For the second time this season, Ball State University's soccer team is stringing together an impressive winning streak. The Cardinals, fresh off a 1-0 victory Friday at Northern Illinois University, won their third straight match Sunday afternoon at Western Michigan University, 3-0.
Though the final margin would be impressive on a day with good weather conditions, the Cardinals were forced to play through freezing cold and strong winds. Coach Michelle Salmon said she was proud of the way her players handled the weather conditions.
"I was extremely pleased with how we played," Salmon said. "The field conditions were sloppy and the footing was a little bit of a struggle. Whenever you can pull out a 3-0 victory in those conditions you have to be happy."
Sophomore forward Emily Rein, who scored two of Ball State's three goals, said the Cardinals' success on offense was a direct testament of their work ethic.
"I wouldn't even call today one of the best offensive days of the year for us," Rein said. "Our goals were a result of everybody's effort. It wasn't one person; it was a lot of people swarming the goal and kicking in rebounded shots."
While the offense was clicking, the defense played well enough to earn its fourth consecutive shutout. Salmon said the victory represented a complete team effort.
"Today was a complete team effort," Salmon said. "There's wasn't one part of the team that played any better than the other; everybody just played well."
Perhaps the brightest spot in Ball State's victory was the play of junior goalie Rachel Murphy. Murphy tallied seven saves, the most since the Sept. 10 match against Northwestern University in a 1-0 win.
"The defense kept the ball out of the zone and the offense got two quick goals for us," Murphy said. "Everything was clicking for the defense, and we didn't give anything up. I was really happy because it was against Western Michigan."
After their nine-match unbeaten streak was snapped a couple weeks ago, Murphy said the Cardinals re-committed their focus.
"After the hard streak we had, it showed us our weaknesses," Murphy said. "We worked on our weaknesses and made sure that we improved in those areas."
Before the regular season concludes, the Cardinals will play at home against Miami [OH] University on Thursday. Murphy said it's vital for Ball State to keep its rhythm heading into the Mid-American Conference Tournament that follows the regular season.
"I think the whole team is aware of the position we're in," Murphy said. "We need to beat Miami to be in first place, which we've never been in. We're all really excited that we have complete control over who wins the MAC."
The match will also represent Senior Day for Cardinals' Amy Holst, Sarah Maxwell, Vandi Ogden and Amy Cooksey.
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