissfield.

SCORING LEADERS: Senior Isabelle Leon, of Grand Rapids, leads the Comets in scoring with 43 points (16 goals and 11 assists). Essen is second with 31 points on 12 goals and seven assists. Sophomore Maya Prewitt, of Flushing, has four goals and three assists for 11 points. Sophomore Abby Radcliffe, of Davison, has three goals and three assists for nine points.

GAME-WINNING GOALS: Leon has scored six game-winning goals this season, including five against MIAA rivals. Essen has notched four game-winning goals, while Prewitt has two.

PROTECTING THE NET: Freshman Samantha Gifford, of Lansing, has been in goal for the last five games and has posted a 4-1 record with a 1.20 goals against average (GAA). Freshman Brooklyn Holley, of DeWitt, started the 13 of the first 14 games in goal and had a 9-5 record with a 1.82 GAA.

STARTING ALL 19: Juniors Ann Fetzer, of Holly, and McKenna Graham, of Brighton, and freshman Katie Rush, of Otsego, have started all 19 games on the Comets' defense, and the trio has played nearly all 1,710 minutes at their position. Essen and Leon have also started every game.

LEAGUE LEADERS: In only the 16 MIAA games, Leon ranks first with nine assists, and second in goals (15) and points (39). Essen is third in goals (11), assists (seven) and points (29).

RANKING AMONG THE ALL-TIME BEST PLAYERS: Among the all-time leaders at Olivet, Leon is tied for first with 26 assists and is third in goals (51) and points (128). All three totals are the most by a women's soccer player since 2001. By virtue of starting this game, Leon will break Olivet's career record for games played (78) and started (76).

WINNING SEASON: The Comets secured only the sixth winning season in school history. The 13 wins this season matches the 2010 team for the third-most victories in school history for a season.

MIAA FINISH: The 11 wins in MIAA play were the most in school history for a season. The second-place spot in the final standings is the highest outright finish in school history. In 1998, Olivet tied for second-place with Calvin and Hope.

REVISTING THE MIAA PRESEASON POLL: In the preseason coaches' poll, Olivet was picked to finish eighth. Hope was the preseason favorite, while Calvin was selected third and Adrian tied for fifth.

SENIORS: This year's roster features six seniors, Giroux, Leon, Quick, Rachael Durocher, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Madeline Maxwell, of Flushing, and Emily Reinecke, of Eaton Rapids. These six seniors have helped Olivet win 38 total games, the most by a graduating class in 15 years.

MIAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Olivet is making its ninth appearance in the MIAA Tournament. The Comets won the MIAA Tournament in 1998 after they beat Saint Mary's (Ind.), 6-1, in the first round; Calvin, 2-0, in the semifinals; and Kalamazoo, 5-3, in the championship game. Olivet's only other win in the MIAA Tournament was the next year in 1999 when it defeated Saint Mary's, 3-0, in the first round. Ironically, the last time the Comets hosted a semifinal game was 2010 against Adrian. Olivet's last appearance in the MIAA Tournament was 2015 when it lost 2-0 at Calvin.

FOR STUDENTS: There will be free pizza and hot drinks (hot chocolate and coffee) for Olivet College students under the red & white tent near the field.