Soccer Storms Past IUPUI, 6-0

MUNCIE, Ind. ? The Ball State soccer team returned to the playing field for the first time in 2007 in impressive fashion as the Cardinals downed IUPUI, 6-0, in an exhibition game at the BSU Soccer Field on Saturday evening in front of a crowd of 424 fans.

“Today was a really positive start to our season as we did a lot of the little things well and got to see our hard work in the preseason implemented in a game situation,” second year head coach Michelle Salmon said. “We were able to elevate our game to another level against a good IUPUI team.”

Four different players notched goals for the Cardinals, including a pair of goals apiece from senior defender Lindsay Martin (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) and junior forward Sarah Schumacker (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield). Ball State out-shot IUPUI 17-9 and scored three goals in each half to secure the victory.

The Cardinals jumped out to a quick lead as they scored off of a corner kick in the 13^th minute. Junior midfielder Katelyn Alexander (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) sent the corner kick across the box where it found the head of an on-charging Martin who deposited the ball past IUPUI goalkeeper Jamie Farrell for her first goal of the game.

Martin struck again in the 34^th minute as she took a cross from Schumacker just inside the 18-yard line. She settled the ball and drilled a shot into the top right corner for a quick 2-0 lead. Schumacker added the third goal of the game just six and a half minutes later as she took a pass from freshman Claire Richardson (Highland Village, Texas/Marcus) and got behind the Farrell for an easy tap-in.

The Cardinals came out in the second half and put the game out of reach with three goals in a span of 9:48. Schumacker struck for her second goal of the game in the 53^rd minute as she was the benefactor of another Cardinal corner kick. Alexander lofted the corner kick into the box where freshman midfielder Cortney Coombs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) got a head on the ball and sent it back to Schumacker who buried into the back of the net for a 4-0 lead.

Alexander capped her four-point night with a stellar goal in the 56^th minute as she took a pass from senior forward Sarah Leibel (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) and went around an IUPUI defender on the end line. She rifled a shot into the opposite corner for the second BSU goal in just over two minutes.

Coombs closed out the scoring attack as she took a pass from Meg Mellott (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) and sent a rocket from 18-yards out into the back of the net for the final tally.

Junior goalkeeper Rachael Murphy (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) and sophomore Amy Cleeter (Aurora, Ind./South Dearborn) combined to shut out the Jaguars.

The Cardinals will be back in action for their second exhibition game of the season next Saturday afternoon as they host Indiana State at the BSU Soccer Field at 1 p.m. Admission as always is FREE to Ball State Soccer games.

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Ball State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Katelyn Alexander

Amy Cleeter

Cortney Coombs

Sarah Leibel

Lindsay Martin

Meg Mellott

Rachael Murphy

Claire Richardson

Sarah Schumacker

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