Soccer Team Primed To Contend In 2012 MAC Race
August 14, 2012 | Soccer
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Ball State soccer team is a more seasoned group entering the 2012 season, poised for a breakout campaign following two growing years.
After a season in which the roster featured a combined 18 freshmen and sophomores, this year's version of the Cardinals has better experience and a more complete understanding of the playing style third-year coach Craig Roberts wants to utilize.
When Ball State opens the season Friday at Marshall, its roster will feature 21 returning players, including eight starters.
"The girls have several years under their belt now," Roberts said. "They are used to the system of play and some of the expectations and standards we have tried to implement. We are having to go over less now than we have in years past because they are used to certain concepts, and the technical training we have done has enhanced their game, as well."
Ball State has made strides in each of Roberts' first two years leading the program. After improving from four wins the year before his arrival to seven wins in his first season, the Cardinals finished 9-9-3 last year, including a stretch in which they won seven out of eight contests.
The expectations this season are to continue that trend and to again become a challenger in the Mid-American Conference race.
"I think in this third year we are truly a lot more settled and we feel that we have a lot more we can do," Roberts said. "I think we can start to stretch ourselves in expectations a little bit more and we'll be holding ourselves more accountable for being a competitor for the MAC."
The Cardinals welcome back 14 of the 16 players who recorded points last year, led by second-team All-MAC selection Brigit Reder. The senior topped all MAC defenders with seven goals last season and led Ball State with 16 total points. Her hat trick last year against Lamar was the first ever for a BSU defender.
Reder will help anchor a back line which features another pair of seniors in Skylar Chew and Amanda Dreyfus along with sophomore Pavla Benyrova, a MAC All-Freshman Team selection last year who played for three years on the Czech Republic National Team. Victoria Jacobs and Michelle Blok will also challenge for quality time on the back line.
"I am really excited about our back four," Roberts said. "I think we'll be very composed, and we will be a hard back line of defense to break down in order to score goals against us. I am expecting big things from them."
Ball State also returns scoring options from the midfield through the attacking third, starting with sophomore Jasmine Moses, who joined Benyrova on last year's conference all-freshman team. Moses tied Reder for the team-lead with seven goals in her rookie campaign.
Seniors Paige Stroinski and Shaniece Thorpe and sophomore Nicole Pembleton also return to join Moses at the forward position.
Returning midfielders Becca Sutton and Maggie Brown combined for 14 total points last year, while the Cardinals bring back additional experienced midfielders like seniors Sarah Orisich and Alyssa Ables and juniors Maimee Morris and Kelsey Shapiro. Sophomores Cailey Starck, Maggie Cox and Lindsay Kempf will also contribute after getting their feet wet last year.
"In the midfield, we just have an immense work engine that can really create a lot of attacking power for us and create different types of runs from the central position," Roberts said. "Up front, we are excited to have the ability to play different systems, whether we're playing with one, two or three forwards. We will have high expectations for the forward line to put the ball in the back of the net."
Back on the other end of the field, Roberts is impressed with the competition he is seeing from his trio of goalkeepers. Senior Aubrey Buehler is back after posting an 8-8-3 record last year with five shutouts, while junior Layne Schramm, who has made nine starts of her own in her first two seasons, also returns.
Emma Crenshaw, a sophomore transfer from Johnson County Community College in Kansas, has joined Buehler and Schramm in the goalkeeper competition.
"We are excited to have three really strong goalkeepers who are all capable of starting on any given day," Roberts said.
Crenshaw is part of a group of seven newcomers for this year who have wasted little time trying to make their impact felt on the practice field.
"They are coming into an experienced team that is very comfortable with each other, but they have had a huge impact in their commitment, their dedication and their attitude," Roberts said. "Each practice they continue to develop and grow. We're really excited about what they've done so far and how well they have competed."
The Cardinals are in their final week of practice before the season opener with Marshall, slated for Friday at 3 p.m. The team will play at home for the first time the following weekend, hosting the Ball State Tournament on Friday, Aug. 24 and Sunday, Aug. 26.
