Take away the score from the stat book, and one might have assumed Ball State University's game against Missouri State University on Sunday was one-sided.
The Cardinals outshot the Bears 21-8, forced Missouri State's goalkeeper Kim Kinsella to save 16 shots and had two forwards get more shots on goal than the entire Missouri State's team.
However, the Bears were able to get enough offense to edge Ball State 2-1 for their first Mid-American Conference win of the season.
"We had a lot of opportunities," coach Annette Payne said. "We were able to finish on a corner, but couldn't finish on the others."
The Cardinals' lone goal came with 11 seconds to go in the game when senior midfielder Lauren Cruz scored an unassisted goal on a corner.
Missouri State opened the scoring in the waning minutes of the first half when Bears forward Melissa Millin took a pass from teammate Sarah Johnson and fired it past Cardinals' sophomore goalkeeper Tiffany Shifflett. The Bears would later add a second goal with 24 minutes remaining.
Shifflett said the team did not have its usual defensive lineup in, led by the absence of junior midfielders Jodi Mann and Melanie Pasillas, and that contributed to the Bears' two goals.
"It was hard just because we had two freshmen in the back," Shifflett said. "Jodi wasn't in and Mel was injured, so it was a little different than what it normally is."
Sophomore forward Brooke MacGillivary, who led the Cardinals with seven shots, complimented Kinsella for making things hard on the Ball State offense.
"They have a very good goalie, "MacGillivary said. "She has a lot of experience."
The Cardinals' offensive performance encouraged the team as they prepare for the MAC tournament.
"You've always got to find the positives," Payne said. "There are a lot of positives out of this. We had a lot of players stepping up."
Ball State had seven players get at least one shot, although Cruz's was the only one that found the back of the net.
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