FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Women's Soccer team is set to host Charleston (WV) on Friday afternoon in the semifinal round of the Mountain East Conference Tournament.
 
How They Got Here: The Bobcats come into the game as the North Division one seed, having clinched their third straight division title with three games left to play in the regular season. FSU is riding a seven-game win streak and sports a record of 17-1-1, including a 14-1-1 MEC record, which is the best mark in the conference. FSU defeated the North's No. 4 seed Wheeling 4-0, the most goals scored and highest margin of victory of any team in the quarterfinal round.
 
The Golden Eagles finished the regular season with a record of 10-9, including a 9-7 record in conference. UC lost their final three games of the regular season to be in the MEC tournament as the South's third seed, where they went on the road to defeat second-seeded Concord 2-1.
 
The Matchup: Frostburg holds the season advantage over Charleston, having won 3-0 at Bobcat Stadium on October 22. The result marked the second straight victory for FSU in the series, having also defeated the Golden Eagles 2-1 in overtime of last year's MEC semifinal, after UC won the first two matchups between the sides in the 2019 and 2021 regular seasons.
 
The Players: FSU is led offensively by junior Toni Fiocco-Mizer, who was an All-MEC Second Team selection and is tied for fourth in the MEC with 13 goals this season, while also providing five assists for 31 total points. Fiocco-Mizer also leads the country in game-winning goals with eight. Aiding her in goalscoring is sophomore forward Mackenzie Alonso (seven goals, five assists), sophomore midfielder Carolyn DeSena (five goals, five assists), junior midfielder Lela Clark (All-MEC Honorable Mention, five goals, four assists), and sophomore defender Cat Smith (All-MEC Second Team, five goals). The Bobcats also boast the top defense in the MEC, having allowed just 10 goals in 19 games for a 0.53 goals against average, with 13 clean sheets on the year, all best marks in the conference. Graduate defender Abbey Dennis is the leader of the unit, having been named the MEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-MEC First Team honoree. She is joined by sophomore Mei Homman, freshman Skylar Ehart, and Smith in front of her to protect the Frostburg goal, with the last line of defense being junior goalkeeper Ashley Bilger, who was an All-MEC Honorable Mention selection. Additionally in the postseason awards, FSU's midfield features junior Hannah Thompson an All-MEC First Team selection and freshman Carly Gillette, who earned a spot on the All-MEC Freshman Team.
 
Charleston's offense is led by graduate forward Sydney Cavender's 14 goals, which was third in the MEC on her way to an All-MEC Second Team selection. Joining her in goalscoring efforts is the conference's other Co-Defensive Player of the Year in fifth year defender Madison Hansen (five goals, three assists), who also was named All-MEC First Team. Junior midfielder Laura Vierhout (four goals, one assist) controls the middle of the park as an All-MEC Second Team selection along with freshman Kaitlyn Gauze, who is tied for the team lead with three assists. Hansen is helped out in defense by graduate Kate Eddy (two goals, two assists), who was an All-MEC Honorable Mention honoree.
 
The Rest of the Field: In the other quarterfinal matchups for the MEC on Tuesday, West Virginia State defeated Davis & Elkins 2-0 in the South's No. 1 vs No. 4 tie, while the North's second seed Fairmont State used a late goal to defeat third-seeded Notre Dame (Ohio) 1-0. WVSU will face the Fighting Falcons at home the same time as the Frostburg-Charleston kick-off.
 
2022 MEC WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
 
SEEDINGS
NORTH: #1 Frostburg State, #2 Fairmont State, #3 Notre Dame College, #4 Wheeling
SOUTH: #1 West Virginia St., #2 Concord, #3 Charleston, #4 Davis & Elkins
 
TUESDAY, NOV. 1 - QUARTERFINALS
#4N Wheeling at #1N Frostburg State – 0-4 Frostburg State advances
#3S Charleston at #2S Concord – 2-1 Charleston advances
#4S Davis & Elkins at #1S West Virginia St. – 0-2 West Virginia St. advances
#3N Notre Dame at #2N Fairmont State – 0-1 Fairmont State advances
 
FRIDAY, NOV. 4 - SEMIFINALS
#3S Charleston at #1N Frostburg State – 4 p.m.
#2N Fairmont State at #1S West Virginia St. – 4 p.m.
 
SUNDAY, NOV. 6 - CHAMPIONSHIP
Semifinal Winners - 1 p.m.*

* at highest seed
All game times subject to change at MEC discretion