Recap: Miami Field Hockey defeats James Madison in a 1-0 MAC semi-final thriller

The No. 2 Miami University and No. 3 James Madison University Field Hockey teams weren’t the first two to take the field in RedHawks’ athletic complex on the north side of campus on Nov. 5. 

At 11:30 a.m. ET, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutewomen and Kent State University Golden Flashes field hockey teams played the first semi-final game of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament. 

After the 5-1 victory by the Minutewomen, the RedHawks and Dukes warmed up and took the field for a tightly-contested and stressful semi-final matchup. Miami came away with a 1-0 victory. 

Miami walked onto the field after player introductions in a 4-2-4 formation, while the Dukes showed a 2-3-1-2. The home squad was the first to take action with two penalty corners in the first minute and a half.

The Dukes blocked both, but a penalty corner two minutes later found the back of the net. Sophomore midfielder and 2026 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Malena Sabez, potted her 16th goal of the year. Assists went to senior back Kylie Coughlin and freshman midfielder Toto Scarlatti for a 1-0 Miami lead. 

“Our coaching staff scout really well,” Sabez said. “I always say it. It could be me. It could be someone else. But it's just for the team. They give us the tools (and tell us) what to do.”

The fourth penalty corner for Miami in the quarter (the most of any through a single quarter in the game) was initially reviewed and upheld with 7:11 remaining. A penalty corner review instigated by Miami resulted in an awarded penalty corner with 7:11 left in the first quarter, but the Dukes’ defense came up large with a couple of blocks in the shooting circle. 

With three minutes remaining, a cross-field feed to freshman midfielder Toto Scarlatti was denied by a diving save from James Madison junior goalkeeper Hannah Popolis – her first of the game.

Scarlatti was in the middle of play all afternoon, and as a freshman in her first postseason action, she did not look overwhelmed in the slightest. 

“Toto is an awesome human first, more than anything,” Coughlin said. “I have every bit of trust in her and the ability that she has. So it's been really cool to watch her.”

The first quarter ended with the RedHawks up 1-0. Miami registered five shots and were awarded four different penalty corners in a frame (the most of any quarter through the semi-final). 

Head Coach Iñako Puzo’s team also hardly gave up the ball in the first quarter. When the group wasn’t attacking the James Madison net, they were trying to find openings in the defense that could be exploited for the best possible opportunity. A fast start is what they needed to set the tone to begin the postseason, and they had exactly that. 

“It's our team DNA,” Puzo said. “We believe a lot in our identity and the way that we play the game, and our game is based on possession. It doesn't matter the team that we play. You could easily identify the kind of game that (we play).”

A shot from distance from Coughlin found its way to the front of the net to begin the second quarter, but even with a couple of Miami players there, James Madison’s defenders and Popolis sent the threat to the far left corner. 

Another clean pass through the formation of James Madison and to the stick of midfielder Maggie Reed, who was obstructed in the circle and drew Miami’s fifth penalty corner of the game with 6:24 left in the half.

Miami sophomore back Jilly Lawn took the corner to Scarlatti, who left the ball off to Sabez looking for her second goal of the game. 

The visitor’s defense kept insurance off the board for the home squad with a block in front of the net. 

James Madison’s first trip inside the 25-yard box was off an intercepted pass at midfield. Freshman midfielder Diede Donders tried to find junior Avery Ruckman through the line of Miami defenders. However, the pass was blocked by the two Miami defenders backtracking and sent out of danger, marking the only threat from the visitors of the first 30 minutes.

As the buzzer sounded on the first half, the score remained 1-0 Miami.

In the second quarter, possession appeared to even out a bit more, but the Dukes still did not register a shot or make it into the shooting circle once again. 

The second half began with James Madison in possession of the ball, but after some work in the midfield by the Miami defense, the RedHawks were awarded their sixth and seventh penalty corners of the game with 10:52 left. Sabez recorded another shot, but she could not find the back of the net on the receiving end of a pass from sophomore back Jülia Fernandez.

Following the attempted penalty corners, Miami maintained possession momentarily before the defense needed to step up. 

James Madison freshman forward Emma Smit ran down the right wing with the ball alone. She made a nice move around the lone Miami defender, but reinforcements arrived for the home squad and kept the attack at bay. 

Then, a Sabez pass to freshman midfielder AC Kosek was sent just wide of the right post before sophomore back Jilly Lawn and freshman midfielder Máxi Aguirregomezcorta made two more key defensive plays with a blocked shot and pass interception at midfield.

With 3:25 remaining in the third quarter, a pass from the defense of Miami made it through the three compact lines of James Madison by Scarlatti, who found junior midfielder MC Wolz all alone in front of the net. 

A heavy first touch sent the ball too far away from her stick to capitalize on the opportunity. 

Just 25 seconds later, an eighth penalty corner was awarded to Miami. Sabez once again was the recipient of the setup, and she somehow found a lane to shoot, but once again, it was blocked. 

The third quarter came to a close with the same score as when it started. Miami led by a goal and was leading in shots 9-0. They were awarded eight penalty corners through the first three frames. 

James Madison nabbed its first penalty corner of the game with 7:53 remaining in regulation after a hustle play on a botched pass by Miami. And after a failed attempt Ruckman looked to have scored with 7:17 remaining, tying the game for the visitors as she faded away from the net on the shot. 

However, after video review, the goal was disallowed due to a third party preventing the Miami defender from getting to the shot. Miami still led 1-0. 

With the season on the line, James Madison pulled its goalie Popolis with 5:39 remaining, and after Miami was awarded its ninth and 10th penalty corners (the 10th was under review for a potential penalty stroke before being upheld as a corner), the Dukes could not put her back in. 

Intzes sent a ball wide on the 10th corner with the net being defended only by the players without nearly as much padding. Then, she stole a ball from Dukes sophomore defender Puck Jansen with under two minutes left, but no one was on the receiving end across the face of goal, giving James Madison possession back.

After a push in the final 30 seconds from the visitors, the clock wound down to zero, giving Miami a semi-final victory and a chance against UMass on Saturday, Nov. 7. at 1 p.m. ET.

“(The Dukes) were efficient,” Puzo said. “They were disciplined. So a lot of credit to them.”