Soccer Riding Hot Streak into Home Games on ESPN3

Friday, October 14

Muncie, Ind.

4:00 PM

Ball State University

Bowling Green

Photo by: Scott McNitt

October 12, 2016 | Soccer

Weekly Notes

Cardinals welcome Bowling Green on Friday, Toledo on Sunday

Game 15
Ball State vs. Bowling Green
Friday, Oct. 14 (4 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Briner Sports Complex)

Game 16
Ball State vs. Toledo
Sunday, Oct. 16 (2 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Briner Sports Complex)

Both of this weekend's games will be available for viewing on ESPN3 and WatchESPN, with production by Ball State Sports Link ... Ball State is celebrating Pink Weekend with its home soccer, women's volleyball and field hockey events. The first 200 fans to Friday's soccer game will receive a color-changing Ball State stadium cup.

The Ball State soccer team is becoming accustomed to long stretches without a loss.

Last year's team tied the school record with a nine-game unbeaten streak during its Mid-American Conference regular season championship run.

This year's team is seriously threatening that mark, taking an eight-game streak into this weekend's games. The Cardinals have not lost in nearly 40 days (seven wins and one draw). Maybe more remarkably, they have allowed only one goal over that stretch.

Western Michigan and Northern Illinois were the latest to fall victim to Ball State's stinginess. The Cardinals posted 2-0 shutouts over both of them last week.

Sophomore midfielder Emily Scott scored a goal in both games, while freshman forward Sam Kambol had a goal in one and an assist in the other. That duo is tied with Lauren Roll for the team lead with four goals. Senior defenders Lorina White and Leah Mattingly are right behind them with three goals each.

The Cardinals (10-2-2, 5-0-1 MAC) will look to extend their unbeaten streak this weekend at the Briner Sports Complex. The team's next win will also be an historic one for head coach Craig Roberts. He is currently tied with the Ball State's first-ever coach Ron Rainey for the most wins in program history with 70.

Few teams in the country enjoy a better home field advantage than Ball State these days. The Cardinals own a .933 winning percentage on their home turf over the past two seasons. The team will play three of its final five regular season games at home as it chases another title.

The Cardinals' recent streak has sent them climbing the NCAA RPI rankings, reaching an all-time high of No. 43 this week. They also cracked the NSCAA Great Lakes regional rankings at No. 10.

They will open the weekend against a Bowling Green team that is 7-7-0 overall (2-4-0 MAC). The Falcons suffered a pair of 2-1 losses last week against Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. Skylar Fleak leads Bowling Green with six goals, tied for fourth in the conference.

Toledo will play Friday at Miami before heading on to Muncie. The Rockets enter the weekend at 6-7-1 overall (1-4-1 MAC). They lost twice last week, 3-0 to Central Michigan and 2-1 in overtime at Eastern Michigan. Toledo's leading scorer, Kiersten Johnson, also has six goals.