Ball State University Athletics
Soccer Announces 2009 Schedule
June 23, 2009 | Soccer
MUNCIE, Ind. ? Ball State soccer head coach Michael Lovett announced an 18-game regular season schedule for the 2009 season Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals' schedule features seven non-conference contests and 11 Mid-American Conference games. Ball State will face seven teams rated in the top 150 in the final 2008 NCAA RPI report, including four in the top 100 (Miami, Purdue, Dayton and Toledo).
“We are very excited about this year's schedule,” Lovett said. “This is a tough and demanding slate of games. We will be a refreshed team with 13 newcomers and will have a chance to reform our identity against teams we have not faced in the past and our conference foes. We look forward to starting our season in Florida and hope to set the tone for the entire season. Our non-conference play should spring board us into Mid-American Conference action.”
The Cardinals get ready for the 2009 regular season Aug. 17 as they travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to face Xavier in an exhibition contest. Ball State will open the regular season with five straight road games and will play 12 of its 18 games away from BSU Soccer Field. The Cardinals make their second trip all-time to the Sunshine State as they battle Atlantic Coast Conference foe Miami Aug. 28 in the season opener. BSU remains in Florida for its second meeting all-time at Florida Atlantic Aug. 30.
Ball State heads back to Indiana to take part in the Boilermaker Challenge Cup in West Lafayette. The Cardinals will battle Valparaiso Sept. 3 before taking on host Purdue Sept. 7. The Cardinals' Monday contest against the Boilermakers will be the third meeting all-time between the two teams and the first since Ball State defeated then 19th ranked Purdue 1-0 in the regular season finale in 2003 (Nov. 1).
The Cardinals conclude their five-game season-opening road trip with a Sept. 11 meeting at regional rival Dayton. Ball State opens its home portion of the 2009 schedule Sept. 13 with its first ever meeting against SIU-Edwardsville. The Cardinals posted a 6-1-1 record last season at the BSU Soccer Field and own a 57-26-11 (.665) mark all-time in program history at home. BSU will wrap up the non-conference schedule Sept. 18 when it hosts Lipscomb.
Ball State, which has won the MAC regular season title two out of the last three years, opens conference play Sept. 25 on the road at Kent State. The Cardinals will play six additional MAC road games in the unbalanced schedule with contests at Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Akron and Miami.
Ball State opens its home portion of league play Oct. 2 when it welcomes in MAC rival Bowling Green. The Cardinals will also host Toledo, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan at the BSU Soccer Field.
The 2009 MAC Tournament will kick off with the quarterfinals on Nov. 1 with the semifinals and finals to be held Nov. 6 and 8, 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.
Date
Opponent
Location
Time
Aug. 17
at Xavier (Exhibition)
Cincinnati, Ohio
7 p.m.
Aug. 28
at Miami
Coral Gables, Fla.
7 p.m.
Aug. 30
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
1 p.m.
Sept. 3
vs. Valparaiso %
West Lafayette, Ind.
5:30 p.m.
Sept. 7
at Purdue %
West Lafayette, Ind.
5:30 p.m.
Sept. 11
at Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13
SIU-EDWARDSVILLE
Muncie, Ind.
1 p.m.
Sept. 18
LIPSCOMB
Muncie, Ind.
4 p.m.
Sept. 25
at Kent State *
Kent, Ohio
7 p.m.
Sept. 27
at Buffalo *
Buffalo, N.Y.
1 p.m.
Oct. 2
BOWLING GREEN *
Muncie, Ind.
4 p.m.
Oct. 4
TOLEDO *
Muncie, Ind.
1 p.m.
Oct. 9
at Central Michigan *
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7 p.m.
Oct. 11
at Eastern Michigan *
Ypsilanit, Mich.
1 p.m.
Oct. 16
at Ohio *
Athens, Ohio
7 p.m.
Oct. 18
at Akron *
Akron, Ohio
1 p.m.
Oct. 23
NORTHERN ILLINOIS *
Muncie, Ind.
3 p.m.
Oct. 25
WESTERN MICHIGAN *
Muncie, Ind.
1 p.m.
Oct. 29
at Miami *
Oxford, Ohio
3 p.m.
Nov. 1
MAC Tournament Quarterfinals
TBA
TBA
Nov. 6
MAC Tournament Semifinals
TBA
TBA
Nov. 8
MAC Tournament Finals
TBA
TBA
