Ball State University
Northeastern
Field Hockey Drops Game Sunday Against Northeastern
September 02, 2007 | Field Hockey
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Ball State field hockey team dropped a 4-1 decision in a neutral site, non-conference contest Sunday against Northeastern.
Casey Hunsicker scored her second goal of the season for Ball State (1-3), but it was not enough to lift the Cardinals over Northeastern (1-1), which entered the game receiving votes in the STX/NFHCA Poll.
For much of the game, Ball State was closer to Northeastern than the final score would indicate.
Huniscker's goal came off an assist from Jamie Kahn less than five minutes into the second half. The goal tied the game at 1-1, equalizing a late first half score from Northeastern's Meg Sweeney.
The Cardinals and Huskies remained tied until the 51:17 mark, when Harriet Hoyer scored the first of three Northeastern second-half goals over the final 19 minutes. Pam Aldridge added a goal for the Huskies less than a minute later, and Hoyer added one more in the 61st minute to give Northeastern its final margin of victory.
"We played really well for most of the game, and we had a lot of the momentum," Ball State coach Annette Payne said. "Then we just had sort of a lull, and they were able to capitalize on it."
Cardinal goalkeeper Tiffany Shifflett saved eight shots in the losing effort, running her Mid-American Conference-leading save total to 42 for the season. Defensively, Ball State held Northeastern to just two shots on goal in the first half before giving up 11 in the second half.
The Cardinals will remain in Evanston to take on Northwestern Monday at 1 p.m. (2 p.m. Muncie time) in a Labor Day match-up.
"We did some good things today," Payne said. "We've just got to learn from today's game and move on. Tomorrow is another day with another opponent."
