After a pair of disappointing losses last weekend, the Ball State University soccer team is aware that any team can beat any team on any given weekend.
Coach Michael Lovett said he used that lesson this week to ensure that the Cardinals do not take their opponents - Ohio University and the University of Akron - lightly this weekend. Although the Bobcats and the Zips both have losing records in the Mid-American Conference, the Cardinals' coach said both teams have the ability to knock off Ball State.
"It's another MAC weekend," Lovett said. "It can go either way as we found out the past few."
Last week Ball State lost a pair of 1-0 games to Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo. The losses dropped the Cardinals to 3-3 in conference play, the first time since 2003 that they have lost three games in the MAC.
At .500 through the first half of the season, Ball State is sixth out of 12 teams in the conference standings after winning the regular season championship in each of the past two seasons.
The below-average record for the Cardinals could actually help them this weekend, Lovett said, as Ohio and Akron could take them lightly like the University at Buffalo and Kent State University did earlier this season.
"Hopefully they overlook us," he said. "Hopefully they think we're not as good as a team as we've been."
Although Ball State enters the second half of conference play in the middle of the standings, forward Abby Milillo said she could not be more proud of the way the team has played this season. She is 100 percent sure the Cardinals will be one of the eight teams to make the MAC tournament as they are better than their record shows, she said.
"There's no doubt in my mind that we're the best team in the MAC," Milillo said. "We just have to finish our season out, and hopefully we'll make it to the MAC tournament and win."
In terms of making the MAC tournament, this weekend is very important, Lovett said.
After this weekend there are three games remaining in regular season conference play.Although the team is taking it one game at a time, it has a goal of entering the conference tournament on a five-game winning streak, Lovett said.
Milillo said as long as the Cardinals come out with heart they will get the needed wins, regardless of whom they are playing.
"I'm always just worried about our team and what we can do," she said. "Whoever we're playing, it's not a big deal."
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