The Ball State University field hockey team may not be partying like it's 1999, but they are playing like it's 1999.
This weekend, the Cardinals defeated Ohio University for the first time since 1999 and then beat Kent State University to extend their longest conference winning streak since 1999 to four games.
"I am flying on a high from this weekend," forward Lindsay Quay said. "We defeated two of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference, and we did it with poise, and we have shown everyone that Ball State field hockey is a top competitor."
The Cardinals started the weekend by beating Ohio 3-2 on Friday.
Despite being held to one goal in Ball State's past three games against the Bobcats, forward Tara Reed was able to score two of the Cardinals' three goals, including the game-winning goal with 14 minutes remaining in the second half.
The win marked Ball State's first time in the last 14 games that the Cardinals have beaten the Bobcats during the regular season.
"The four years I've been here we haven't beaten Ohio and it was like we were cursed against them," Quay said. "We just came out and everything we did was fundamentally correct. I told [Ohio] they were going to expect to see a different Ball State team, and we just attacked them, and they didn't know how to handle it."
The Cardinals followed their victory over Ohio by scoring a season-high four goals in the first 24 minutes against Kent State in a 4-2 win.
Offensively, the Cardinals were led by Quay, who scored Ball State's first three goals for her second collegiate hat trick in her four-year career.
Quay's three goals now give her 33 on her career and tied her with June Lenher for 10th place on Ball State's all-time scoring list.
"It's definitely quite an honor," Quay said. "It was never the number one thing on my mind, but it's an honor to be remembered with one of the top hockey players to ever come out of Ball State."
Quay now needs two more goals to tie her with Beth Sova, Kelly Dawson and Ashleigh Schoultz for seventh place on the Cardinals' all-time scoring list.
In addition, Quay has matched her career-high with 10 goals this season and is tied with Kent State's Katie Perry for the conference lead in goals.
"It's just fun to watch her play and fun to watch her be successful," coach Annette Payne said. "When it comes down to it, though, she just doesn't care about [records] and cares about her team being successful."
Having won their past four games against Central Michigan University, Missouri State University, Ohio and Kent state, the Cardinals have the longest conference winning streak of any team in the MAC this season.
Prior to its winning streak, Ball State had lost nine of its first ten games, including losses to Ohio and Kent State to open the MAC season.
"What is beautiful about this team is that they are just so driven and so coachable right now," Payne said. "They have always believed that they are capable and that is what is so great about this team."
In addition, this current four-game winning streak may have some historical significance to it, as the Cardinals remain in the hunt for a conference championship.
In its 31-year history, the Ball State field hockey team has had a winning streak of four or more games 15 other times during the conference season. In those years when the feat has occurred, the team has always won at least a share of the MAC regular season title.
Currently the Cardinals are 4-2 in the conference, and are in a three-way tie with Miami (OH) University and Ohio for first place.
"We are emerging as one of the top teams in the MAC," Quay said. "I don't think that anyone was expecting this, and we have come out to prove everyone else wrong.-áThis year we have found ourselves as a team. Everyone gets along, and we have put everything together out there."
During this winning streak the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 11-6, and have scored as many goals in these games as they scored in their first eight games of the season.
However, for forward Carla Chiampi, these wins have given the team a source of optimism and are now starting to sense the potential of actually finishing on the top of the MAC.
"It's a great feeling and it is just going to motivate us to keep the success going," Chiampi said. "There is definitely a feeling amongst all of us inside and it's just something that we know and feel."
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