Ball State University Athletics
Soccer Opens MAC Play with Shutout at Kent State
September 23, 2005 | Soccer
Ball State opened its seventh season of Mid-American Conference play with a 2-0 shutout over Kent State Friday in Kent, Ohio. The victory extended the Cardinals' winning streak to six.
Sophomore midfielder Angie Heyer scored the only goal BSU would need with her unassisted shot off a misplayed corner kick at the 23:49 mark in the first half. The teams ended the first stanza with six shots apiece and the Cardinals leading 1-0.
In the second half, senior forward Lindsay Wiltshire converted a penalty kick at the 64:02 mark to give Ball State a 2-0 cushion. BSU subdued a furious Kent State rally attempt with one of its best defensive performances of the season according to seventh-year head coach Ron Rainey.
"We had an awesome defensive effort today - particularly considering this field and the fact that it was our first MAC game," Rainey said. "Every individual on the team played well -- especially in the second half when Kent State put the pressure on."
Cardinals junior goalie Alison Becker earned her fourth shutout of the campaign. She turned back five KSU shots to improve to 7-1 in the net this fall. Kent State finished the game with a 14-11 lead in shots and a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.
"This was truly a total team effort today. Every single player on our team stepped up and had her moment -- in some way contributing to the win. Now we need to focus on recovering and preparing for Sunday. Buffalo's style is much different than Kent's and we will hopefully be able to find some weaknesses in their game. It would be great to come out of this weekend with two road wins."
Ball State, which is 8-1 overall, continues league play Sunday when it travels to Buffalo for a noon date with the Bulls.
