Field Hockey Opens 2021 Season At Miami Tuesday

MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State field hockey teams highly anticipated season begins with two games this week. First up is a Tuesday road trip at Miami and then the Cardinals return home for their opener at the Briner Sports Complex against Louisville. Both contests will begin a 1 p.m. ET.

.?@CoachBERNbsu? comments about tomorrow's opener and the upcoming 2021 season!#ChirpChirp | #WeFly pic.twitter.com/2JV6Mq6kpV
— BallStateFieldHockey (@BallStateFH) March 1, 2021

Ball State vs. Miami: The contest between Miami, although a Mid-American Conference school, will not be counted as a league game but will go towards the Cardinals' regular season record.

It will be the 70th meeting all-time against the Cardinals and the RedHawks on Tuesday, with Miami leading the all-time series record 45-25. Miami has won 14 straight over BSU. Last season, the Cardinals were so close to breaking that streak taking the RedHawks to overtime on Sept. 20, 2019 in Oxford, Ohio.

The OT game against the RedHawks was a defensive thriller as both teams held each other scoreless the entire 60 minutes of regulation. Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Wietske Overdijkink collected 11 saves in that contest.

Ball State vs. Louisville: In third-year head coach Stephanie Bernthal's first season at the helm of the Cardinals, BSU hosted Louisville on Oct. 3, 2018 at the Briner Sports Complex, resulting in a 5-1 loss for BSU. UofL was ranked ninth in the country that year when it came to Muncie and this season in the preseason national polls they have been tabbed with a No. 8 ranking.

Louisville leads the all-time series 16-11 and has won the last six over Ball State. BSU last defeated Louisville by a 2-1 decision Sept. 24, 2004 in Muncie.

The Cardinals welcome back a slew of experienced letterwinners this season including last year's Second Team All-MAC selection redshirt senior Sierra Jefferson. BSU also will see eight new faces on the field for the Cardinals. Returners who led the Ball State in scoring last year were redshirt senior Rachel Pereira and Jefferson, each having three goals apiece.

Senior Audrey Tabor led BSU in defensive saves with four and Overdijkink, who earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week (11/6/19) led the squad with 56 saves she also ranked first in the MAC in save percentage (81.4 percent) and goals against average (1.46) along with ranking second in the league in saves per game (6.75).

The Cardinals' quest for a MAC title begins March 12-13, 2021, with back-to-back games at Appalachian State. The following weekend, Ball State opens its home league slate against Ohio (March 19-20) at the Briner Sports Complex.

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Players Mentioned

Sierra Jefferson

Wietske Overdijkink

Rachel Pereira

Audrey Tabor