SPORTS CENTRAL MICHIGAN LIFE
INSIDE: Former basketball star Roundfield dies at 59 INSIDE:
cm-life.com
Thurs., Aug. 23, 2012
VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW
Sec. B
FIELD HOCKEY PREVIEW
Coach preaches atmosphere during annual maroon/gold scrimmage. » PAGE 3B
Anastasia Netto brings experience for field hockey team. » PAGE 2B
Soccer team focused for Penn State Invitational
Added seats to Kelly/ Shorts cost $270,000
Stafford: “We’ve put the same plan together and seen slow steady improvement.”
By John Manzo Staff Reporter
By Emily Grove Staff Reporter
Head coach Neil Stafford said the Central Michigan women’s soccer team will have to play like it’s a game of chess this weekend at the Penn State Invitational. Stafford made the comparison with the Chippewas traveling to Penn State to face West Virginia on Friday, followed by Sunday’s matchup against Penn State, the ninth ranked team in the country. “We would have more freedom if we were playing a Detroit or an Evansville,” Stafford said. “With (West Virginia and Penn State) we’re going to have to tighten up, be disciplined, be patient and really put some thought into the moves we make.” CMU started off the season with a 1-0 win against Detroit on Aug. 17 and a canceled game against Evansville on Aug. 19. The canceled game was called mid-contest because of weather with the Chippewas leading 2-0. Because of minutes played, it cannot count as an official game or win per NCAA rules. “With the play we’ve seen so far, we’ve put the same plan together and seen slow, steady improvement,” Stafford said. “But Penn State and West Virginia certainly aren’t going to make it easy on us.” West Virginia went 1-1-0 last week, dropping their season opener to La Salle 2-1 on Aug. 17 and defeating Western Carolina 2-1 on Aug. 19. The Mountaineers have a strong player in sophomore forward Kate Schwindel, who netted six goals and moved the ball with seven assists as a freshman. Already this season, Schwindel scored the game-winning goal late in the game against Western Carolina.
UMASS enters the MAC
KAITLIN THORESEN /FILE PHOTO
CMU running back Zurlon Tipton leaps over Ball State defender Joshua Howard during last season’s 31-27 loss to Ball State. The Chippewas will host the Cardinals on Oct. 20 for the Homecoming game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
home sweet home Coach Dan Enos excited about 2012-13 schedule By Brandon Champion | Staff Reporter
On Oct. 18, 2008,
2012-2013 C M U FOOTBAL L SC H E DU LE
a record 30,302 fans packed Kelly/Shorts Stadium to witness the Central Michigan football team defeat Western Michigan 38 to 28. On Sept. 8, 2012 a new stadium record will be set when
Thurs., Aug. 30 Sat., Sept. 08 Sat., Sept. 22 Sat., Sept. 29 Sat., Oct. 06 Fri., Oct. 12 Sat., Oct. 20 Sat., Oct. 27 Sat., Nov. 03 Sat., Nov. 10 Sat., Nov. 17 Fri., Nov. 23 Fri., Nov. 30
Southeast Missouri State Michigan State Iowa Northern Illinois* Toledo* Navy (Military Day) Ball State* Akron* Western Michigan* Eastern Michigan* Miami* Massachusetts* MAC Championship
HOME HOME @ Iowa City, Iowa @ DeKalb, Ill. @ Toledo, Ohio HOME HOME HOME HOME Ypsilanti, Mich. HOME @ Foxboro, Mass. @ Detroit, Mich.
7:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. TBA 3:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. TBA 1:00 p.m TBA 7:00 p.m.
