With three games remaining in the regular season, the Ball State University soccer team is looking to clinch a spot in the Mid-American Conference tournament and a possible first round home game.
The Cardinals (8-7-1, 4-3-1 MAC) are tied for fifth place in the conference entering the weekend. They have a chance to move up in the standings as they play Western Michigan University (5-9-1, 4-3-1 MAC) at 4 p.m. and Northern Illinois University (8-3-5, 4-2-2 MAC) at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Broncos are tied for fifth in the MAC with Ball State and Bowling Green State University while the Huskies are one point ahead in the standings and tied for third.
"These games are going to be really important," defender Sarah Schumacker said. "We're trying to get a top four seed for tournament in the MAC so winning all of the rest of the games for MAC is pretty important."
With two wins on the weekend Ball State would guarantee itself one of the eight spots in the MAC tournament. Two wins also would move the Cardinals into at least a tie for the fourth seed. The top four seeds in the tournament play home games in the first round.
Coach Michael Lovett said this weekend's games are very important because wins this weekend would prevent the Cardinals from having to fight for a tournament spot in the final game of the regular season against Miami University.
"It takes a little bit off us, a little bit of weight off our shoulders to be able to do it this weekend," he said.
Fighting to get into the top four seeds in the conference tournament is a new experience for Ball State compared to the past couple seasons. The Cardinals won the regular season MAC championship in 2006 and 2007.
"Before we were in the top seed so we were checking records from every other school pretty frequently, and kind of trying to keep up with them," she said. "This year is more we're taking a focus on us and how we're preparing for each game."
With Western Michigan and Northern Illinois in similar positions as Ball State, Schumacker said, the Cardinals know this weekend's games are going to be tough.
"They're going to be tough competitors because they're fighting as well," she said. "But that's the best thing about being in this position because it's in our hands. We have the ability to kind of control what happens and put us in the that top four."
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