Ball State University
Western Kentucky
Soccer Claims 1-0 Victory At Western Kentucky
September 11, 2010 | Soccer
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The Ball State soccer team notched its fifth win of the season and surpassed its win total from last season (4-13-1) with a 1-0 victory at Western Kentucky Friday evening at WKU Soccer Field. The Cardinals' 5-2-0 start to the year is the fastest start to a season for Ball State since 2005 when it opened to an 8-1-0 mark.
"We made progress tonight on what we have been working on as a team this past week," first-year head coach Craig Roberts said. "Our defense was strong and our midfield played well tonight. We still need to improve our consistency, but we battled hard and took advantage of the opportunities afforded us in the run of play."
Redshirt sophomore Sarah Orisich (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) scored the game-winning goal for the second straight game as she found the back of the net in the 34th minute of play. Orisich put high pressure on WKU goalkeeper Katlyn Barnes and forced her into a miscue. She was able to get a touch on the ball and maneuver around Barnes before putting the ball in the back of the net for the game's lone goal.
Orisich scored her first career goal last Sunday afternoon as she scored in the 103rd minute for the game-clinching goal against Southeast Missouri. She has now scored two career goals, both being game-winning tallies, in the past week.
Ball State controlled play in the first half as it held a 10-5 advantage in shots in the opening frame. Western Kentucky (1-3-1) reversed the action in the second half as the Hilltoppers were fighting to tie the game as they held a 10-5 edge in shots in the second half. Senior midfielder Missy Gordon (Carmel, Ind./Marshall) led BSU with six shots, while WKU had four different players recording two shots in the loss.
Sophomore goalkeeper Aubrey Buehler (Waukesha, Wis./UT-Martin) posted five saves in the victory. Buehler improves to 5-1-0 on the season and records her second shutout of the year while helping BSU to its third shutout as a team. Barnes tallied three saves in the loss for WKU.
Ball State is off for the rest of the weekend and returns to action next Saturday afternoon as it travels to Pittsburgh, Pa., for a meeting at Duquesne. The game next weekend will be the Cardinals' final non-conference game of the year.
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