As the Ball State University women's soccer team enters Mid-American Conference play this weekend, it will be reminded of last year's conference championship.
Following the Cardinals' (3-4) game against Eastern Michigan University (2-3-2) Sunday, Ball State President Jo Ann Gora and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins will lead a ceremony and present last year's team with their conference championship rings.
"It's a great accomplishment for our program," coach Michelle Salmon said. "I'm excited to have our alumni back to celebrate that accomplishment."
Before Sunday's game and the ceremony, the Cardinals will open conference play against Central Michigan University (4-3) today.
Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan will not be a big change from the other teams Ball State has seen this season, sophomore Megan Ridley said. However, she said they will be more intense because they are MAC games.
Both Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan defeated Ball State in 2006, the Cardinals' two regular season MAC losses. Central Michigan defeated the Cardinals 3-0 and Eastern Michigan defeated the Cardinals 2-1 in overtime.
"It's a personal battle," Ridley said. "We have some revenge to get."
Ball State enters conference play with a losing record for the first time since 1999, the programs' first year. The 1999 team won finished conference play 0-10-1 and 1-17-1 overall.
Last year Ball State entered the conference play 5-1-2 en route to a 13-4-3 record, 8-2-1 MAC, and its first conference championship.
Salmon said the team does not talk about history. Ball State has a new team and its opponents have new teams, she said.
"We're going to see where we are in terms of our conference," Salmon said.
Ball State is 1-7-1 all-time against Central Michigan - the one victory was in 2001. Ball State is 3-3-2 all-time against Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals are 5-2-1 in conference openers.
History is in the past and done, Ridley said. She said the record against Central Michigan means nothing.
"We are a better team by far," she said.
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