about 32,885 fans watch CMU host the No. 13 Michigan State Spartans in their first ever visit to Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The game is one of seven home games on the Chippewa’s schedule in 2012, which also includes visits from Navy and in-state rival Western Michigan. This is only the third time in the modern era that CMU will have seven home games on its schedule. “Our entire team is
excited about this year’s schedule,” head coach Dan Enos said. “When Michigan State comes to our place, it’s going to be a great environment – it will be very exciting.” CMU opens its season at home on Aug. 30 against Southeast Missouri State before the clash with the
Spartans. The Chippewas first road game in 2012 will be on September. 22 when they travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes, the second of two straight games against teams from the Big Ten Conference. A FOOTBALL| 4B
A SOCCER| 7B
The 2,450 temporary student-section bleachers and three luxury suites added to Kelly/Shorts Stadium this season cost Central Michigan $270,000. The bleachers cost around $150,000, and each suite cost $40,000. CMU fans could be confused when it comes to the addition after consecutive 3-9 seasons, but the seven-game home schedule, including in-state rivals Michigan State and Western Michigan, helped in the decision process. “We sure hope to fill them (bleachers) all season. Obviously MSU was a big genesis for the thought of doing something, but this is the most significant schedule we’ve ever had here—seven home games, Navy and Western (Michigan) also highlighting the schedule,” Director of Athletics Dave Heeke said. The suites installed on the east side of the stadium can each hold 60-70 people, giving the stadium room for 180-200 more people. “We’ll have a lot of people, and it should be a lot of fun,” Heeke said. “Suites are for additional groups, private groups and then the seats themselves are for the students.” The concourse remains the same. There weren’t any alterations with entrances or exits, but because of the popularity for the upcoming schedule, there will be more personnel to assist with crowd management. Heeke said the stadium needs to have a consistent run being filled before he can think about expanding the stadium permanently. If and when that happens, luxury suites are in high demand. “I think we could sell 5-10 more suites with very little difficulty,” Heeke said. In addition, general club seating and lodge-level seating could be added. CMU opens at home against Southeast Missouri State at 7 p.m. Aug. 30. sports@cm-life.com
Remembering running back Ontario Sneed New football uniforms, helmets create By Justin Hicks Sports Editor
It was always his smile. Whether you ask an old kindergarten classmate, former teammate, high school coach or his mother, Ontario Sneed will always be remembered for the smile that could “light up a room.” “Something about him, people just wanted to be around him, and you felt good when you were around him,” said Brian Brunner, a former quarterback who played with Sneed during his football career at Central Michigan. “He was a connecting force on that team, and he had the ability to transcend between different groups on the team.” Sneed died Aug. 14 at John Warner Hospital in Clinton, Ill. after arriving at the hospital with dehydration-like symptoms. “I brought him in because he was throwing up and
couldn’t feel his legs,” said Sherry Romero, Sneed’s mother. “He had no muscle tone and couldn’t stand up. When the Ontario Sneed blood work came back, it said he had no potassium in his body. They were calling specialists, who said he had to have taken some type of diet pills, which got rid of his potassium.” Romero said her son looked like he had lost weight when he came to stay with her a week prior to his death but that he told her he was fine. Her motherly instincts forced her concern, but his smile remained and he pressed on. “I kept asking him because he didn’t look right, and I told him if he felt bad to call me,” she said. “He was always a picky eater, and he was like
that since he was two years old. He was on special diets and regiments at CMU, but now that he left school, he probably wasn’t eating right.” Sneed attended CMU between 2005 and 2008, starting all four years as running back. A member of two MidAmerican Conference Championship teams, Sneed ranks sixth in school history with 157 receptions, and ninth in rushing yards (2,863) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (26). “It was a shame that he had to go so soon, and he’ll be extremely missed,” said Frank Zombo, a former teammate and current linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. “Obviously, he was one heck of an athlete and one of the bigger names around campus. Everybody is going to remember the (Sneed Creed) in the back of the end zone.” A SNEED| 3B
buzz; cost $50,000 for eight variations By Kristopher Lodes Staff Reporter
The Central Michigan football program unveiled its new $50,000 uniform line August 15, and they have created quite a buzz since. Whether you like them or you don’t, the fact is people are talking about them, and that is what athletic director Dave Heeke was looking to accomplish. “(We) wanted it to help us get a great deal of exposure and put us on the national stage as one of the programs willing to do those things,” Heeke said. “There are pros and cons and people who like it and don’t, but the great thing is people are talking about it and I do know the players love it.” Head coach Dan Enos said he didn’t expect such a big
COURTSEY PHOTO/CMUCHIPPEWAS.COM
reaction out of the new uniforms, but the team’s reaction was nothing but positive. “The reaction was unbelievable, and they were so excited,” he said during a post-practice interview with
Will You Get a Ticket? cm-life.com
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cmuchippewas.com. “They were fired up, and it was tough to get them to focus at practice the next day. I kept telling them just because A UNIFORMS| 3B
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