AKRON, Ohio ? The Ball State soccer team completed its Mid-American Conference road weekend sweep on Sunday afternoon as the Cardinals posted a 1-0 victory over Akron at Lee Jackson Field. The victory improves the Cardinals to 7-4-0 on the season, including a 4-0-0 mark in Mid-American Conference action to remain tied with Toledo for the top spot in the conference.
“There was an intensity level in today's game as both teams battled hard,” second-year head coach Michelle Salmon said. “Our players kept their composure and played together as a team to secure the hard fought victory.”
The Cardinal defense turned in another brilliant performance as it limited Akron to just four shots on the day. Ball State turned in a school-record fifth straight shutout with the victory. The Cardinals have also posted four straight shutouts to open MAC play, marking the longest streak in conference action in Cardinal history.
Junior goalkeeper Rachael Murphy (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) recorded four key saves in the victory for Ball State . She has been in goal for all five shutouts and has tallied 12 shutouts in her career. She owns a 0.54 goals against average on the season as the Cardinal defense in front of her has only allowed eight goals and a conference low 76 shots against.
“Our defense continues to turn in top flight performances and today was no different,” Salmon said. “The stability that the backline brings to the field builds confidence throughout the team as the entire team feeds off of each other.”
The Cardinals struck early for the game's only goal as their aggressive play led to a penalty kick in the fifth minute. The Cardinal midfield built up the attack and junior forward Sarah Schumacker (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) sent a ball towards the 18-yard box.
Senior forward Sarah Leibel (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) acted as a decoy and let the ball go behind her. Junior forward Emily Rein (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) was making a run behind Leibel and ran onto the ball inside the 18-yard box. As Rein received the ball in the box, an Akron defender yanked her down from behind for a penalty kick.
Junior midfielder Annie Aiello (Granger, Ind./Penn) stepped forward for the Cardinals to take the try from the penalty spot. Aiello drilled the penalty kick into the back of the net past Akron goalkeeper Krystin Wilson for her third goal of the season. Aiello has now scored all three of her goals from the penalty spot this season.
Ball State continued its pressure in the first half as it out-shot the Zips by a 6-1 advantage in opening frame. The Cardinals also notched four first half corner kicks, including one in the eighth minute that came after Wilson made a sprawling save on a shot by Rein inside the box.
Sophomore forward Megan Ridley (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central) almost gave the Cardinals a two-goal lead in the 80th minute. Ridley rocketed a shot that got past Wilson but was kept out of the net by the cross bar.
Akron (6-3-3, 1-2-1 MAC) stepped up the pressure late in the second half but the Zips could not solve the Cardinal defense. Murphy came up with a huge save in the 89th minute off of an Akron free kick at the top of the 18-yard box. Akron's Jordan Clark took the free kick but her shot was pushed over the cross bar as Murphy made a diving save to preserve the shutout.
The Cardinals finished with an 11-4 advantage in the game and also held a 5-1 margin on corner kicks. Aiello led the attack with three shots on the afternoon while Rein, Ridley and Schumacker each tallied two shots in the victory.
The Cardinals return home to the friendly confines of the BSU Soccer Field on Friday afternoon as they begin a four-game home stretch. Ball State will play host to MAC foe Northern Illinois Friday at 4 p.m. and Western Michigan Sunday at 1 p.m. Admission, as always, is FREE to Ball State Soccer.
####
