Soccer Shuts out Western Michigan 2-0

Thursday, October 6

Muncie, Ind.

5:00 PM

Ball State University

9-2-2 (4-0-1MAC)

Western Michigan

8-5-0 (2-3-0MAC)

Western Michigan

Ball State

Photo by: Kyle Crawford

October 06, 2016 | Soccer

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MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Ball State soccer team ran its unbeaten streak to seven straight games with a victory in Thursday's showdown between the 2015 Mid-American Conference regular season champion and the league's reigning postseason tournament winner.

The Cardinals defeated Western Michigan 2-0 at the Briner Sports Complex as they continued defense of their regular season title from a year ago. They posted their sixth shutout in the past seven games and remained undefeated in MAC play behind goals from sophomore midfielder Emily Scott and senior defender Leah Mattingly.

Western Michigan (8-5-0, 2-3-0 MAC), which has reached the NCAA Tournament twice in the past three years, entered the day as the highest-scoring team in the league. That didn't bother Ball State (9-2-2, 4-0-1 MAC), which has now shut out the league's two highest-scoring teams in consecutive games.

"It was a good result for us," Ball State coach Craig Roberts said. "I don't think the gameplan went to perfection, but it was done very well. There were areas we should have done better, but I felt we corrected a lot of those situations in the second half."

Junior goalkeeper Alyssa Heintschel posted her fourth clean sheet of the season and the seventh total for Ball State this year. Heintschel didn't face a direct shot on goal, but she controlled the box with decisive plays. In the second half alone, she made a diving stop on a threatening cross and pounced on a dangerous loose ball to keep Western Michigan scoreless.

Scott provided the only goal the Cardinals needed in the 35th minute of play. Her header on the other end of a Sam Kambol cross broke a scoreless tie and proved to be the game-winner.

The one-goal advantage stood until the 79th minute when the Cardinals earned a free kick. Mattingly lined it up from 30 yards out and delivered a perfect strike past WMU keeper Makenzie Larson to give the Cardinals an insurance goal down the stretch.

Ball State had various additional scoring opportunities and even had one goal off a corner kick taken off the board when the team was whistled for a foul.

"Against a quality team like Western Michigan, to find the back of the net twice and have a third goal disallowed was positive," Roberts said. "I felt we threatened the goal on several occasions where we could have had more goals, but I was pleased with the overall performance."

Ball State finished the evening with a 12-8 edge in shots and a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks. Kambol and Peighton Cook led the Cardinals with three shots apiece. The offensive opportunities for both teams picked up in the second half after they managed three shots each in the opening 45 minutes.

With Thursday's win, Ball State is 9-2-2 through 13 games for the second straight season. The Cardinals also maintained the top spot in the MAC West Division with their 4-0-1 league mark.

Ball State will hit the road this weekend to play Sunday at 2 p.m. CT (3 ET) at Northern Illinois.