With a 3-2 win Friday, the Ball State University soccer team lost its program-record shutout streak at seven games.
One of the most important players to the streak was junior Jen Vilkoski. While things are going great for the center defender now, a little more than a year ago, her situation was not as easy.
Vilkoski played in Ball State's win against IPFW to begin the 2006 season, but she was then benched. She spent the next 11 games, spanning more than a month, on the Cardinals' sideline.
"It was hard," she said. "I definitely got down on myself. I tried to stay positive. My parents and friends kept me positive. It was hard though, I was upset...a lot. I just kept working hard. I knew eventually it would pay off."
Vilkoski was recovering from a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament. Her hard work finally paid off when she returned to the field Oct. 6, 2006 facing Central Michigan University.
Coach Michelle Salmon said Vilkoski was not healthy enough to play in Ball State's defense, which does not substitute often, prior to her return against Central Michigan.
"In order for Jen to be healthy I needed her to play 90 minutes," Salmon said. "At the end of last year her knee was finally healthy enough in my opinion to play 90 minutes."
Vilkoski said she knew that she had to "leave it all on the field" to make sure she had an opportunity to continue playing after she returned from her injury.
One week after her return, she earned the chance to start for the Cardinals. While she was encouraged by her promotion, she said, she was still concerned about losing her spot on the field.
"It took a few games," she said. "Like the first game, I was like 'OK this is nice,' but I knew that I didn't have that spot secure so I had to work ten times harder than I did at that time to make sure it was my spot. It took three or four games."
In Vilkoski's first start of the 2006 season, Ball State shut out Ohio University, and the Cardinals went on to post a then program record four consecutive shutouts.
Since the Ohio game, Vilkoski has started every game for Ball State but one on Oct. 14. She made the decision not to play minutes before the game began because of an injury unrelated to her knee.
Salmon said she could see Vilkoski's knee improving throughout the 2006 season.
"As the season wore on you could see her getting stronger and stronger and we decided to make that change," Salmon said, "and it's been one that has been an absolutely tremendous attribute for our program in the sense that she's a player that won't leave the field for us."
While it took a while for Vilkoski to feel comfortable with her position on the Ball State soccer team, she said she now feels comfortable that she has her spot secured.
Vilkoski's calmness through tough situations and her ability to compete under pressure against great players has earned her a nickname from Salmon: The Eye of the Hurricane.
"One of the things I love about Jen is, in a center back position you need this, a type of leadership; it's an unspoken leadership," Salmon said. "And when she gets on a ball she just has this calmness that it basically infects the entire team, and it allows players to remain calm when they're under pressure. It's one of those rare traits, but it is a special one."
Vilkoski said being naturally calm allows her control her emotions.
"When I'm on the field I'm like in my own world," she said. "I don't know what's going on. I just play my game, and I don't really pay attention to other things."
Salmon said Vilkoski is definitely in her own world on and off the field.
"One of the things I love about Jen is she's just a unique soul," Salmon said. "She comes in, she works extremely hard at practice every single day, she absorbs information very well."
While Vilkoski said she is usually in her own world on the field, there are moments when the outside world gets to her.
A group of Ball State men's volleyball players attend most of the soccer games to cheer for the Cardinals. They also yell at the players throughout the game, and the player that gets the most attention from them is Vilkoski.
"It's like when we're over here [off the field], and the game's stopped and they'll say stuff, and I hear it then," Vilkoski said. "When I'm actually playing and I'm involved in the game I don't even here it."
Vilkoski said she is a shy person who does not like attention, such as the attention she gets from the men's volleyball team.
"I think it's funny," she said. "They try to embarrass me. It works sometimes."
Though Vilkoski does not like attention, she still creates excitement, Salmon said.
"She appears to be one of the most quiet players when ... actually she is a player that keeps everyone laughing, keeps everyone light," Salmon said. "She's the one that you have to watch out for with practical jokes. She's that kid that everyone thinks 'Oh no way, it can't be Jen. Jen couldn't play that practical joke,' and it turns out it is Jen. So she's great for that in a locker room sense."
Because she does not like attention, Vilkoski said, she does not mind sitting back in defense while her teammates attack the goal.
In her three seasons at Ball State, Vilkoski has zero goals, zero assists and zero shots on goal.
"I'm not really in it for the attention at all," she said. "I'm perfectly content not ever scoring or shooting. I think it's just as important to get shutouts."
Vilkoski said she has always been most comfortable playing defense.
"She is the best center back in the [Mid-American Conference] by far in my opinion," Salmon said. "And after looking at some of the top-ranked schools in the region, I have yet to see a center back as good as Jen Vilkoski. She is just one of the most unsung heroes."
Vilkoski said the reason why she appears to be a great defender is because of the players around her.
"My other three defenders are awesome," she said. "I think when you're playing with other people that are awesome it makes you look better. I think we all make each other look better."
Salmon said Vilkoski and the other defenders are gelling together after going through an adjustment period earlier this season.
"Those four players in the back hadn't played a whole lot consistently with each other," Salmon said. "It took about six or seven games for them to really understand each other's movements, and now that they do they're going to be a tough defense to beat."
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