Ball State University Athletics
Soccer Travels To Xavier Monday Night For Exhibition Game
August 17, 2009 | Soccer
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Ball State soccer team begins the 2009 season Monday evening as the Cardinals battle the Xavier Musketeers in an exhibition game at the Xavier University Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. The game will be Ball State's only tune-up for the regular season which opens August 28 at Miami (Fla.).
Second-year head coach Michael Lovett brings a new-look team into the exhibition contest as the Cardinals have 11 newcomers on the 2009 squad. The newcomers join 13 returners from last season, including four starters to a program that has won two out of the last three Mid-American Conference regular season titles.
Highlighting the returning letterwinners are the Cardinals' tri-captains in senior midfielder Megan Ridley (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central), junior midfielder Cortney Coombs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) and redshirt sophomore defender Tina Vannatta (Powhatan, Va./Springboro). Ball State's three captains combined to play in 58 games last season.
Ridley leads the attack as she finished last season second on the team with nine points while earning first team All-MAC accolades. Coombs moves back into the midfield position this year and teams with Ridley to solidify the central midfield. Vannatta is the Cardinals' lone returning starter on defense after anchoring the back line last season in her first year on the team.
Ball State will have to replace seven senior starters from last season's 9-10-1 team, including in goal where senior Amy Cleeter (Aurora, Ind./South Dearborn) and freshman Nicole Wood (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) will battle for time in net.
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