Ball State University Athletics
Roberts Guides Haiti Team in World Cup Qualifying
July 22, 2015 | Soccer
Ball State soccer coach Craig Roberts led the Haiti U17 Women's National Team through the first round of 2016 World Cup qualifying last week.
Playing in its home country, the Haiti team posted victories over Curacao and Bermuda to advance through the opening stage.
Roberts began working with Haiti as an assistant coach for the full women's national team last year and recently added the title of head coach for the U17 team.
"It is gratifying as a coach to have the opportunity to work with the best players in Haiti and to compete with the best from other countries," Roberts said.
The team will travel to Puerto Rico for the second qualifying stage in November to compete against the Dominican Republic, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. If the team advances from there, it would enter a stage likely to feature some of the region's top teams, including the United States and Canada.
Roberts is preparing to welcome his Ball State team back to campus at the beginning of August. The Cardinals open their season Aug. 21 at Jacksonville State. The team is coming off an 11-7-2 season and its second straight appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals.
