Ball State University
Akron
Soccer Travels To Akron Thursday, Hosts Ohio Sunday
October 10, 2023 | Soccer
| Soccer (6-5-2; 4-0-2 MAC) at Akron | hosts Ohio | |
| Match 14 - at Akron          (2-11-0; 0-6-0 MAC) |
Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. ET ESPN+ |Â Live Stats |
| Match 15 - hosts Ohio          (4-6-3; 2-3-1 MAC) |
Sunday, Oct. 15Â at 1 p.m. ET ESPN+ |Â Live Stats |
| Social Media | X (Twitter)Â | Instagram |
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State soccer team plays its second consecutive road match Thursday when it travels to Akron for a 7 p.m. kickoff under the lights at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Cardinals return home Sunday for a 1 p.m. contest versus Ohio.Â
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Ball State maintains a 14-2-6 lead in the all-time series versus Akron and has not lost a match in the series since the 2010 season. Over the last 12 meetings, the Cardinals own a 9-0-3 mark, including a 1-1 draw in Muncie last season on Oct. 13. Ball State is 5-2-3 all-time on Akron's home pitch, including a 1-0 win in its last trip to FirstEnergy Stadium on Oct. 4, 2019.
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Despite having not lost to Ohio in the last five meetings (3-0-2), Ball State trails in the all-time series by a 9-11-5 margin. Last season, the Cardinals scored a 2-1 road win on Oct. 16. BSU has also secured at least one point in the last three meetings at the Briner Sports Complex, including a 0-0 (2 OT) draw in the latest home match played Oct. 14, 2021. Ball State is 6-2-3 all-time versus the Bobcats on its home pitch.
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SEASON TO DATE:Â
Ball State enters the week with a 6-5-2 (4-0-2 MAC) record after earning a crucial pair of league wins last week. BSU started with a 3-1 home victory over then-second place Kent State Thursday. The Cardinals followed with an explosive 5-0 road win over defending MAC regular season and tournament champion Buffalo Sunday.
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The Cardinals opened the year with a 5-1 win over Mercyhurst (Aug. 17), before facing a gauntlet which included losses at No. 3 Notre Dame (Aug. 20), at Texas Tech (Aug. 24), at Loyola (Sept. 3) and at Vanderbilt (Sept. 7). After a 3-0 home win over Austin Peay (Sept. 10), the Cardinals faced another tough opponent in Butler (Sept. 14) on the road.
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Ball State opening league play with a 3-1 home victory over Miami (Sept. 21), while battling Eastern Michigan (Sept. 24)Â Â to a 1-1 draw on the road. The following week, the Cardinals scored a 2-1 home win over Toledo, while battling Western Michigan to a 2-2 draw on the road.
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BALL STATE SOCCER QUICK HITS:Â
- With five matches left in the regular season, the Cardinals enter a crucial stretch of the schedule in second place in the league standings with a 4-0-2 league record … Only Bowling Green, who the Cardinals host Oct. 22 for Alumni Day, stands ahead of Ball State at 5-0-1 in #MACtion … Western Michigan, who Ball State battled to a 2-2 draw on Oct. 1, is currently third at 3-0-3.
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- Ball State has made the most of its five home matches this season, owning a perfect 5-0-0 record at the Briner Sports Complex … In fact, the Cardinals are out-scoring opponents 16-4 on its home pitch … Ball State's 16 goals at home are more than five league teams have scored all season and just one fewer than four others.
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- Tack on 10 road goals and the Cardinals enter the week ranked first in the MAC and 63rd nationally with 26 total goals … Ball State has netted at least one goal in 10 of its 13 matches, with its five goals in wins over Mercyhurst (Aug. 17) and at Buffalo (Oct. 8) being the most scored by a MAC team in a match this season … BSU is also 59th nationally in scoring offense at 2.00 goals per game.
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- Senior forward Avery Fenchel enters Thursday's match at Akron leading the team and ranked second in the MAC in both goals scored (8) and points (17) this season … She started the year with her first career hat trick in the season-opener versus Mercyhurst (Aug. 17) and added her first career assist at Loyola (Sept. 3) … Fenchel has gone on to collect the final goal in the win over Austin Peay (Sept. 10), open the scoring with her goal versus Miami (Sept. 21), net the match-winning goal versus Toledo (Sept. 28) and add another match winner at Buffalo (Oct. 8) with the first of her brace in the contest.
