After 110 minutes of scoreless soccer Friday, the semifinal game between Ball State University and Bowling Green State University came down to penalty kicks.
The Falcons connected on their first three shots while the Cardinals could not, allowing Bowling Green to advance to the finals of the Mid-American Conference tournament.
"I just didn't want the season to end," senior defender Lindsay Martin said. "You never want the season to end like it did, on penalty kicks."
After the game, the Ball State players ran onto the field and consoled each other as they cried and the Bowling Green players celebrated on the Cardinals' field.
"We've been a really close team," junior goalkeeper Rachael Murphy said. "We knew that any mistakes made during the game we couldn't do anything about."
Coach Michelle Salmon said the way the team comforted each other showed that it is not like a family, it is a family.
The players said it was unfortunate that the game came down to penalty kicks.
Martin said she hates penalty kicks because they do not reflect how a team played the rest of the game.
Ball State had 17 shots in the game compared to seven by Bowling Green. The Falcons' goalkeeper Alexa Arsenault made five saves in the game to keep the Cardinals' scoreless.
Bowling Green also had a team save as it headed out a shot about six minutes into the game.
Cardinals' junior Bailey Decker put one shot in the back of the net with about 21 minutes remaining in the second half but it was called back for off sides.
"I feel like we were the better team the whole time," senior defender Angie Heyer said. "We had so many opportunities, a goal called back. To go to PKs it's just really unfortunate but they put it away, we didn't."
Salmon said the team played well and played consistent like it has all season. The Cardinals just could not capitalize on any of the opportunities they created, she said.
"It's a bit disheartening but it doesn't take anything away from our season," she said.
Murphy said it was tough because the Cardinals were so close but things did not go their way.
Murphy made three saves in the game for her 10th shutout of the season, which is a Ball State record. She now has 17 in her career, which is tied for second with Megan Swafford and behind Alison Becker's 18.
The entire team deserves credit for the Cardinals' defense, Murphy said.
Murphy ended the season with 0.526 goals against average, second in Ball State history behind Swafford's 0.51 in 2003. Her 0.861 save percentage is fourth in Ball State history behind Swafford in 2003 and Alison Becker in 2005 and 2004.
Though it was a difficult way to end the season, the players said, they still had a great season.
"There's a lot of emotion right now, being the last game," Heyer said. "It just been an awesome season so you can't complain about that."
Friday's game was the last in the Ball State careers of six seniors: Heyer, Martin, Laura Bandy, Sarah Leibel, Beth Meyer and Betsy Wilcek.
Martin said she was upset about the season ending mainly because of the great relationships she had on the team.
Heyer said the team was like best friends and she knows they will be best friends for life.
"In the long run it's just a soccer game," Heyer said. "I look back and see all the relationships and that's what we had out there."
Ball State had two players named to the all-tournament team, juniors Annie Aiello and Katelyn Alexander.
It was the second time in Ball State's nine-year history that it made the semifinals of the MAC tournament. IN 2002 the Cardinals lost to Ohio University 1-0. Ball State has never advanced to the championship game.
Bowling Green tied the University of Toledo 2-2 in the championship game but Toledo advanced with a 3-2 advantage in penalty kicks. The Rockets advanced to the championship game with a 4-3 advantage against Northern Illinois University in penalty kicks after 110 scoreless minutes. It was the first time that both semifinal games went to penalty kicks in MAC tournament history.
With the end of the season for Ball State, Salmon said the team is looking to elevate its play to the next level. This year's seniors did a great job of laying the groundwork for the future, she said. Now this year's juniors have to continue the leadership that the departing seniors have established, she said.
"Now it's time to put it all together and bring home not only a conference championship but also a tournament championship," she said.
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