Ball State University Athletics
Tuesday, November 4
Columbus, Ohio
4 PM
Ball State University
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No. 1 Seed Western Michigan
Photo by: Kat Hostetler
Soccer Facing Top-Seeded Western Michigan in MAC Semifinals on Tuesday
November 03, 2025 | Soccer
The Ball State soccer team is in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament and faces No. 1 seed Western Michigan at 4 p.m., on Tuesday at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Links to the ESPN+ broadcast, live stats and tickets can be found above and on the schedule page.
The Cardinals (10-6-3) topped No. 5 seed Kent State 5-4 in penalty kicks on Saturday in the opening round of the conference tourney. Joy Zeeman took what proved to be the game-winning shot before Kate Pallante made a save to clinch the win.
Western Michigan (14-3-1, 10-1-1 MAC) won its third straight regular season league title and enters the postseason on a five-match winning streak. The only non-wins in conference play for the Broncos were on Oct. 9 at Northern Illinois (L 0-1) and at Bowling Green (T 1-1).
The Broncos are led by MAC Coach of the Year Lewis Robinson, who is in his fourth year leading the program.
Western paces the conference in assists per game (2.28, No. 18 in NCAA Division I), corner kicks per game (7.22, No. 7), goal differential (+25, No. 23), scoring offense (2.17 goals per game (No. 26), total assists (41, No. 17), total goals (39, No. 31), and total points (119, No. 25).
Senior midfielder Drew Martin's 12 assists on the year are the second-most nationally, while senior forward Abby Smothers has 10 goals to rank second in the MAC. Freshman goalkeeper Reagan Sulaver is second in the MAC and No. 19 in NCAA Division I with a .623 goals-against average.
The winner of this match advances to the championship match against either No. 2 seed Miami or No. 6 seed Bowling Green on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
PK SHOOTOUT THRILLER: After a scoreless regulation and pair of overtime periods, Ball State topped No. 5 seed Kent State 5-4 in eight rounds of a penalty kick shootout Saturday afternoon.
Kate Pallante made the match-clinching save after Delaney Caldwell, Izzy Ross, Emily Roper, Fiona Kilian, and Joy Zeeman found the back of the net for the Cardinals on PK attempts.
TEN TIMES: With Wednesday's 2-1 decision at Northern Illinois, the Ball State soccer team reached 10 wins in a season for the first time since 2019.
That season's Cardinals went 15-5 and posted a 9-2 record in the Mid-American Conference.
AWARDS SEASON: Senior Addie Chester was voted the MAC Forward of the Year, First Team All-MAC and Offensive Player of the Week on Friday after tallying a goal and an assist in Wednesday's win at Northern Illinois to increase her season totals to 11 goals and 27 points.
The Muncie, Ind., native has now taken home four Offensive Player of the Week honors this season and was voted First Team All-Conference for a second time after doing so in 2024.
Jordyn Klaasen and Lexi Watkins joined Chester with postseason recognitions as the defender and midfielder earned spots on the MAC All-Freshman Team.
Both had game-winning goals for their first career scores this season, as Watkins' helped beat UMass 1-0 on Sept. 14, and Klaasen's took down Eastern Michigan 1-0 on Oct. 9.
ROAD RUNNERS: Ball State improved its record in road contests to 8-2 thanks to the regular season finale win at Northern Illinois.
The Cardinals concluded the regular season as the only team in the MAC with more than six wins in away games this year.
CALDWELL AND CHESTER CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOK: Seniors Delaney Caldwell and Chester recently recorded their 20th career goals, and both are nearing the top of the Ball State record book in career stat categories.
Chester's 21 goals at Ball State have her tied for fifth with Amy Holst (2003-06), while Caldwell's 20 goals have her in seventh for most in a career. Chester and Caldwell have accumulated 55 points each for the Cardinals to rank in a tie for fifth.
Links to the ESPN+ broadcast, live stats and tickets can be found above and on the schedule page.
The Cardinals (10-6-3) topped No. 5 seed Kent State 5-4 in penalty kicks on Saturday in the opening round of the conference tourney. Joy Zeeman took what proved to be the game-winning shot before Kate Pallante made a save to clinch the win.
Western Michigan (14-3-1, 10-1-1 MAC) won its third straight regular season league title and enters the postseason on a five-match winning streak. The only non-wins in conference play for the Broncos were on Oct. 9 at Northern Illinois (L 0-1) and at Bowling Green (T 1-1).
The Broncos are led by MAC Coach of the Year Lewis Robinson, who is in his fourth year leading the program.
Western paces the conference in assists per game (2.28, No. 18 in NCAA Division I), corner kicks per game (7.22, No. 7), goal differential (+25, No. 23), scoring offense (2.17 goals per game (No. 26), total assists (41, No. 17), total goals (39, No. 31), and total points (119, No. 25).
Senior midfielder Drew Martin's 12 assists on the year are the second-most nationally, while senior forward Abby Smothers has 10 goals to rank second in the MAC. Freshman goalkeeper Reagan Sulaver is second in the MAC and No. 19 in NCAA Division I with a .623 goals-against average.
The winner of this match advances to the championship match against either No. 2 seed Miami or No. 6 seed Bowling Green on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
PK SHOOTOUT THRILLER: After a scoreless regulation and pair of overtime periods, Ball State topped No. 5 seed Kent State 5-4 in eight rounds of a penalty kick shootout Saturday afternoon.
Kate Pallante made the match-clinching save after Delaney Caldwell, Izzy Ross, Emily Roper, Fiona Kilian, and Joy Zeeman found the back of the net for the Cardinals on PK attempts.
TEN TIMES: With Wednesday's 2-1 decision at Northern Illinois, the Ball State soccer team reached 10 wins in a season for the first time since 2019.
That season's Cardinals went 15-5 and posted a 9-2 record in the Mid-American Conference.
AWARDS SEASON: Senior Addie Chester was voted the MAC Forward of the Year, First Team All-MAC and Offensive Player of the Week on Friday after tallying a goal and an assist in Wednesday's win at Northern Illinois to increase her season totals to 11 goals and 27 points.
The Muncie, Ind., native has now taken home four Offensive Player of the Week honors this season and was voted First Team All-Conference for a second time after doing so in 2024.
Jordyn Klaasen and Lexi Watkins joined Chester with postseason recognitions as the defender and midfielder earned spots on the MAC All-Freshman Team.
Both had game-winning goals for their first career scores this season, as Watkins' helped beat UMass 1-0 on Sept. 14, and Klaasen's took down Eastern Michigan 1-0 on Oct. 9.
ROAD RUNNERS: Ball State improved its record in road contests to 8-2 thanks to the regular season finale win at Northern Illinois.
The Cardinals concluded the regular season as the only team in the MAC with more than six wins in away games this year.
CALDWELL AND CHESTER CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOK: Seniors Delaney Caldwell and Chester recently recorded their 20th career goals, and both are nearing the top of the Ball State record book in career stat categories.
Chester's 21 goals at Ball State have her tied for fifth with Amy Holst (2003-06), while Caldwell's 20 goals have her in seventh for most in a career. Chester and Caldwell have accumulated 55 points each for the Cardinals to rank in a tie for fifth.
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