CHARLESTON, Ill. ? The Ball State soccer team dropped its second straight one-goal decision as the Cardinals were downed by Eastern Illinois, 1-0 on Friday afternoon at Lakeside Field. The Cardinals out-shot the Panthers by a 22-5 margin in the loss as they fall to 2-3-0 overall on the year.
Eastern Illinois (3-2-0) jumped out to an early lead in the 10th minute as Kathleen Hayes was able to find the back of the net with a bending shot past BSU junior goalkeeper Rachael Murphy (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville). Murphy returned to the lineup after missing the last game and a half due to an injury sustained against Florida Atlantic.
The Cardinals dominated play for most of the game as they registered eight corner kicks to Eastern Illinois' one. Senior forward Sarah Leibel (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula) paced the attack as she registered five shots while junior midfielder Annie Aiello (Granger, Ind./Penn) also tallied five shots in the loss.
Ball State attacked relentlessly in the second half vying for the tying goal as it out-shot EIU 15-3 in the second frame. The Cardinals came close in the 58th minute as Leibel ripped a shot from 15 yards out that EIU goalkeeper Jenny Williams made a diving save to rob a BSU goal.
The Cardinals almost capitalized on a set piece in the 82nd minute as junior midfielder Katelyn Alexander (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) sent a ball into the box. After a scramble for the loose ball, Aiello was able to get a shot off from 10 yards out that just went wide of the goal. Ball State saw its final chance for the tying goal come in the 88th minute as reserve forward Bailey Decker (Granger, Ind./Penn) fired a shot from close range that Williams was able to smother to preserve the EIU victory.
Williams recorded seven saves in tallying her third shutout of the season while Murphy notched two saves as she played all 90 minutes in goal for the Cardinals. The loss is the Cardinals first road loss since the beginning of 2006 (at Northern Arizona ? 9/1/06) as Ball State had won eight straight on the road before today's game.
The Cardinals will conclude their four-game road swing on Sunday afternoon as they travel to Bloomington, Ind. for a showdown against Indiana. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
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