Soccer Home for MAC Battles with Ohio, Kent State on ESPN3

Game 11
Ball State vs. Ohio
Friday, Sept. 29 (5 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Briner Sports Complex)
Watch (ESPN3) | Live Stats
*Student Rewards Bonus Points Day
*Dance Marathon Day (Ball State Athletics donates $1 to BSU Dance Marathon for every student in attendance.)

Game 12
Ball State vs. Kent State
Sunday, Oct. 1 (2 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Briner Sports Complex)
Watch (ESPN3) | Live Stats
*Community Day
*$1 hot dogs and Pepsi products

The Ball State soccer team returns to the Briner Sports Complex for a key Mid-American Conference weekend as it begins a heavy home stretch. After playing seven of their first 10 games on the road, the Cardinals will play five of their next six at home, all in a span of 17 days.

BSU kicks off that stretch Friday, hosting Ohio with a chance to avenge its only loss in conference play a season ago. Sunday's matchup with Kent State pits the defending MAC regular season champion (Cardinals) against the defending league tournament champion (Golden Flashes).

Both games will air on ESPN3, produced by Ball State Sports Link. The Cardinals and both of their opponents enter this weekend unbeaten after two conference games.

Ball State (3-5-2, 1-0-1 MAC) went on the road last weekend for a win and a draw. The Cardinals opened league play with a 2-1 victory over the league's highest-scoring team, Bowling Green. They followed it up with a 1-1 draw at Toledo, out-shooting the Rockets, 21-4, despite scoring just the one goal.

All three Ball State goals last weekend were registered by first-time scorers this season -- midfielders Alessandra Fistrovich, Julia Elvbo and Lauren Roll. The Cardinals have now had seven different players score a goal this year.

Ohio (5-5-0, 2-0-0) opened league play with a pair of home victories. The Bobcats defeated Eastern Michigan, 2-1 in overtime, and shut out Central Michigan, 3-0. Ohio has scored 10 goals this season, with five of them coming in the past two games. Allie Curry paces the Bobcats with four goals.

Kent State (6-3-1, 2-0-0 MAC) also opened MAC play last weekend with home wins over Central Michigan, 2-1, and Eastern Michigan, 1-0. The Golden Flashes ride a six-game winning streak into this weekend and travel Friday to Miami before visiting Muncie. Freshman Vital Kats leads Kent State with four goals and two assists on the year.

Ball State squared off with both of this weekend's opponents on the road last year. The Cardinals' dropped a 3-1 decision on a rainy night in Athens, Ohio, for their only loss in MAC play.

They bounced back three days later to defeat Kent State, 2-1 in overtime, in a battle for first place. Kelsey Wendlandt's game-tying goal in the 77th minute and Sam Kambol's game-winner in overtime put Ball State in the driver's seat to claim another MAC regular season title.

Soccer Home for MAC Battles with Ohio, Kent State on ESPN3

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Players Mentioned

Julia Elvbo

Alessandra Fistrovich

Sam Kambol

Lauren Roll

Kelsey Wendlandt