Sunday, September 14
Amherst, Mass.
1 PM
Ball State University
at
UMass
Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics
Soccer Starting MAC Play Sunday at UMass
September 12, 2025 | Soccer
The Ball State soccer team travels to Massachusetts this weekend to play at UMass at 1 p.m. on Sunday for the Mid-American Conference opener.
Links to the ESPN+ broadcast and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page. The contest will be the first MAC matchup for UMass in any sports since joining the league this school year.
The Cardinals (3-2-1) rode an Emily Roper header off a Tori Monaco cross in the 64th minute of Thursday's match at Purdue Fort Wayne to a 1-0 decision over the Mastodons. The win was the third in the past four games for Ball State to conclude non-conference action.
UMass (2-2-2) is in its 13th season with head coach Jason Dowiak in charge. The Minutewomen were picked to finish fourth in the MAC preseason coaches poll.
UMass has wins in its season opener against St. John's (1-0 on Aug. 14) and vs Harvard (2-1 on Aug. 24). Most recently, the Minutewomen dropped a 3-0 decision at home to Boston College last Sunday.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Leah Nisenfeld has stood out for UMass, ranking second in the league in both saves per game (6.0, No. 26 in NCAA Division I) and total saves (36, No. 37). Five different Minutewomen are tied for the team lead in scoring with a goal each.
Ball State returns home following the match to host Central Michigan at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
ROAD RUNNERS: Ball State boasts a 3-1 record in road contests this season, taking down Eastern Illinois, IU Indy, and, most recently on Wednesday, Purdue Fort Wayne on their home pitch while
maintaining a 6-to-1 scoring margin in road games.
This is the first time since 2018 that the Cardinals have won three of their first four matches away from Muncie.
WELCOME TO THE MAC: UMass will make its Mid-American Conference debut in any sport with Sunday's match in Amherst.
With the addition of the Minutewomen, the conference slate features 12 games for the Cardinals for the first time since 2004 when Marshall was in the MAC.
CHESTER CHURNING OUT GOALS: Senior forward Addie Chester added to her Mid-American Conference leading goals total with a pair in last Sunday's 2-2 draw with Butler to increase it to six goals on the season. The Muncie native was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks thanks to the performance.
Chester is only the sixth MAC women's soccer player in the last 15 seasons (since 2011) to score six goals in her team's first five matches of the season. She began the week ranking fourth in NCAA Division I in goals per game (1.20) and sixth in points per game (2.60).
The Muncie native has improved her Ball State career totals to 16 goals, nine assists and 41 points with the strong start to the season. Chester is T-8th, T-16th and T-9th in those categories, respectively, in school history.
Chester paces the Mid-American Conference in goals (four), points (nine) and points per game (2.25) so far this season while ranking seventh in NCAA Division I with a goal per game average.
CALDWELL CAREER MILESTONE LOOKOUT: Senior forward Delaney Caldwell recorded an assist in the season opener vs Purdue on Aug. 17 and is within striking distance of setting a program record in helpers.
Caldwell is three assists away from tying Ehren Reagor's program record of 18 in a career, while she is three points and four goals away from cracking the Top 5 in those career categories as well.
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Links to the ESPN+ broadcast and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page. The contest will be the first MAC matchup for UMass in any sports since joining the league this school year.
The Cardinals (3-2-1) rode an Emily Roper header off a Tori Monaco cross in the 64th minute of Thursday's match at Purdue Fort Wayne to a 1-0 decision over the Mastodons. The win was the third in the past four games for Ball State to conclude non-conference action.
UMass (2-2-2) is in its 13th season with head coach Jason Dowiak in charge. The Minutewomen were picked to finish fourth in the MAC preseason coaches poll.
UMass has wins in its season opener against St. John's (1-0 on Aug. 14) and vs Harvard (2-1 on Aug. 24). Most recently, the Minutewomen dropped a 3-0 decision at home to Boston College last Sunday.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Leah Nisenfeld has stood out for UMass, ranking second in the league in both saves per game (6.0, No. 26 in NCAA Division I) and total saves (36, No. 37). Five different Minutewomen are tied for the team lead in scoring with a goal each.
Ball State returns home following the match to host Central Michigan at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
ROAD RUNNERS: Ball State boasts a 3-1 record in road contests this season, taking down Eastern Illinois, IU Indy, and, most recently on Wednesday, Purdue Fort Wayne on their home pitch while
maintaining a 6-to-1 scoring margin in road games.
This is the first time since 2018 that the Cardinals have won three of their first four matches away from Muncie.
WELCOME TO THE MAC: UMass will make its Mid-American Conference debut in any sport with Sunday's match in Amherst.
With the addition of the Minutewomen, the conference slate features 12 games for the Cardinals for the first time since 2004 when Marshall was in the MAC.
CHESTER CHURNING OUT GOALS: Senior forward Addie Chester added to her Mid-American Conference leading goals total with a pair in last Sunday's 2-2 draw with Butler to increase it to six goals on the season. The Muncie native was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks thanks to the performance.
Chester is only the sixth MAC women's soccer player in the last 15 seasons (since 2011) to score six goals in her team's first five matches of the season. She began the week ranking fourth in NCAA Division I in goals per game (1.20) and sixth in points per game (2.60).
The Muncie native has improved her Ball State career totals to 16 goals, nine assists and 41 points with the strong start to the season. Chester is T-8th, T-16th and T-9th in those categories, respectively, in school history.
Chester paces the Mid-American Conference in goals (four), points (nine) and points per game (2.25) so far this season while ranking seventh in NCAA Division I with a goal per game average.
CALDWELL CAREER MILESTONE LOOKOUT: Senior forward Delaney Caldwell recorded an assist in the season opener vs Purdue on Aug. 17 and is within striking distance of setting a program record in helpers.
Caldwell is three assists away from tying Ehren Reagor's program record of 18 in a career, while she is three points and four goals away from cracking the Top 5 in those career categories as well.
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Players Mentioned
This Week in Ball State Sports Podcast // Guests: Mike Uremovich, Addie Chester, and Jeff Mitchell
Thursday, September 04
Women's Soccer // Win vs IU Indy
Tuesday, September 02
Soccer // Season Preview
Thursday, August 07
Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell discusses the NCAA vs. House Settlement
Tuesday, July 01