MUNCIE, Ind. ? The two-time defending Mid-American Conference regular season champion Ball State soccer team has been picked to finish second in the 2008 MAC preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced on Wednesday.
“We received a fair vote to be picked second in the conference,” first year head coach Michael Lovett said. “With all of the coaching changes around the league, this says a lot about our players and our program to be respected with a second place vote. We are going to continue to compete at a high level and at the top of the MAC.”
The Cardinals have posted a 25-5-3 record against MAC foes over the past three seasons which is the top mark among all league teams. MAC rival Toledo was picked to win the MAC regular season after claiming the 2007 MAC Tournament title. Bowling Green was picked third in the poll while Miami was tabbed fourth to round out the top third of the poll.
“Preseason polls are a great starting point for the season but once the year begins, we will get a better feel for where each team stands,” Lovett said. “Our goal for the program is to hold down the top spot at the end of the season.”
The Cardinals, who return 15 letterwinners from last season's team, are the only team in MAC history to claim back-to-back outright regular season titles. Ball State also returns eight starters from the 2007 squad which posted a 13-5-2 overall record. The Cardinals are led by a strong seven-member senior class that has a 41-12-7 record during their careers in Muncie.
Last season, the Cardinals placed a league-record six players on the All-Mid-American Conference teams highlighted by midfielder Annie Aiello's (Granger, Ind./Penn) first team accolades. Senior forward Emily Rein (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) paced the BSU attack last season, as she led the team with 17 points, including a team-high six goals to earn Second Team All-MAC honors.
The Cardinals had a strong back line last season, as they boasted one of the country's top defenses allowing just 13 goals against, which is the lowest total in program history for a single season. Ball State allowed just five goals against in MAC play, tying the fewest goals ever allowed by a MAC team in a 10-plus game season.
The Cardinals are strong in net as they return second team All-MAC goalkeeper Rachael Murphy (
Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville)
. Murphy posted a MAC-best 10 shutouts in 2007, including a school-record seven straight shutouts last fall. She finished the year with a 0.53 goals against average and enters her senior season just one shutout shy of the BSU career shutout record.
The Rockets also were picked to win the 2008 MAC Tournament with seven votes while Miami received three votes and Bowling Green and the Cardinals each picked up one vote.
The Cardinals will open the 2008 regular season this Friday afternoon as they travel to Valparaiso for their first meeting with the Crusaders since the 2001 season. Game time is set for 5:15 (CT) at Eastgate Field.
2008 Mid-American Conference
Preseason Soccer Poll
1. Toledo
2. Ball State
3. Bowling Green
4. Miami
5. Ohio
t-6. Northern Illinois
t-6. Eastern Michigan
8. Central Michigan
9. Kent State
10. Buffalo
11. Akron
12. Western Michigan
MAC Tournament Champion ? Toledo (7), Miami (3), Ball State (1), Bowling Green (1).
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