As all 10 freshmen arrived for fall camp in mid-August, many assumed they would be sitting on the bench watching the upperclassman play.
That wasn't the case for the Ball State field hockey team in Oxford, Ohio, on Wednesday night.
The newcomers took control in Ball State's 6-5 victory over its Mid-American Conference opponent. The combined performance was the best of the season for the Cardinals (2-10), who improved to 2-3 in the MAC.
"The feeling is indescribable," coach Beth Maddox said. "We fought hard and most importantly, we played together."
Not only did the Cardinals play together, they dominated. Scoring at will, the Cardinals went back and forth with the RedHawks all game.
At the 16-minute mark of the first half, freshman Laura Malinoski scored her first-career goal, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
The goal set the tone for the rest of the game and Maddox said her team couldn't have played better.
"We stuck to the game plan," she said. "Scored first and executed."
Both teams traded goals before freshman Tarel Teach capped the victory with her second goal of the game.
Along with Teach, fellow freshmen Tori Widrick and Sanne Hermans tallied scores of their own. Widrick netted two goals, while Hermans notched her third goal of the season. Hermans was also credited with two assists for the game.
Maddox has repeatedly said that it's only a matter of time before her freshmen break through, and the time has finally arrived.
Senior captain Devanny Kuhn, who tallied two assists and two shots on goal, aided the freshmen.
"It was a team effort and everyone stepped up," Maddox said.
With the victory, the Cardinals swept the season series from the RedHawks, who now share the same conference record as Ball State.
Their confidence level has skyrocketed after such a glamorous victory, and Maddox feels her team can keep on rolling.
"[This win] reminds us that we're capable of great things," Maddox said.
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