The Ball State soccer team couldn't find their finishing touch Friday, losing to Western Michigan 0-3 in their Mid-American Conference opener.
Ball State put pressure on Western Michigan goalkeeper Julia Francy all game, but none of their six shots on goal could find the net. It is the third time this season Ball State was shut out. In each of their three losses, the team failed to score.
"It was just one of those days for our team," said coach Craig Roberts. "At this stage in the season you have to go that extra step to get the finishing product. We just couldn't get on the end of things."
Despite blanking the Broncos in the first half, the Cardinals gave up two goals within five minutes of each other to start the second. They added another in the 87th minute for extra insurance.
"After the first goal we didn't fix the problem and let them get the second goal," senior midfielder Cortney Coombs said. "They got us unorganized and caught us off guard. It wasn't a defensive breakdown, it was a team breakdown."
Winning and losing has come in bunches for the Cardinals this season. The last time this team lost a match, the problem compounded into consecutive defeats.
"Today was our worst performance of the season," Roberts said. "But the loss was not a true reflection of the performance we put out. This game brought us back to reality. We may have gotten caught up in our recent success."
Friday's match was Ball State's first game in over a month at home. The team heads back out on the road Sunday to take on Northern Illinois. Ball State is 4-2 on the road this season.
"Once you are into MAC play, every game you move forward," Coombs said. "We are already ready for Sunday and hopefully we will come out ready to play."
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