Soccer Opens Practice for 2018 Season

MUNCIE, Ind. – Fresh off its third-consecutive Mid-American Conference West Division championship, the Ball State soccer team is back on campus and ready to build on its previous success as it prepares for the upcoming 2018 campaign.

The team reported for the season on Monday with its first practice coming Tuesday. Head Coach Craig Roberts was excited to have his team back and pleased with the first day of work. "We're really excited to be back out and started again. We've been eager to get back and working with the girls and so forth, and it's been reciprocated by them as well," said Roberts. "They're really enthusiastic and very ambitious again this season to get back after it. The first day I was delighted with their fitness levels and also the first scrimmages they had. They've shown a lot of potential and so we're delighted with the attitude and work rate and what they're bringing to the table. We're off to a great start."

The Cardinals return an experienced team with 10 seniors on this year's squad and 15 upperclassmen overall. Among those back from the 2017 group are top goal scorers Lauren Roll, Sam Kambol and Julia Elvbo. The trio each scored four goals apiece to lead the Ball State attack last season. Also returning is Allison Abbe who had a team-high six assists and tied Roll with a team-leading 10 points. Abbe and goalkeeper Tristin Stuteville are both back for another year with the Cardinals after being granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Stuteville is the lone returning goalkeeper from a season ago. The senior-to-be split time with departing senior Alyssa Heintschel last year. Stuteville appeared in 11 matches and started nine while stringing together a record of 5-3-2 with 33 saves. Incoming freshman Alex Deruvo will join her in goal as one of 13 newcomers.

"The chemistry has already started to blossom with some of the activities we've done as a team," Roberts said. "They really get along and communicate well which has been a foundation of success for us in the past. The girls really are one unit instead of individual star players, so they're really respecting each other and getting along which is great to see."

Coach Roberts begins his ninth season at the helm of the Ball State program and will look to continue his success as the winningest coach in program history. Along with three-straight MAC West Division titles, Roberts has guided Ball State to MAC regular season championships in 2015 and 2016 as well as five-consecutive seasons with double-digit victories.

"The team is equally ambitious as it has been in previous seasons," Roberts stated. "We're ambitious again and eager to put our best foot forward and compete within the MAC. Obviously, the desire is to go on to the NCAA's but the main thing for us is just to keep that enthusiasm about being ambitious and we'll see where everything ends up."

Ball State will welcome Eastern Illinois to Muncie on August 10 for an exhibition match before traveling north to Purdue Fort Wayne for the season opener on August 17. The Cardinals will play their first six matches all on the road before returning home for the lone non-conference game at Briner Sports Complex against Nebraska-Omaha on September 14. A home contest with Toledo a week later will mark the opening of MAC play.

For all the latest on Ball State soccer, follow @BallStateSoccer on social media and visit BallStateSports.com.

Players Mentioned

Allison Abbe

Julia Elvbo

Alyssa Heintschel

Sam Kambol

Lauren Roll

Tristin Stuteville

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