Ball State University Athletics
Strong Second Half Lifts Soccer Over Indiana State, 2-1
August 26, 2007 | Soccer
“Today was as close to a complete game as you can have this early in the year,” second-year head coach Michelle Salmon said. “We showed a lot of willingness to play Ball State Soccer this afternoon and stayed within our game plan. We displayed tremendous character in the face of adversity today as we never stopped battling the entire game.”
The Cardinals attacked the Sycamores from the very beginning as they out-shot ISU by a 22-5 margin.
The Cardinals re-grouped at halftime and came out in the second half with an aggressive attack.
The Cardinals knotted the game at one apiece in the 53rd minute as Rein harassed Rudzis at the top of the 18-yard box. Rein stole the intended clearing attempt and got around Rudzis for the easy tap-in to the tie game.
Ball State continued its fast paced attack in the 59th minute as junior midfielder Katelyn Alexander (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) sprung an attack with a long ball in behind the ISU defense that junior forward Sarah Schumacker (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) was able to secure. Schumacker brilliantly poked the ball past the on-charging Rudzis and got in behind the goalkeeper. She deposited the ball in the net ahead of the retreating ISU defender for the go ahead goal.
“There were a lot of key moments in today's victory and certainly that was one of our bigger moments,” Salmon said. “Murph (Rachael) is a big-time goalkeeper who came up with a big-time save at a key moment in the game and that is something we have become accustomed to from last year.”
The Cardinals will open the 2007 regular season at home for just the third time in program history on Friday afternoon as they host IPFW at the BSU Soccer Field. Game time is set for 4 p.m. and admission, as always, in FREE.
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