The MAC tournament field was no match for the Miami University RedHawk soccer team (12-8-1) this weekend. The Red and White stormed through the tournament bracket first knocking off the second and third seeded teams and claimed a spot in the MAC Championship. But it was there that the luck ran out when they fell to the top seeded Central Michigan University Chippewas (16-3-3) 1-0 Sunday.

"I thought we played really well throughout the tournament and I felt like our performance merited our playing in the final," Head Coach Bobby Kramig said. "We defended well, scored some good goals and honestly played reasonably well Sunday. I'm not at all disappointed in our performance."

The Chippewas used a defender to score the game's only goal when Claire Horton snuck one by RedHawk keeper Krista Pace in the 14th minute.

Chippewa defenders smothered the 'Hawks' attack, and it wasn't until the 88th minute that the Red and White had an opportunity to knot up the contest.

Senior Allison Berkey approached the ball on a penalty kick after her teammate Sara Lund was fouled. The Chippewa keeper stretched out to decline her scoring invitation and the Red and White could not finish the scarce chance.

The game ended and Kramig watched his seniors walk off the field a final time.

"Our senior class who has performed exceptionally well on the field, have proven themselves to be exceptional leaders as well," Kramig said. "It's always disappointing to see it come to an end but the most disappointing thing about it is I'll never get to see this senior class ever play again."

Berkey showed how important the seniors have been this season when she knotted up the conference semi-final match and led her RedHawks to a come from behind victory that advanced Miami to the match with CMU.

"It was kind of all or nothing," Berkey said. "We knew that if we didn't go up early we were going to be out. They got the first goal, but it's attributed to this team that it's the kind of games we have won this year and that hasn't been the case in the past. It didn't really faze us and we stayed calm and we knew we had a lot of time to make up ground. That came straight off of hard work and effort. This team has worked harder this season than they have in the past. It's attributed to our fitness. We've put so much effort into being physically ready for every game but at the same time it shows how much they want it. We knew that the teams were playing were beatable and we have the talent to beat them. It's about who wants it more that day. Our efforts have shown that were that team this year."

Other seniors lacing up for the Red and White for the final time were Pace, Jodi Zwingelberg, Stephanie Laser and Kersta Carlson.

Zwingelberg also earned a spot on the All-MAC Tournament team with teammates Alexandra Karlsson and Sara Lund.

"We've done very well," Kramig said. "I'm very proud of our team."