Ball State University Athletics
Field Hockey Prepares For CMU In MAC Quarterfinals
November 04, 2008 | Field Hockey
MUNCIE, Ind. ? For the second season in a row, the Ball State field hockey team will take on fourth-seeded Central Michigan in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 5 seed. Game time is set for 11 a.m. Thursday, November 6 at Murphy-Mellis Field in Kent, Ohio.
Ball State finished the 2008 regular season 2-16 overall and 1-9 in the MAC. Missouri State also earned the same conference record; however, the Cardinals won the tiebreaker by scoring more points in the head-to-head games with the Bears giving Ball State the fifth seed and Missouri State the sixth seed.
Ball State has scored 25 goals this season and freshman Brittany Hammer leads the team with six goals and three assists for a total of 15 points. Senior Jodi Mann is second on the team with five goals and two assists. Mann has also earned four defensive saves this season, a tie for first on the team, second in the MAC, with sophomore Elizabeth Blaum. Senior Casey Hunsicker is third with four goals, scoring three of them in the last six games.
Cardinal goalkeeper Tiffany Shifflett has accumulated 113 saves this season over 18 games for a .628 saves percentage, placing her sixth all time with 262 career saves.
Thursday's game marks the 25th appearance for Ball State in the MAC Tournament, dating back to the 1983 season when the Cardinals captured the first-ever MAC Championship.
The Chippewas (7-11, 6-4 MAC) enter the tournament as the fourth seed, winning its last four conference games. Central Michigan is coming off a non-conference loss to nationally ranked No. 10 Michigan State 2-0.
Central Michigan has scored 38 goals this season and allowed 51 goals against. Samantha Sandham leads the team with 11 goals and nine assists for 31 points. Second on the team is Amanda Lucik who owns five assists and five goals, earning two against the Cardinals October 11 in Muncie.
Thursday's game is one of two quarterfinal contests in the MAC Tournament. The other includes third seed Ohio vs. sixth seed Missouri State. Kent State and Miami each earned first round byes.
A win will advance the Cardinals to face Kent State, who earned the top seed. The semi-finals are set for noon Friday, Nov. 7. Following that, the championship game will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8.
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