MUNCIE, Ind. ? The top seeded Ball State soccer team advanced to the 2007 Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals after the Cardinals downed eighth seeded Miami, 1-0, on a blustery Sunday afternoon at the BSU Soccer Field. Senior defender Lindsay Martin (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) scored the only goal of the afternoon in the 57th minute to give the Cardinals the victory in the MAC Tournament quarterfinal.
“We played tremendous soccer on both ends of the field this afternoon,” second-year head coach Michelle Salmon said. “Our bench play was phenomenal this afternoon. I have said all year that you don't win championships with just players one through eleven, you win championships with players 12 through 26 and that was evident today.”
The Cardinals will host both the semifinals and finals of the MAC Tournament at the BSU Soccer Field on Friday, November 9 and Sunday November 11. Ball State will play in the second semifinal game Friday as it faces fourth seeded Bowling Green at 2 p.m. The first semifinal game will be at 11 a.m. between second seeded Toledo and third seeded Northern Illinois. This season marks the first time that Ball State has hosted the MAC Tournament semifinals and finals in program history. The MAC Tournament Final will be Sunday at 1 p.m.
Ball State (13-5-1) came out and attack quickly as it was going with the high winds in the first half. The Cardinals dominated play as it held a 12-1 shot advantage in the first half. Junior midfielder Katelyn Alexander (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) almost opened the scoring in the 11th minute off of a set piece. Alexander sent a shot from just outside the 18-yard box towards the goal line, but Miami goalkeeper Rachelle Boff was able to come up with a kick save to keep the game scoreless.
The Cardinals came close to scoring in the 26th minute as senior defender Angie Heyer (Zanesville, Ind./Zanesville) sent a ball into the box for freshman Kristina Anderson (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin). Anderson sent a low shot towards the goal but Boff was there to stop the attack.
Freshman midfielder Meg Mellott (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) came off of the bench and provided the Cardinals with an offensive spark in the first half. Mellott had a shot in the 34th minute sail just wide and beat the Miami goalkeeper in the 39th minute but her touch shot rolled just wide of the post to keep the game scoreless going into halftime.
Miami (6-10-3) came out in the second half with the wind at its backs and turned up the offensive pressure. RedHawk forward Sarah Lund broke free inside the 18-yard box in the 52nd minute and ripped a shot towards the BSU goal. Junior goalkeeper Rachael Murphy (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) was there in perfect position to stymie the attack.
The Cardinals showed their mettle and responded to the RedHawk pressure by turning up the pace of their own attack. Junior forward Bailey Decker (Granger, Ind./Penn) used her speed to run onto a loose ball in the corner and gained a Cardinal corner kick in the 57th minute.
Alexander stepped forward with the corner kick and lofted a ball through the box to the back post. Martin timed her run perfectly and one-touched a rocket of a shot into the back of the net for the game's only goal. The goal was the first of the season for Martin and only the second of her four-year career. Alexander picked up an assist on the goal to raise her season total to five assists and her career total to 10 helpers.
The Cardinal defense clamped down the rest of the game as it limited the RedHawks to just seven shots overall on the game. Miami forward Jackie Hardek found an opening in the 73rd minute and sent a shot in the box that Murphy was there to smother to keep the RedHawks out of the goal.
Miami threw everything it had at the Cardinals in the final 10 minutes as it tried for find the game-tying goal. The Cardinals' collaborative defensive effort in their own in down the stretch didn't allow the RedHawks to be dangerous in the final third. Miami's last chance effort came in the 90th minute as Rachel Byron sent a desperation shot on goal, but Murphy was there to thwart the effort.
Murphy recorded five saves in the victory as she recorded her ninth shutout of the year. Her nine shutouts are tied with former Cardinal Alison Becker for the most in a single season while her 16 career shutouts are third all-time. She is just one shutout shy of second all-time and two shutouts shy of Becker's top mark of 18 shutouts.
The victory gives the Cardinals their 13th victory of the season, matching last season's total which is third most in a single season in program history. The MAC Tournament quarterfinal victory is just the Cardinals' second postseason victory in program record.
The Cardinals will return to the field on Friday afternoon as they host fourth-seeded Bowling Green in the second semifinal game of the 2007 MAC Tournament. All games of the MAC Tournament will be held at the BSU Soccer Field.
####
