Ball State University Athletics
Soccer Wraps Up Successful Spring Season
April 27, 2010 | Soccer
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State soccer team, under the direction of first-year head coach Craig Roberts, has concluded a successful 2010 spring season as the Cardinals posted a 4-0-1 record in full-squad spring games. The Cardinals did not allow a goal scored against during the five spring games and out-scored their opponents by a 6-0 margin. Freshman goalkeeper Nicole Wood (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) played every minute in goal this spring and posted five shutouts.
"Our team really progressed this spring," Roberts said. "Our main goal heading into the spring was to improve defensively and we accomplished that with better defensive shape, which was evident as we did not allow a goal in five games."
The Cardinals opened the full-squad spring season against instate rival Indiana State (March 27) and posted a 1-0 victory over the Sycamores. Junior forward Missy Gordon (Carmel, Ind./Marshall) tallied the Cardinals' lone goal.
Ball State followed that performance up with a 0-0 tie at regional power Wright State (April 3) as Woods posted her second straight shutout. The Cardinals tallied a 3-0 victory over Tiffin in the second game of the afternoon at WSU. Freshmen Paige Stroinski (Granger, Ind./Penn) and Alyssa Ables (Huntertown, Ind./Shattuck's St. Mary's) opened the scoring with two early goals. Junior Kristina Anderson (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin) capped the output as she scored off a 30-yard free kick to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
"The spring gave us an opportunity to see players play in different positions and gauge our team's strengths and weaknesses," Roberts said. "It gave us a strong foundation for us to build on going into the fall season. Also, our strength and conditioning program was successful as we enhanced our overall performances as the spring season moved forward."
The Cardinals wrapped up the spring season with a pair of home victories over Manchester and Indiana Tech (April 24). Ball State downed Manchester in the first game of the afternoon by a 1-0 score as Stroinski and Ables connected once again. Stroinski fired a free kick from 20-yards out that struck the post where Ables pounced on the rebound and deposited it in the back of the net for the game-winning goal.
Ball State closed out the spring with a 4-0 victory over Indiana Tech at BSU Soccer Field. Sophomore Sarah Orisich (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North), who missed the fall season due to an injury, scored the Cardinals' first goal while junior Cortney Coombs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) added BSU's second goal. Gordon rounded out the spring season as she scored the game's final two goals to finish the spring with a team-high three goals.
"The first couple of months have been a whirlwind for our staff and we hit the ground running, securing a strong recruiting class," Roberts said. "The effort and dedication our team showed this spring will move our program in the right direction heading into the fall."
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