Despite outshooting both opponents over the weekend, the Cardinals struggled to find the back of the net over the weekend dropping both games this weekend putting them .500 on the season.
The Ball State University field hockey team dropped their first game against Fairfield University 5-4 in a tough overtime affair.
Fairfield took the early lead ten minutes into the contest. However, Ball State responded ten minutes later with a goal from last season's leading scorer, sophomore Brittany Hammer, tying the game at 1-1. This made for Hammer's first goal of the season.
Junior Hannah Jones continued her streak of scoring in each game so far this season by finding the back of the net at the 28:47 mark, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead going into halftime.
The score became tied once again just twelve minutes into the second period by a goal from Fairfield, but Ball State's Hannah Jones and Elizabeth Blaum answered back, giving a commanding two-goal lead back to the Cardinals.
The back-and-forth affair was continued by the Stags, who rattled off two more goals within the five-minute mark of regulation, pushing the game to its first overtime.
Neither team scored in the first overtime, bringing the game to its second overtime. However, at the 1:29 mark, Stags midfielder Carly McCullough brought the game to its end, giving the win to Fairfield, 5-4.
Despite losing, the Cardinals' outshot Fairfield 24 to 17, and senior goalkeeper Tiffany Shifflet recorded eight total saves.
"We outshot our opponent," coach Annette Payne said. "We need to learn to finish."
In its second game, the offense was just not there for the Cardinals.
Ball State came out looking strong against Villanova University with a goal by sophomore defender Katie Norris at the 1:28 mark, her first of the season.
The Wildcats were not fazed by the early strike from the Cardinals, responding six minutes later with a goal of their own from Meghan Ryan, tying the game at 1-1.
Villanova took control of the game at this point, racking off 2 more goals going into the half and making the score 3-1.
The Cardinals came out firing in the second half trying to get back into the game, notching eleven shots to three for the Wildcats.
The offense was just not there as Villanova's Sam Haas put the game out of reach at the 52:46 mark by making the final score 4-1.
"We need to be better finishers," Payne said. "We need to capitalize on opportunities that we're giving ourselves."
Payne said we played good opponents this weekend and we played good field hockey.
The Cardinals have outshot their opponents in every game thus far in the 2009 season.
"We responded really well today after the tough loss yesterday," Payne said. "We had to learn and grow as a hockey program and take the losses and get better."
Ball State returns to action at 1 p.m. Sunday, taking on the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Cards begin their Mid-American Conference play at 5 p.m. Sept. 16 at Miami University.
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