LIVE STATS
MUNCIE, Ind. ? The Ball State soccer team opens the 2008 regular season Friday afternoon as the Cardinals travel to instate foe Valparaiso for a 5:15 p.m. (CT) start at the Eastgate Field. The game will kickoff the Cardinals' 10th season since its inception in 1999 and will be the first regular season game for Ball State under the tutelage of first-year head coach Michael Lovett.
“We are looking forward to Friday's game against Valparaiso,” Lovett said. “Our team, led by our seniors, has such a positive outlook for the season and we will be striving for excellence from the beginning. We want to make a statement in our non-conference season that we will be competitive with everyone that we play this season. We look forward to the challenge of opening the year on the road against a strong Valparaiso team.”
The Cardinals are 7-2 all-time in season openers and have won four straight openers dating back to the 2004 season. Last season, Ball State posted a 5-1 victory over IPFW at home to open the season, marking the second straight season with a four-goal season opening victory.
The Cardinals posted a 2-1 loss at home to Wright State in their lone exhibition game last weekend. Senior forward Emily Rein (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) scored the Cardinals' lone goal in the second half as the Cardinals' comeback fell just short. Senior midfielder Annie Aiello (Granger, Ind./Penn) and freshman midfielder Sarah Orisich (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) picked up assists on the goal.
Ball State returns 15 letterwinners and eight starters from last season's Mid-American Conference regular season championship team. The Cardinals posted a 13-5-2 record last fall as they became the first team in MAC history to win back-to-back outright MAC regular season titles.
The Cardinals' defense was the top unit in the MAC last season and Second Team All-MAC selection Jen Vilkoski (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) anchors the unit once again this year. Vilkoski and the Cardinals allowed just 13 goals against last season and posted a school record 10 shutouts. Senior goalkeeper Rachael Murphy (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville), a second team All-MAC selection, also returns in net as she posted a 0.53 goals against average last year to lead the league.
Valparaiso enters the 2008 season under the direction of first-year head coach John Marovich. The Crusaders posted a 10-9-0 record last fall and have been picked to finish sixth in the Horizon League in the preseason poll.
Valparaiso returns 14 letterwinners and six starters from last season's team with Second Team All-Horizon League defender Jackie Thomas leading the way. The Crusaders posted a 4-2 victory over St. Joseph's (Ind.) in their only exhibition game of the season.
The Cardinals and Crusaders have met three times in program history Valparaiso leading the all-time series, 2-1. The Cardinals won the last meeting between the two teams with a 5-0 victory in Muncie during the 2001 season. Valparaiso won the first two meetings all-time with a 1-0 victory in 1999 and a 2-1 win in 2000 at home.
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