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MUNCIE, Ind. ? The Ball State soccer team returns home to the friendly confines of the BSU Soccer Field on Friday afternoon after a four-game road trip as the Cardinals host regional rival Illinois State at 4 p.m. Admission as always is FREE to all Ball State Soccer games.
“We are looking forward to a great challenge from a very good Illinois State team,” second-year head coach Michelle Salmon said. “We are playing great soccer right now and we are eager to get back out there in front of our home fans Friday afternoon.”
The Cardinals (2-4-0) are coming off of one of their strongest performances of the season in their 2-1 loss at Big Ten foe Indiana. Ball State dominated play in the loss as it out-shot the Hoosiers by a 20-10 advantage, including a stellar 12-3 margin in the second half.
Junior midfielder Katelyn Alexander (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) scored the Cardinals' lone goal against Indiana as she rifled a shot off of a set piece from the top of the 18-yard box. Alexander is tied for the team lead in scoring with five points as she has scored two goals and handed out one assist.
Junior forward Emily Rein (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) is also atop the Cardinal scoring charts as she has scored one goal and has dished out three assists. Classmate Sarah Schumacker (Fairfield, Ohio/Hamilton) is tied for the team lead with two goals on the season.
Friday's game is the sixth meeting all-time between the Cardinals and the Redbirds. Ball State trails the all-time series by a 0-4-1 mark but it snapped a four-game losing streak to the Redbirds last season as it took home a 1-1 tie in Normal, Ill.
Schumacker gave the Cardinals the early lead last season as she scored in the 38th minute as a first half reserve. Illinois State tied the game at 1-1 in the 74th minute, as Jaclyn Rucinski scored off of a corner kick for ISU.
Illinois State enters Friday's game with a 4-1-0 record on the season and the Redbirds have picked up wins against Wisconsin-Green Bay, Valparaiso, Central Michigan and most recently against Morehead State . The Redbirds' lone loss on the season came in overtime at Western Illinois.
The Redbirds have scored 12 goals this season and have only allowed a Missouri Valley Conference best two goals against. Katie Grill-Donovan leads the charge in goal as she has a 0.42 goals against average this season.
The game is the Cardinals' final tune-up in non-conference play before BSU opens Mid-American Conference action next weekend.
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