MUNCIE, Ind. ? The Ball State soccer team has been ranked 13th in the Great Lakes Region in the Soccerbuzz.com preseason poll. The Cardinals are the only Mid-American Conference team ranked in the region top 15, and this marks the second year in a row that they have been ranked in the preseason poll.
“We really appreciate the regional recognition from Soccerbuzz, and this ranking is a testament to how far our program has grown in such a short period of time,” head coach Michelle Salmon said. “We are excited about the upcoming season and are ready to get back out on the field playing.”
Ball State, the preseason favorite in the MAC, is coming off of a 13-4-3 record last fall in Salmon's first year at the helm of the program. The Cardinals finished last year ranked 14th in the region and were regionally ranked in nine of the 13 weeks last fall.
The Cardinals return 17 letterwinners from 2006, including eight starters from the 2006 MAC regular season champions. Ball State will get the 2007 season underway on Saturday as it hosts IUPUI in an exhibition game at the BSU Soccer Field at 5 p.m.
Soccerbuzz.com Great Lakes Region Preseason Rankings (55 teams)
Team -- (2006 Record/Final 2006 Ranking)
1. Notre Dame -- (25-1-1/1st)
2. Illinois -- (16-8-0/2nd)
3. Marquette -- (12-6-5/5th)
4. Kentucky -- (14-7-3/7th)
5. Louisville -- (13-4-3/3rd)
6. Purdue -- (14-6-3/6th)
7. Ohio State -- (10-8-1/9th)
8. UW-Milwaukee -- (16-4-2/4th)
9. Northwestern -- (8-10-2/NR)
10. Michigan -- (9-7-6/8th)
11. Michigan State -- (8-9-1/NR)
12. Dayton -- (8-7-3/15th)
13. Ball State -- (13-4-3/14th)
14. Loyola, Chicago -- (14-7-3/13th)
15. Wisconsin -- (7-9-3/NR)
Others receiving votes: Bowling Green (10-10), Minnesota (8-9-2), Wright State (12-3-4).
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