Ball State University Athletics
Soccer Hosts Indiana State In Home Opener Friday
September 07, 2006 | Soccer
This Weekend's Games . . .
The Cardinals hold their 2006 home opener on Friday afternoon as they welcome Indiana State to the Ball State Soccer Field.
BSU will round out the weekend's action on Sunday afternoon as they travel to Evanston, Ill. to take on Big Ten foe Northwestern.
Home Openers . . .
Friday's game is the eighth home opener all-time for Ball State. The Cardinals are 4-2-1 all-time in those games including a 3-2 victory over Butler last season as forward Emily Rein notched two goals in the victory.
Series History . . .
The Cardinals and Sycamores have met five times prior to this weekend's action with Ball State holding a perfect 5-0-0 record against Indiana State. The Cardinals ran their winning streak to five straight over the Sycamores last season with a 3-0 shutout in Terre Haute. Forward Emily Rein led the 22-shot attack with two goals while midfielder Annie Aiello added a third in the 2005 season opener.
The Cardinals' game on Sunday against Northwestern will be the first ever meeting between the two regional foes.
About the Cardinals . . .
The Cardinals (1-1-2) are coming off of a tough weekend at the Hilton Garden Inn Mountain Classic as BSU dropped a game to host Northern Arizona and settled for a scoreless tie against Portland State.
The Cardinals have had seven different players notch a goal so far this season as Vandi Ogden and Sarah Schumacker lead the way with three points apiece. Goalkeeper Rachael Murphy has played all 410 minutes so far this season and boasts a 0.88 goals against average.
About the Sycamores . . .
Indiana State (1-2-0) is coming off of its first victory of the season as the Sycamores downed Murray State, 2-0 last weekend. The game was the first of the season decided by more than one goal for ISU.
Forward Lauren Podolski paces the Sycamores as she has notched a team-high two goals on the young campaign.
About the Wildcats . . .
Northwestern (1-3-0) comes into the weekend having dropped three straight games to Kentucky, Missouri and Iowa State. The Wildcats will face off against Morehead State Friday before facing the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats are in the midst of a season-best nine-game home stand when BSU comes to town. The Wildcats have scored just three goals in their first four games with midfielder Shannon Schneeman leading the way with two goals. Goalkeeper Lauren Johnston has played all 370 minutes this season and has a 1.95 goals against average.
Home Sweet Home . . .
The Cardinals return home to the friendly confines of the Ball State Soccer Field on Friday where they hold a 37-21-7 mark all-time. The Cardinals are coming off of an 8-1-1 home record last fall and have only lost two games in Muncie over the past two seasons.
Below is a list of the Cardinals' home records over the years:
2005 - 8-1-1
2004 - 3-1-4
2003 - 6-4-0
2002 - 8-2-0
2001 - 7-2-0
2000 - 5-5-1
1999 - 0-6-1
New Face at the Front . . .
Ball State first-year head coach Michelle Salmon picked up her first victory with the Cardinals in her first game when BSU downed IPFW, 5-1.
Salmon joins the Cardinals staff after spending the past six seasons at the helm of UMBC. She compiled a 46-53-8 record with the Retrievers before coming to Muncie.
Preseason Prognosticators . . .
Ball State, fresh off of a second place finish in the MAC last fall, was picked to finish tied for seventh place by league coaches in the Preseason MAC Poll. The Cardinals were picked to finish tied with Eastern Michigan.
Central Michigan was the overall favorite to win the league crown and the conference tournament championship this fall as the Chippewas return 10 of 11 starters from last season. Defending champion Bowling Green was picked to finish third this season with Western Michigan tabbed for second.
Looking Ahead . . .
The Cardinals will be back in action during the midweek as they travel down I-69 for a Thursday contest against regional rival Butler. Ball State will be back home next Sunday afternoon as it welcomes Xavier to town.
