MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. The Kent State’s soccer team (6-4-0, 2-1-0 MAC) was defeated Friday afternoon by an upstart Central Michigan team, 3-0, in a battle of previously unbeaten teams in the Mid-American Conference.
 
The Chippewas, ranked 10th in the Great Lakes Region to start the week, improve to 8-3-0 on the year and are the lone team with a perfect 3-0-0 record in MAC play. Central Michigan has now won six straight contests, all shutouts.
 
Against a team like Central Michigan, you can’t have a ‘tale of two halves’ because they will beat you, said head coach Rob Marinaro. They took it to us in the first half, and that’s all they needed.
 
Central Michigan got on the board in the 37th minute when Stephanie Martin scored on a free kick following a Kent State infraction. The 1-0 score stood at the halftime break, with CMU owning a 7-1 shots advantage.
 
Kent State tried to turn the tables in the second half to knot the match, but Central Michigan was first to tally in the stanza with a goal in the 51st minute by team leading scorer Laura Twidle.
 
Although the Golden Flashes out-shot the host Chippewas 8-3 in the second half, Central Michigan was able to add a final insurance goal in the 81st minute while Kent State was pressing forward players in hopes of scoring. Both teams battled close throughout the contest, as Central Michigan edged Kent State by a slim 10-9 margin in shots.
 
We tried to get out of it in the second half with some good pressure, but Central Michigan put their chances away.
 
Of Kent State’s three shots on goal, two were by junior Kellyn Flanagan (Medina, Ohio) while Annie Messer (Dayton, Ohio) also fired an attempt on frame.
 
Kent State goalkeeper Kelly Sherwood (Strongsville, Ohio) made one save on the day, while Central Michigan’s Shay Mannino made three saves for the shutout.
 
Next up for the Golden Flashes is Sunday’s contest at Eastern Michigan. Kickoff for the contest is slated for 1 p.m. in Ypsilanti, Mich.