After traveling to Northwestern University on Sunday afternoon, the Ball State University soccer team thought their Thursday afternoon trip to Butler University would be smooth sailing. Indianapolis is certainly closer than a bus ride to Evanston, Ill.
However, after a major car accident had delayed their arrival by more than two hours, getting focused on their match against the Bulldogs proved difficult.
"It's hard to say that it didn't have an effect," coach Michelle Salmon said of the car accident. "We didn't get into our rhythm right away. But our girls are resilient, and they have a lot of pride in our program. When we don't play our sharpest we don't just pack it in. We fight through it."
The Cardinals showed their determination and grit in fighting their way to a 2-1 win over Butler. A huge thanks for the victory can go out to the play of sophomore Sarah Schumaker, who scored both Ball State goals.
"We were struggling in the beginning," Schumaker said. "We were getting great opportunities, we just weren't connecting. I got a great pass on one of my goals from Leah Johnson. It just feels amazing that I can be a benefactor to the team. It's what every player wants to do."
Though she's a starter now, Schumaker began the season as a reserve. Even coming off the bench, Schumaker was one of the better producers for the Cardinals.
"Sarah's a clutch player," Salmon said. "She's a player you can count on when the game's on the line. She brings a lot to the table. She's a great player on both sides of the ball, and she's really earned her starting position."
Another thing Ball State had to adjust to was the playing surface of Butler's field. The Bulldogs play their home matches on field turf, a surface the Cardinals are not used to.
"That was the first time this year that we had played on field turf," Salmon said. "Butler plays football and I think lacrosse on their soccer field, so there's all kind of lines on the field. It's really easy to get confused on what lines are what, and our players struggled with that a bit."
Considering the extraciriculars the Cardinals had to deal with, it was a good win for Ball State. Schumaker said a sign of a good team is one that can win even when things aren't going their way.
"We just had to brainstorm and find different avenues to win," Schumaker said. "Even when we're not having our greatest day, we still have players who can make things happen."
The win continued Ball State's recent hot streak. After spending much of the first few weeks getting acquainted to a new way of playing, the Cardinals have now won three matches in a row and improved their record to 4-1-2 on the year. Ball State has also found success on the road, going 3-1-2 in road matches.
"During [the winning streak] we've really recommitted to training," Salmon said. "We're a good team, and we're dangerous because anyone can be a benefactor on this team. We've got a lot of fight in us, and there's a lot of pride in this program."
Ball State's next game will be at home Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Xavier University. The Cardinals are hoping that this match won't present anything more challenging than a tough opposing team.
"Xavier's a really good opponent," Salmon said. "They're going to be good to play against. We have a lot of confidence. Over the past couple of games we've established the fact that we can win close games, so we're more comfortable when the game is close."
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