Soccer Announces 2008 Schedule

MUNCIE, Ind. ? Fresh off of its second straight Mid-American Conference regular season championship, Ball State soccer first-year head coach Michael Lovett announced a challenging 19-game schedule for the 2008 season. The schedule includes eight non-conference contests, including five against teams rated in the top 150 in the final 2007 NCAA RPI.

“Our 2008 schedule will be challenging,” Lovett said. “If we are able to perform at our highest level game in and game out, then we will be prepared for our MAC Tournament and hopefully extend our postseason run a few more games this year.”

The Cardinals get ready for the season on Aug. 15 when they host Wright State at the BSU Soccer Field in their only exhibition game of the season. Ball State officially opens the 2008 season on Aug. 22 when it travels to Valparaiso for the first meeting between the in-state schools since 2001.

The Cardinals continue their season-opening four-game road trip Aug. 31 when they take on Big 12 member Oklahoma. The game will mark just the second meeting all-time for Ball State against a Big 12 opponent and the first since the 1999 season (Iowa State).

The Cardinals will make the program's first ever trip to the Rocky Mountain State for a pair of games in Colorado Springs. Ball State will battle Air Force Sept. 5 on the academy grounds before taking on Colorado College Sept. 7.

“We have four out-of-region games this year that are very exciting in Oklahoma, Air Force, Colorado College and SMU,” Lovett said. “Playing three of them on the road will be challenging but will provide us a good test, especially if we are vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament come November. These out-of-region games will make us battle-tested and ready for MAC play.”

The Cardinals will open the home portion of the 2008 season the following weekend when they welcome in Eastern Illinois Sept. 12 and Southern Methodist Sept. 14 to the BSU Soccer Field. After a road game at 2007 NCAA Tournament participant Loyola (Ill.) Sept. 19, the Cardinals wrap up the non-conference season at home against regionally ranked Dayton Sept. 21.

Ball State opens up its defense of the MAC regular season title Sept. 26 at perennial power Central Michigan. The Cardinals will play five additional MAC road games this season at Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Toledo, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois.

“The MAC is one of the more physical conferences in the country,” Lovett said. “As a player you must learn to play through some pain and discomfort while as a coach you must learn to adjust to a hard-nosed style of play. Our tough non-conference schedule will prepare us to take on the MAC and defend our regular season title once again.”

The Cardinals open the home portion of MAC play on Oct. 3 when they welcome in Buffalo to the BSU Soccer Field. The Bulls are the only team in the MAC that defeated the Cardinals in the regular season last year. Ball State will also play host to Kent State, Ohio, Akron and Miami this season.

The 2008 MAC Tournament will kick off with the quarterfinals on Nov. 2 with the semifinals and finals to be held Nov. 7 and 9, respectively. As always, the MAC Tournament quarterfinals will be held on campus sites while the semifinals and finals are held at the highest remaining seed.

2008 Ball State Soccer Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time

August 15 WRIGHT STATE (Exhibition) Muncie, Ind. 4 p.m.

August 22 at Valparaiso Valparaiso, Ind. 4 p.m.

August 31 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 1 p.m.

September 5 at Air Force Colorado Springs, Colo. 6 p.m.

September 7 at Colorado College Colorado Springs, Colo. 1 p.m.

September 12 EASTERN ILLINOIS Muncie, Ind. 4 p.m.

September 14 SOUTHERN METHODIST Muncie, Ind. 1 p.m.

September 19 at Loyola Chicago, Ill. 6 p.m.

September 21 DAYTON Muncie, Ind. 1 p.m.

September 26 at Central Michigan * Mount Pleasant, Mich. 4 p.m.

September 28 at Eastern Michigan * Ypsilanti, Mich. 1 p.m.

October 3 BUFFALO * Muncie, Ind. 4 p.m.

October 5 KENT STATE * Muncie, Ind. 1 p.m.

October 10 at Bowling Green * Bowling Green, Ohio 4 p.m.

October 12 at Toledo * Toledo, Ohio 1 p.m.

October 17 OHIO * Muncie, Ind. 4 p.m.

October 19 AKRON * Muncie, Ind. 1 p.m.

October 24 at Western Michigan * Kalamazoo, Mich. 3 p.m.

October 26 at Northern Illinois * DeKalb, Ill. 1 p.m.

October 30 MIAMI * Muncie, Ind. 3 p.m.

November 2 MAC Quarterfinals TBA TBA

November 7 MAC Semifinals TBA TBA

November 9 MAC Finals TBA TBA

* - Mid-American Conference Game

ALL TIMES LOCAL TO PLAYING SITE

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Ball State University Athletics

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