Ball State University Athletics
Soccer Program Embracing High Standards
August 13, 2015 | Soccer
Back-to-back 11-win seasons have cemented the Ball State soccer program as a consistent contender in the Mid-American Conference.
It's a position the Cardinals have not fully grasped since their conference championship seasons in the first decade of the 2000s.
The team has gone toe-to-toe with the best the league has to offer and come tantalizing close to a postseason berth. Two years ago it was a narrow championship game loss to Western Michigan. Last year it was an overtime semifinal defeat to league champion Buffalo.
The program's steady improvement under sixth-year head coach Craig Roberts has certainly raised the bar again in Muncie.
“It's not something that comes easy,” Roberts said. “We have been fortunate every year to progress in our success, but the challenge is even greater this year to make sure we keep moving in the right direction.”
The Cardinals are slightly more than a week into practice for the 2015 season. They are working toward an exhibition contest Saturday at IUPUI and their regular season opener Aug. 21 at Jacksonville State.
Elaina Musleh, one of the team's top returning scorers, has seen the program continue to develop during her career. She and her fellow seniors are holding everyone to a high standard.
“I'm pretty excited about the year ahead,” Musleh said. “We are focused on getting down to business, and we really have an expectation of everyone to perform at their best.”
This year's roster features an interesting mix. Ball State returns a strong core of players from last year's MAC West Division runner-up team, but more than a third of the team is new.
Four of the team's top six scorers are back in Musleh, Gabby Veldman, Leah Mattingly and Madison Oyer. But the talented group of newcomers is looking to make its mark, too.
“I think both groups will complement each other,” he said. “The young talent will push the veterans, while the veterans will serve as good mentors for the younger players. Our upperclassmen are seasoned players who have helped the program develop to where we are now.”
The Cardinals see the high level of competition at each position as something that will continue to raise the level of the entire program. And they are careful not to let it affect their chemistry, dedicating a good amount of time during preseason training to team bonding activities.
“We click together off the field, and I think it's going to show on the field,” Musleh said.
Defense has always been a hallmark during Roberts' tenure. His teams have posted nine shutouts in each of the past two seasons. The Cardinals took a step forward offensively last year, leading the league in goals scored during the season.
The back line should remain solid with Mattingly and Orla Travers-Gillespie returning and the addition of junior college national player of the year Lorina White (goalkeeper Alyssa Heintschel is also back). But Roberts believes his team will be improved yet again in the attacking third.
“I think we have a lot more offensive threats this year with athleticism and clear goal scoring ability,” he said. “I'm really optimistic that we can be even more productive.”
