Freshman Ellie Chadick's shot saved by the goalkeepers face, a no-call on an opponent's tackle in the box. The list goes on.
The chances were there, but Ball State couldn't fight off an early deficit against Western Michigan, losing 3-1 in the team's Mid-American Conference opener Friday.
After Ball State's call for a penalty kick wasn't awarded, Western Michigan pounced on the momentum swing and buried two goals in two minutes. Midfielder Anina Cicerone scored both and that was all the insurance the Broncos would need.
"We didn't start off fast and it couldn't get settled in," coach Craig Roberts said. "It wasn't for a lack of effort. We competed out there, but just couldn't finish."
Rain made for slippery conditions and Roberts said his team took a while to adjust. A late formation shift sparked some life in the Cardinals and led to their only score.
Freshman defender Pavla Benyrova scored her second career goal off a penalty kick and narrowed the margin to one. Western Michigan scored in the 79th minute to put the game out of reach for good.
"We played well towards the end of the game and dominated play," Roberts said. "We need to put a different game plan together for Sunday to change it up a bit."
Ball State returns to Muncie Sunday to try and even up their conference record against Northern Illinois. The Cardinals record is 5-4-1 on the season.
The new game plan Sunday should include the formation that worked so well for the team against Western Michigan. It is an offense Roberts installed just this week, but one he said the team picked up quickly and is comfortable with.
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