Ball State University Athletics
First-Place Soccer Starts Home Weekend Friday
October 07, 2015 | Soccer
Game 13
Ball State vs. Kent State
Friday, Oct. 9 (4 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Briner Sports Complex)
Listen Live (SL Digital) | Live Stats
Game 14
Ball State vs. Ohio
Sunday, Oct. 11 (2 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Briner Sports Complex)
Listen Live (SL Digital) | Live Stats
Promotions: Ball State winter beanie caps to the first 150 fans at Friday's game versus Kent State … Dollar concessions for Sunday's game against Ohio.
MUNCIE, Ind. -- No Ball State women's soccer team has ever started the Mid-American Conference season 5-0. That and more is what this year's squad will be trying to accomplish in a pair of home games this weekend.
The Cardinals (8-2-2 overall) have risen to No. 81 in the RPI rankings with wins in five straight games, including their first four league contests.
They will host another of the conference's top teams in Kent State on Friday (the game has been moved up to 4 p.m.). The Golden Flashes (7-3-2) are 3-1 in conference play, just a game behind the Cardinals for first place. It is a matchup of the league's top scoring offense in Kent State against one of its stingiest defenses in Ball State.
The Golden Flashes are coming off a seven-goal outburst against Northern Illinois and are averaging better than two goals per game. The Cardinals have only allowed two scores in a game once all season and are barely giving opponents any looks at the net these days. Even when they do, keeper Alyssa Heintschel is there to gobble them up.
Ball State will be home again Sunday to host Ohio (4-7, 2-2 MAC), which will begin its weekend at Miami before heading on to Muncie. The Bobcats opened conference play with a win over defending champion Buffalo and also own a league win over Northern Illinois.
Ball State suffered a 1-0 road loss to Ohio in the only meeting between the teams last year. The Cardinals played Kent State twice a year ago and shut them out both times, including a home victory in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament.
During Ball State's current winning streak, it has continued to be a total team effort with key contributions from all over the field. Injuries here and there have forced several players into different roles, but they have responded each time.
Last weekend, Abbie Boswell and Leah Mattingly accounted for four of Ball State's five goals in road wins at Toledo and Central Michigan.
Boswell leads the team with five goals this year and is only two shy of the Ball State freshman record. Mattingly, who has scored in three of the past four games, was named the MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for her back line play and her scoring contributions.
For a complete preview of this weekend's games, check out This Week in Ball State Soccer.
