Top Stories of 2016-17: Soccer Goes Back to Back
June 12, 2017 | Soccer
MUNCIE, Ind. – Another athletic year is in the books for the Cardinals. Ball State student-athletes, coaches and teams accomplished several notable feats in 2016-17 and left their mark on the university.
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Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top 10 storylines of the year. We will reveal the storylines one-by-one each week for the next 10 weeks. In early August, once they have all been announced, fans will be able to vote for their favorite stories of the year.
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The stories will be revealed in chronological order, beginning with the fall season and running through the spring. We continue this week with a look back at another championship season for the Ball State soccer team …
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Cardinals go Back to Back on the Pitch
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The Ball State soccer team's hopes for a second straight MAC regular season championship hung in the balance on a late October afternoon in Kent, Ohio. Coming off only their second conference loss in two seasons, the Cardinals found themselves in danger of a second straight defeat with the clock winding down against Kent State.
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But Kelsey Wendlandt's strike in the 77th minute tied things up with the Golden Flashes, and Sam Kambol's game-winner in overtime moved the Cardinals back into solo possession of first place in the standings. A 2-0 victory three days later over Miami clinched a second consecutive league championship.
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Ball State became only the second team in MAC history to win back-to-back regular season titles. The first was the Cardinals in 2006 and 2007.
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BSU finished the 2016 campaign with a 9-1-1 conference mark (14-3-3 overall), running its league record to 19-2-1 over the past two seasons. The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 39-12 during that stretch, surrendering the fewest goals in the league each year (six).
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This year's senior class was a driving force in the Cardinals' success. Featuring two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year Lorina White and three-time All-MAC defender Leah Mattingly plus all-league midfielder Chay McNitt, Gabby Veldman and Wendlandt, that group completed its four years in Muncie with 51 wins, the second-most by a class in school history.
Previous Storylines
June 8 – James Gilbert Runs Wild at Buffalo
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Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top 10 storylines of the year. We will reveal the storylines one-by-one each week for the next 10 weeks. In early August, once they have all been announced, fans will be able to vote for their favorite stories of the year.
Â
The stories will be revealed in chronological order, beginning with the fall season and running through the spring. We continue this week with a look back at another championship season for the Ball State soccer team …
Â
Cardinals go Back to Back on the Pitch
Â
The Ball State soccer team's hopes for a second straight MAC regular season championship hung in the balance on a late October afternoon in Kent, Ohio. Coming off only their second conference loss in two seasons, the Cardinals found themselves in danger of a second straight defeat with the clock winding down against Kent State.
Â
But Kelsey Wendlandt's strike in the 77th minute tied things up with the Golden Flashes, and Sam Kambol's game-winner in overtime moved the Cardinals back into solo possession of first place in the standings. A 2-0 victory three days later over Miami clinched a second consecutive league championship.
Â
Ball State became only the second team in MAC history to win back-to-back regular season titles. The first was the Cardinals in 2006 and 2007.
Â
BSU finished the 2016 campaign with a 9-1-1 conference mark (14-3-3 overall), running its league record to 19-2-1 over the past two seasons. The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 39-12 during that stretch, surrendering the fewest goals in the league each year (six).
Â
This year's senior class was a driving force in the Cardinals' success. Featuring two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year Lorina White and three-time All-MAC defender Leah Mattingly plus all-league midfielder Chay McNitt, Gabby Veldman and Wendlandt, that group completed its four years in Muncie with 51 wins, the second-most by a class in school history.
Previous Storylines
June 8 – James Gilbert Runs Wild at Buffalo
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Players Mentioned
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