With the start of Mid-American Conference play, the Ball State University soccer team is looking to make a statement to the rest of the league that it is still at the top of the MAC.
The Cardinals (4-4, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) are the two-time defending regular season MAC champions and the one team in conference history to win back-to-back outright titles. They begin the defense of their titles today at Central Michigan University (5-2, 0-0 MAC) knowing they will get all of their opponents' 'A' games the rest of the season, coach Michael Lovett said.
"Everyone wants to knock us off our pedestal," he said. "There isn't a day left on our schedule anyone can take off."
Last year Ball State opened MAC play with a 1-0 victory against the Chippewas after beginning the season 3-4 in non-conference play. The team enters the conference portion of its schedule this season with a 4-4 record after losing its last non-conference game to the University of Dayton 2-0 Sunday.
Forward Patti Hoeg said the Cardinals enter conference play in the right mind set after the loss to Dayton as it reiterated the fact that the team cannot take any days off. In addition to having the motivation of getting back on track, Hoeg said, she gets extra motivation from the chance to derail Central Michigan.
Like Ball State did last week, Central Michigan is attempting to record its 100th victory in school history. Ball State, which began playing soccer in 1999, won its 100th game Sept. 19 at the University of Loyola Chicago. The Chippewas, which began playing soccer in 1998, have 99 wins in their program's history.
"That just makes me want to stop them from getting their 100th win and get our 101st win," Hoeg said. "I like to shut other teams down."
Even with the chance to prevent the Chippewas' milestone, Lovett said the big opportunity this weekend is the chance to get off to a fast start in conference play.
In 2007 the Cardinals began MAC play with four consecutive wins en route to a 7-0-1 start against conference opponents. The team finished with a 9-1-1 record in the MAC and its second consecutive regular season championship.
A streak of six shutouts to begin the conference season also helped propel the team to the fast start last season.
Lovett said it is imperative the team gets out to another fast start as any team that finishes the first MAC weekend 2-0 will be looking down at the rest of the conference.
Ball State traditionally has had success in its MAC openers with a 6-0-1 record the past seven seasons.
"I think it's really important to start out winning because it puts you on the right foot for the rest of the season," Hoeg said.
The key to starting out conference play on the right foot is consistency, Lovett said. If the team plays its game the way it should, it will get the start it wants and prevent Central Michigan from getting the milestone it wants, he said.
"If we can go in and execute our game plan with pure out attacking soccer - playing high pressure, high intensity - we're going to prevent them from getting their 100th win," he said.
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