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.
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.
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 …
Cardinals go Back to Back on the Pitch
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.
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.
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.
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).
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
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.
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 …
Cardinals go Back to Back on the Pitch
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.
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.
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.
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).
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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