Ball State University Athletics
Field Hockey Hosts Miami in MAC Home Opener
September 20, 2011 | Field Hockey
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State field hockey team takes on Miami (OH) at the BSU Turf Field Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Cardinals' Mid-American Conference home opener. Ball State has tallied an all-time record of 43-55 (.439) at BSU Turf Field in Muncie, Ind. since the facility opened Sept. 12, 1998.
LAST TIME OUT: Ball State returns from a two-day road-swing in Ann Arbor, Mich. after a pair of weekend contests, falling 8-0 to No. 14 Boston University and 5-0 to No. 13 Michigan at the Phyllis Ocker Field Hockey Field.
Friday afternoon, the Terriers outshot the Cardinals, 25-1, and connected on 8-of-15 shots on goal. Freshman midfielder Sanne Hermans (The Hague, Holland) finished with one shot, while freshman goalkeeper Haley Fusting (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) tallied seven saves during 70 minutes in the cage.
Versus Michigan Saturday morning, the Wolverines outshot the Cardinals, 32-0, and connected on 5-of-20 shots on goal. Freshman midfielder Tori Widrick (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia) finished with a defensive save, her first of the season, while Fusting and senior netminder Chelsea Mitchell (Stevens, Pa./Cocalico) split time in the cage, combining for 14 saves on the day.
SCOUTING BALL STATE: The Cardinals enter the midweek contest with a 0-6 record on the season after falling to the Terriers and Wolverines over the weekend. Ball State averages 9.5 shots per game, with senior forward Devanny Kuhn (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) leading the squad with 4.5. Hermans paces the Cardinals with one goal and two assists. Mitchell and Fusting have shared 420:00 in goal, including recording 42 and 14 saves, respectively.
SCOUTING MIAMI (OH): The RedHawks enter the week with a 2-6 record after recording a 3-0 shutout of the UC Davis Aggies Sunday. Junior midfielder Olivia Miller paces the squad after connecting on 5-of-10 shots-on-goal, and recording an assist. Sophomore Sarah Mueller owns a 2-5 record on the season after tallying 525:00 in the cage and 42 saves, allowing 14 goals.
SERIES HISTORY: Friday's game marks the 61st time Ball State and Miami will meet, as the Cardinals own a 43-17 all-time series advantage against the RedHawks. The teams last met during the 2010 season as Miami recorded a 7-0 shutout of Ball State October 29 at the BSU Turf Field. Devon Bell (Woodbury, N.J./Cherokee) recorded a defensive save for the Cardinals, while Gretchen Lulow (Ballwin, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy), Kristen Falk (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), Marisa Weachter (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) and CJ Hermes (Louisville, Ky./Mercy Academy) all finished with one shot each.
COACHES IN THE CROWD: Beth Maddox enters her second season as head coach of the Ball State University field hockey team in 2011 with assistant coach Jacque DeMarco and student coaches Morgan Cloutier and Brittany Hammer. Maddox is the sixth head coach in Ball State history. Under her direction, the Cardinals have brought in 10 freshmen for the 2011 season, in addition to nine current upperclassmen. Ball State's international flair to the 2011 roster features Hermans from The Hague, Holland.
RETURNING PLAYERS: The Cardinals return seven seniors in an experienced upperclassmen group, including forward Kristen Falk (Pennsburg, Pa./Perkiomen), Hermes, Kuhn, Lulow, midfielder Caitlin Maguire (Louisville, Ky./Presentation Academy), Mitchell and defender Katie Norris (Louisville, Ky./Mercy Academy), while Bell and midfielder Marisa Weachter (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) make up the two-member junior class.
NEWCOMERS: The squad welcomes ten freshmen to the 2011 roster in forward Charlie Digby (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams), Fusting, midfielder Leanne Goldblatt (Yorktown Heights, N.Y. (Lakeland), Hermans, defender Laura Malinoski (Eastampton, N.J. (Rancocas Valley Regional), defender Jenna Rosenberry (Manheim, Pa./Elizabethtown Area), midfielder Tarel Teach (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes), forward Kaitlin Thompson (San Carlos, Calif./St. Francis), midfielder Bianca Velez (Virginia Beach, Va./Floyd E. Kellam) and Widrick.
2010 MAC HONORS: Kuhn and Lulow earned First Team and Second Team All-MAC honors, respectively, in addition to Academic All-MAC honors. Also, Hermes, Lulow, Maguire and recent graduates Hannah Jones, Kaitlan Mitchell and Maura Sawicki earned National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) National Academic Squad honors.
COMING UP ON THE CARDINALS' CALENDAR: Maddox and the team continues league action Saturday as the squad hosts Central Michigan at the BSU Turf Field, noon Saturday. The Cardinals have tallied an all-time record of 43-55 (.439) at BSU Turf Field in Muncie, Ind. since the facility opened Sept. 12, 1998.
Live stats will be provided for all games on BallStateSports.com and updates can be found by following @BSUFieldHockey on Twitter.
