Ball State University Athletics
2005 Field Hockey Season Preview
August 22, 2005 | Field Hockey
The 2005 edition of the Ball State field hockey program is stacked with experience, and that makes third-year head coach Annette Payne very optimistic. Of the 17 players on the roster, 14 are returning letterwinners, including eight players who are juniors or seniors.
"I am excited about the returning players we have this year," Payne says. "With the experience we have, our strong core group should be able to get us through any situation that might arise. I am impressed by the amount of experience and leadership coming back."
Tracy Bannister, Maggie Durbin, Lacey Morgan and Chantelle Isaac-Smith are the four seniors returning for their final season with the Cardinals.
A goalkeeper, Bannister has started all 35 of her games played the last two seasons, including 15 in 2004 when she managed one shutout and a career-best 91 saves. She notched Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors once during the campaign.
"Tracy has worked hard and grown in a lot of different areas," Payne says. "She is a good leader in all areas plus works very hard to allow the people around her to become better players."
Durbin and Morgan return to the midfield, where they will be counted on as leaders in the transition game.
"Both players are cores of the midfield. Maggie is a great player who has blossomed in all areas of the game over the last few years. She is a great competitor with lots of energy and drive.
"Lacey is a well-rounded player who is smart in all aspects, which contributes to her game immensely."
Coming off two straight All-Mid-American Conference caliber seasons -- 2004 first team and 2003 second team -- as a forward, Isaac-Smith will be counted on as an offensive force on the Cardinals' front line. She notched 17 points on five goals and seven assists during her 18 starts in 2004, while receiving MAC Offensive Player of the Week accolades Sept. 27.
"Chantelle has shown the ability to step up and execute in a lot of situations, where we have needed her."
Four juniors add to Ball State's depth with Carla Chiampi, Jessica Malone, Lindsay Quay and Tara Reed all back for their third season with the squad.
A midfielder, Chiampi is coming off last season's All-MAC second team performance in which she totaled 11 points on five goals and one assist.
"Carla has grown tremendously in her understanding of our defense. She has the capability to show that knowledge and understanding with her play."
Quay followed her 2003 MAC Freshman of the Year performance with a selection to the All-MAC First Team by totaling seven goals and four assists a year ago.
"I think Lindsay has learned a lot each and every year. She is a very strong player and is good at getting done what needs to be done."
In 18 starts in 2004, Reed scored her first two career goals from her midfield spot, while Malone made three starts in net and managed a career-high four saves on two occasions.
"We asked a lot of Tara last year by putting her in a few different situations and she came through for us.
"Jessie has great athleticism for a goalkeeper and has a true passion for the game."
The sophomore class is the team's largest, with six members. Defenders Nicole Humphreys and Amanda Pavone return, as do forwards Lauren Cruz, Theran Teach and Katie Kloeckener plus midfielder Jamie Kahn.
Of the group, Pavone, Humphreys and Cruz have the most experience with 16 or more starts each.
"We asked Amanda to step up in big situations last year and she did a great job of doing that each and every time.
"Nicole is very good at knowing when to take risks on the defensive end of the field and then being able to capitalize on those attempts.
"Lauren is a smart player with a natural ability to read the midfield play. We must rely on her to make smart plays and decisions."
Teach made one start in her 15 appearances, notching two goals in that time.
"Theran is great to have up on the forward line because of her speed and agility, which mix nicely with some of the characteristics of our other players."
Kahn saw action in 12 games with two starts to open the season, while Kloeckener saw playing time in three games.
"Jamie is a very smart, poised player. It's great to have her in tough situations.
"The great thing about Katie is that she is a great shooter with a lot of natural ability for the game."
Payne believes the three freshmen -- Jodi Mann, Melanie Pasillas and Casey Hunsicker -- have the abilities to make an impact this season.
"Jodi is a player who can bring a lot of spark into a game. She's a strong, solid player who will bring her strengths right to the table.
"Melanie could also come in and make an immediate impact. She is a player who is very excited about the game and enjoys it very much.
"Casey has a lot of energy and is a tremendous worker, which coaches always look for in players."
Looking ahead to a tough road-filled 2005 season, Ball State will need the returning experience and leadership. BSU travels to Bloomington, Ind., for a preseason scrimmage against Indiana Aug. 21, then the Cardinals will open their regular season on the East Coast, with dates at William & Mary and Virginia -- teams that finished the 2004 season ranked No. 15 and No. 18, respectively, in the final STX/NFHCA National Poll.
After traveling to Iowa City, Iowa, to square-off with Iowa -- No. 11 in last year's season-ending poll -- and Providence Sept. 9 and 10, BSU will stay on the road with meetings against Northwestern and Louisville in Evanston, Ill., the next weekend.
The Cardinals host Ohio State Sept. 20 in their home-opener and final regular-season non-conference game of 2005.
"Our non-conference schedule is going to be tough, no question. As a coach, you schedule tough teams because you want a challenge and want to compete to make your own team better in the long run. Giving them confidence in their abilities against top-notch opponents can do that."
Ball State launches its 24th season of league play Sept. 23 against Ohio, which ended BSU's season last year in the opening round of the MAC Tournament. The double-round robin schedule continues through Oct. 30 when the Cardinals face their newest conference foe, Missouri State, with the tournament to follow Nov. 3-5 in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
"The MAC is always a tough conference. We lost Louisville, but gained another strong team in Missouri State. Each game is going to be a challenge. We're going to have to practice hard and prepare for each one."
As winners of 16 regular-season MAC titles and tournament crowns, the Cardinals have a storied history to build upon and aim for this season.
"The ultimate goal is to learn from the past season and try to improve -- it's a continual process."
