Ball State University
Central Michigan
Soccer Hosts Central Michigan Thursday To Close Regular Season
October 25, 2023 | Soccer
| Soccer (7-7-3; 5-2-3 MAC) hosts Central Michigan | |
| Match 18 - hosts Central Michigan          (2-7-6; 1-6-3 MAC) |
Thursday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. ET Live Video | SL Digital Radio | Live Stats |
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MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State soccer team closes the 2023 regular season Thursday when it hosts Central Michigan for a 3 p.m. kickoff at the Briner Sports Complex.
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The Cardinals, who have already secured a berth in the upcoming six-team Mid-American Conference Women's Soccer Championship, can also secure a home quarterfinal round match on Sunday (Oct. 29) with a victory over the Chippewas.
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While Ball State trails in the all-time series by a 10-16-2 margin, it has won each of the last three meetings by scores of 2-1. Last season, the Cardinals claimed a 2-1 victory in Mount Pleasant courtesy of goals from Lexi Fraley (6') and Delaney Caldwell (53'). The last time the teams meet in Muncie, the Cardinals scored a 2-1 win in overtime on March 26, 2020.
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SEASON TO DATE:Â
Ball State enters Thursday's regular season finale with a 7-7-3 (5-2-3 MAC) record after suffering a pair of last-minute setbacks last week … NIU scored in the final minute of Thursday's match to earn a 1-0 victory, while Bowling Green did the same in a 2-1 setback at the Briner Sports Complex 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 (Sept. 28), while battling Western Michigan (Oct. 1) to a 2-2 draw on the road.Â
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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). Following the win over the Bulls, the Cardinals earned a 2-1 win at Akron (Oct. 12) and battled Ohio (Oct. 15) to a 2-2 draw at home.
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BALL STATE SOCCER QUICK KICKS:Â
- Despite Sunday's setback, Ball State has made the most of its seven home matches this season, owning a 5-1-1 record at the Briner Sports Complex … In fact, the Cardinals are out-scoring opponents 19-8 on its home pitch … Ball State's 19 goals at home are more than six league teams have scored all season.
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- Tack on 12 road goals and the Cardinals rank second in the MAC and 68th nationally with 31 total goals … Ball State has netted at least one goal in 13 of its 17 matches, with its five goals in wins over Mercyhurst (Aug. 17) and at Buffalo (Oct. 8) tying as the most scored by a MAC team in a match this season … BSU is also 76th nationally in scoring offense at 1.82 goals per game.
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- Senior forward Avery Fenchel enters Thursday's match versus Central Michigan 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 the draw versus Ohio (Oct. 15) and Fraley ranks third in the MAC in goals scored (8) and fourth in points (20) 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 shots (53) and second in shots on goal (26).
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- Entering Thursday's match versus Central Michigan, the Ball State offense features two of the nation's top 70 goal scorers, with Avery Fenchel ranking 21st nationally with her 11 goals and Lexi Fraley is 69th with her eight … In addition, Fenchel is tied for 20th nationally with her four match-winning goals.Â
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- Sophomore forward Emily Roper notched her sixth goal of the season Sunday versus Bowling Green (Oct. 22), which ranks eighth 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), also tallied goals versus Kent State (Oct. 5) and at Buffalo (Oct. 8) … Roper, who scored three goals as a freshman last season, is currently tied for third among BSU's active players with nine career goals.Â
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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 23 assists so far this season, including four each from sophomore midfielder Tori Monaco and Delaney Caldwell which ties as the eighth-most in the MAC this season … Junior defender Maya Millis and Lexi Fraley have three assists apiece, while Emily Roper, junior defender Alex McPhee and graduate defender Maya Turner have two … Rounding out the list are Avery Fenchel, Kaitlyn Fraser and freshman forward Kaelyn Valleau with one helper each … Ball State's 23 assists currently rank fourth 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 first in the MAC with 5.94 saves per match, having collected 101 total saves which leads all MAC goalkeepers and is a Ball State single-season record, topping the previous mark of 100 set by Alison Becker in 2004 … Her average ranks 16th nationally, while her total saves are ninth … Moser registered a career-high 14 saves at Northern Illinois (Oct. 19) which ties as the 16th-most saves in a match among all NCAA Division I goalkeepers this season.
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SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN:Â
The Chippewas are currently 2-7-6 (1-6-3 MAC) and have been eliminated from contention for the MAC Women's Soccer Championship … Last week, CMU suffered a 5-1 loss at Bowling Green Thursday and followed with a 1-0 home setback to Northern Illinois Sunday.
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Central Michigan is ninth in the MAC with 14 goals this season, with eight coming in league play … Jenna Little leads the CMU offense with five goals, while Claudia Muessig is second on the squad with nine points on the strength of three goals and three assists … Overall, seven different players have at least one goal for the Chippewas.
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Allison LaPoint has started in goal for the last 14 matches for Central Michigan, owning a 1.64 goals against average and 78 saves … She is second in the MAC in saves-per-match average, at 5.57, right behind Ball State's Bethany Moser.
