Ball State University
NIU
Soccer Travels To NIU Thursday, Hosts Bowling Green Sunday
October 18, 2023 | Soccer
| Soccer (7-5-3; 5-0-3 MAC) at Northern Illinois | hosts Bowling Green | |
| Match 16 - at Northern Illinois          (6-6-3; 4-3-1 MAC) |
Thursday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT Live Video |Â Live Stats |
| Match 17 - hosts Bowling Green          (7-5-2; 5-1-2 MAC) |
Sunday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. ET Live Video | SL Digital Radio | Live Stats |
| Social Media | X (Twitter)Â | Instagram |
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State soccer team will face a pair of key tests this week, starting Thursday when its closes the road portion of its 2023 regular season slate with a 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT kickoff at Northern Illinois. The Cardinals return home Sunday to take on Bowling Green in another 2 p.m. start.
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Ball State holds a 16-6-5 lead in the all-time series versus Northern Illinois, including seven straight wins. Last season, the Cardinals topped the Huskies by a 4-1 margin at the Briner Sports Complex on Sept. 29. BSU is 7-2-2 all-time in matches played in DeKalb, Illinois, having won its last five trips to NIU's home pitch.
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Ball State also holds a 16-6-5 edge in the all-time series versus Bowling Green after playing to a 1-1 draw in last season's MAC Championship Semifinals (Nov. 3) in which BSU ultimately advanced to the championship match on penalty kicks (4-2). The Cardinals hold a 7-3-3 advantage in matches played on its home pitch despite suffering a 2-0 setback to BGSU in the last home meeting played Oct. 7, 2021.
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SEASON TO DATE:Â
Ball State enters the week with a 7-5-3 (5-0-3 MAC) record after scoring a 2-1 win at Akron last Thursday before battling Ohio to a 2-2 draw at home 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 to a 1-1 draw on the road. The following week, the Cardinals scored a 2-1 home win over Toledo (Sept. 28), while battling Western Michigan (Oct. 1) to a 2-2 draw on the road. Ball State then earned a 3-1 home win over Kent State (Oct. 5) and tallied its first road win of the season in the form of a 5-0 victory at Buffalo (Oct. 8).
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BALL STATE SOCCER QUICK HITS:Â
- With three matches remaining in the regular season, the Cardinals enter a crucial stretch of the schedule tied with Western Michigan for first in the league standings with a 5-0-3 league record … Bowling Green (5-1-2) is right behind in third, while Northern Illinois (4-3-1) is tied with Toledo (4-3-1) for fifth in the race to make the six-team MAC Championship which starts with quarterfinal action Sunday, Oct. 29.
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- Ball State has made the most of its six home matches this season, owning a 5-0-1 record at the Briner Sports Complex … In fact, the Cardinals are out-scoring opponents 18-6 on its home pitch … Ball State's 18 goals at home are more than seven league teams have scored all season.
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- Tack on 12 road goals and the Cardinals rank first in the MAC and 51st nationally with 30 total goals … Ball State has netted at least one goal in 12 of its 15 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 51th nationally in scoring offense at 2.00 goals per game.
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- Senior forward Avery Fenchel enters Thursday's match at Northern Illinois leading the team and ranked second in the MAC in both goals scored (11) and points (23) 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), add another match winner at Buffalo (Oct. 8) with the first of her brace in the contest, stun Akron (Oct. 12) with an 87th-minute tally for the second of her brace and provide the opening goal in the draw versus Ohio (Oct. 15).
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- With 11 goals this season, Avery Fenchel remains fourth in program history with 24 career goals … Her 11 goals scored in each of the last two campaigns are the second-most goals in a single season in the BSU record book, while she scored her first two career goals as a sophomore … Fenchel is currently fifth in program history with 49 career points (24 goals / 1 assist).
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- After scoring her second consecutive brace in the win at Akron (Oct. 12) and adding a goal in the draw versus Ohio (Oct. 15), Avery Fenchel was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career Tuesday.
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- After scoring a pair of braces 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 … Throw in a goal in last Sunday's draw versus Ohio (Oct. 15) and Fraley ranks third in the MAC in both goals scored (8) and points (19) this season … Fraley, who ranks second among active Ball State players with 17 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 three assists on the season and ranks first in the MAC in both shots (51) and shots on goal (24).
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- Entering Thursday's match at Northern Illinois, the Ball State offense features two of the nation's top 50 goal scorers, with Avery Fenchel ranking 13th nationally with her 11 goals and Lexi Fraley is 49th with her eight … Ball State is one of 11 programs nationally to feature two individual goal scorers ranked in the Top 50 among all NCAA Division I players … In addition, Fenchel is 12th nationally with her four match-winning goals.
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- Sophomore forward Emily Roper also notched goals versus Kent State (Oct. 5) and at Buffalo (Oct. 8), raising her season total to five which is tied for seventh 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 eighth 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 22 assists so far this season, including four each from sophomore midfielder Tori Monaco and Delaney Caldwell which ties as the sixth-most in the MAC this season … Junior defender Maya Millis and Lexi Fraley have three assists apiece, while Emily Roper and graduate defender Maya Turner have two … Rounding out the list are Avery Fenchel, Kaitlyn Fraser, junior defender Alex McPhee and freshman forward Kaelyn Valleau with one helper each … Ball State's 22 assists currently rank second in the MAC.
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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 second in the MAC with 5.20 saves per match, having collected 78 total saves which leads all MAC goalkeepers … Her average ranks 44th nationally, while her total saves are 29th.Â
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SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS:Â
The Huskies are currently 6-6-3 (4-3-1 MAC) after a 2-0 home loss to Buffalo Thursday and a 2-1 road win at Kent State Sunday.
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Northern Illinois is eighth in the MAC with 15 goals this season, with eight coming in league play … Ten different players have scored goals for NIU, with four tied for the team lead with two apiece … Add a pair of assists and Lea Gruennagel leads the squad with six points.
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Sadie McGill has played 1330:30 of the team's 1350:00 minutes in goal, registering 50 saves and a 1.01 goals against average … McGill's .769 save percentage is seventh in the MAC, right behind the .772 mark from Ball State's Bethany Moser.
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SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN:
The Falcons enter a Thursday showdown at Central Michigan with a 7-5-2 (5-1-2 MAC) record after suffering a 2-0 setback at home to Kent State Thursday, while battling to a 0-0 draw at Buffalo Sunday.
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Bowling Green is sixth in the MAC with 17 goals scored this season, with 11 coming in league play … Brynn Gardner and Ellie Pool are tied for the team lead with four goals apiece, while Gardner has three assists to give her a team-high 11 points.
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Lili Berg and Madison Vukas have split the goalkeeper duties for the Falcons, each starting seven matches and both playing in all 14 games for 630:00 minutes each … Vukas has 33 saves and a 1.14 goals against average while Berg has 27 saves and a 1.57 goals against average.
