Sunday, October 3
Muncie, Ind.
2 p.m.
Ball State University
4-5-1, 2-1-1
3
vs
1
Akron
2-10-0, 0-4-0
1
2
F
Akron
1
0
1
Ball St.
0
3
3
Clutch Four Minutes Delivers Soccer Win Over Akron
October 03, 2021 | Soccer
MUNCIE, Ind. - - All it took was four minutes Sunday afternoon for the Ball State soccer team to get back on track in a big way.
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Trailing 1-0 in the 62' after an early goal from Akron, fifth-year senior Melissa Diceman took a hard shot from nearly 30 yards out which the keeper deflected off the crossbar and back into play.
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As luck would have it for the Cardinals (4-5-1; 2-1-1 Mid-American Conference), senior midfielder Chelcy Ralph was right there to deposit the rebound into the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season and set off an offensive barrage for BSU.
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"When the ball was in the air coming down to me, in my mind I'm saying 'okay Chelcy, take your time, you can place this ball or you can totally go over'," Ralph said about her match-tying goal. "So, I took my time, I let it bounce and I blasted inside."
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Exactly 1:35 later, freshman Lexi Fraley took over. She started with an impressive juke of a Zips (2-10-0; 0-4-0 MAC) defender just inside the goal area and followed with a strong left-footer past the goalie, giving BSU a 2-1 edge.
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Fraley was not done after her first career goal, however, as moments later she struck again. This time, she intercepted a backwards pass from an Akron defender, made another impressive move on the keeper, and smashed the ball into a wide open net for her first career brace.
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"I'm just excited," Fraley said after the win. "We went down 1-0 and we were all really motivated to battle back. We all worked together and picked up the pace to finish the match strong."
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When it was all said and done, the three goals in 3:56 gave the Cardinals a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over the Zips.
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"First, give credit to Akron, they came out and played hard," head coach Josh Rife said after the match. "That's a team, that in spite of their record, is a quality opponent and can create chances. Ultimately in the second half, we just needed to be cleaner and better on the ball and our passes. Once we started doing that it gave us more control."
Akron actually managed to score first in the contest, as Rielyn Hamilton snapped a 300-minute scoreless drought for the Zips in the 11'.
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That would be the only shot to get by the Ball State defense, however, as senior keeper Alex DeRuvo shut out the Zips the rest of the contest. She finished the day with three saves on Akron's 12 total shots.
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After being limited to six shots in the opening period, the Cardinals stepped up its game in the second half, connecting for 11 shots, including eight on goal.
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Next up for the Ball State soccer team, a rematch of this past spring's MAC Championship game as Bowling Green visits the Briner Sports Complex Thursday for a 4 p.m. showdown.
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Trailing 1-0 in the 62' after an early goal from Akron, fifth-year senior Melissa Diceman took a hard shot from nearly 30 yards out which the keeper deflected off the crossbar and back into play.
Â
As luck would have it for the Cardinals (4-5-1; 2-1-1 Mid-American Conference), senior midfielder Chelcy Ralph was right there to deposit the rebound into the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season and set off an offensive barrage for BSU.
Â
"When the ball was in the air coming down to me, in my mind I'm saying 'okay Chelcy, take your time, you can place this ball or you can totally go over'," Ralph said about her match-tying goal. "So, I took my time, I let it bounce and I blasted inside."
Â
Exactly 1:35 later, freshman Lexi Fraley took over. She started with an impressive juke of a Zips (2-10-0; 0-4-0 MAC) defender just inside the goal area and followed with a strong left-footer past the goalie, giving BSU a 2-1 edge.
Â
Fraley was not done after her first career goal, however, as moments later she struck again. This time, she intercepted a backwards pass from an Akron defender, made another impressive move on the keeper, and smashed the ball into a wide open net for her first career brace.
Â
"I'm just excited," Fraley said after the win. "We went down 1-0 and we were all really motivated to battle back. We all worked together and picked up the pace to finish the match strong."
Â
When it was all said and done, the three goals in 3:56 gave the Cardinals a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over the Zips.
Â
"First, give credit to Akron, they came out and played hard," head coach Josh Rife said after the match. "That's a team, that in spite of their record, is a quality opponent and can create chances. Ultimately in the second half, we just needed to be cleaner and better on the ball and our passes. Once we started doing that it gave us more control."
Akron actually managed to score first in the contest, as Rielyn Hamilton snapped a 300-minute scoreless drought for the Zips in the 11'.
Â
That would be the only shot to get by the Ball State defense, however, as senior keeper Alex DeRuvo shut out the Zips the rest of the contest. She finished the day with three saves on Akron's 12 total shots.
Â
After being limited to six shots in the opening period, the Cardinals stepped up its game in the second half, connecting for 11 shots, including eight on goal.
Â
Next up for the Ball State soccer team, a rematch of this past spring's MAC Championship game as Bowling Green visits the Briner Sports Complex Thursday for a 4 p.m. showdown.
Team Stats
AKR
BSU
Goals
1
3
Shots
12
17
Shots on Goal
4
11
Saves
8
3
Corners
2
6
Fouls
9
12
Scoring Plays
Rielyn Hamilton (1)
Assisted By: Katie Stafford
GOAL by AKR Hamilton, Rielyn Assist by Stafford, Katie.
10:56
Chelcy Ralph (4)
Assisted By: Melissa Diceman
GOAL by BSU Ralph, Chelcy Assist by Diceman, Melissa.
61:31
Lexi Fraley (2)
Assisted By: Lexy Smith
GOAL by BSU Fraley, Lexi Assist by Smith, Lexy.
63:06
Lexi Fraley (2)
GOAL by BSU Fraley, Lexi.
65:27
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
4
SOG
3
Goals
2
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
def
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
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