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- With her eight goals this season, Avery Fenchel has moved into a tied for fourth in program history with 21 career goals … She registered the second-most goals in a single season in the BSU record book last season, with 11, and scored two goals her sophomore campaign … Fenchel is currently sixth in program history with 43 career points (21 goals / 1 assist).
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- After scoring a pair of braces last week in wins over Kent State (Oct. 5) and at Buffalo (Oct. 8), junior forward Lexi Fraley was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week and to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week as a forward … The effort also helped her climb to third in the MAC in both goals scored (7) and points (16) this season … Fraley, who ranks second among active Ball State players with 16 career goals, scored her first goal of the season at Loyola (Sept. 3), added another in the 1-1 draw at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 24) and tallied her third in the 2-2 draw at Western Michigan (Oct. 1)  … Fraley has also dished out a pair of assists on the season and ranks first in the MAC in both shots (43) and shots on goal (21)
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- Sophomore forward Emily Roper also notched goals in each of Ball State's matches last week versus Kent State (Oct. 5) and at Buffalo (Oct. 8), raising her season total to five which is tied for fifth in the MAC … Roper, who scored her first career brace in the win over Austin Peay (Sept. 10) and opened the year with a goal against Mercyhurst (Aug. 17), is also fifth in the MAC with 17 shots on goal.
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- Overall, seven different players have scored at least one goal for the Cardinals this season, including sophomore forward Delaney Caldwell and junior forward Kaitlyn Fraser with two goals apiece … Caldwell has scored nine goals over her Ball State career, while Fraser's goals are the first two of her career … In addition, senior defender Ryann Locante (vs. Mercyhurst on Aug. 17) and freshman forward Annika Klauss (vs. Miami on Sept. 21) have each scored their first career goals this season.
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- Ball State's student-athletes have dished out a total of 15 assists so far this season, including four from sophomore midfielder Tori Monaco which ties as the third-most in the MAC this season … Junior defender Maya Millis, Delaney Caldwell, Lexi Fraley and Emily Roper each have two assists, while Avery Fenchel and graduate defender Maya Turner each have one helper.
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- Goalkeeper Bethany Moser was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12 after leading the league in goals against average (0.56) and save percentage (.875) for the previous week … She allowed just one goal over 160:49, with it being an 88th-minute tally by Vanderbilt (Sept. 7) … Moser also combined for the shutout win over Austin Peay (Sept. 10), playing the first 70:19 of the match and stopping all three shots she faced.
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- For the season, Bethany Moser ranks seventh in the MAC with 4.31 saves per match, having collected 56 total saves which is tied as the third-most among MAC goalkeepers … The effort also ranks 103rd nationally, while her 56 total saves are 75th.Â
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SCOUTING AKRON:Â
The Zips are currently 2-11-0 (0-6-0 MAC) after a 2-0 home loss to Western Michigan Thursday and a 3-0 road setback at Toledo Sunday.
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Akron has scored just one goal in league play this season, while tallying eight on the year. Emma King is the Zips' top scorer with three goals and six points. Morgan Pentz and Katie Stafford have two goal each, while Ella Hadley has one.
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Sara Bower has seen the most action in goal for Akron this season, starting 10 of the team's 13 games and logging 900:00 total minutes … She has registered 47 saves on the year while allowing 2.20 goals per game.
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SCOUTING OHIO:
The Bobcats enter a Thursday showdown versus Central Michigan with a 4-6-3 (2-3-1 MAC) record after suffering a 1-0 setback at home to Toledo Thursday, while battling to a 1-1 draw at Western Michigan Sunday.
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Ohio is 10th in the MAC with 11 goals scored this season, while ranking third in opponents' goals at 13. Shae Robertson leads the squad with five goals, while Izzi Boyd and Scout Murray have two goals apiece.
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Celeste Sloma has played all 1170:00 minutes in goal for the Bobcats this season, registering 56 saves and owning a 1.00 goals against average.
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