Aug. 26: Ball State 3, Appalachian State 1
Aug. 28: Ball State 2, Davidson 1 (2 OT)
Sept. 2: Ball State 2, Brown 1 (OT)
Sept. 3: Richmond 1, Ball State 0
Just two weeks into the season, Ball State field hockey already has more wins than it did in 2015.
The Cardinals are off to a 3-1 start after finishing with a 2-16 record last year. Senior back Bryce Barnes said new head coach Christy Longacre has a lot to do with the turnaround.
“I think, overall, Longacre’s just kind of changed the atmosphere,” Barnes said. “We are a lot more united, a lot more goal focused than we have been in the past. We’re all really working for each other this year, and that’s something they set the tone for in the preseason.”
For the past three years, Longacre was an assistant coach with the Cardinals. She said her familiarity with the players has been instrumental in the team's early success.
“Going into this new role, I knew all of their personalities,” Longacre said. “I know how they need to be communicated to. It’s been a little bit of a difficult change, but I think it’s been a good one. I can relate so easily to them, and I do know them on that personal level.”
Longacre, Ball State's third head coach in three seasons, has changed the culture of the program, said senior midfielder Mikayla Mooney.
“It’s a very positive environment to be in, rather than to be scared to approach your coaches,” Mooney said. “They’re very open and they’re honest with us. I think [the coaches] got to know each of us and they knew how each of us responds to certain things. So if someone needs more from them, they’re willing to give that, and they know how to coach each and every player.”
The Cardinals will look to continue its hot start this weekend in Evanston, Illinois. They play Northwestern on Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. and Colgate on Sept. 10 at noon.
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