When Ball State coach Craig Roberts recruited freshman Pavla Benyrova, he saw her potential as a big-time playmaker, even from a defensive position.
In Friday's game at Indiana State, Benyrova seized the spotlight in double-overtime and showed why she was so highly touted.
Junior midfielder Alyssa Ables stole possession around midfield and swung the ball across to Benyrova. She noticed the goalie off her line and took a shot from 40 yards out. It was perfectly placed, soaring into the top left hand corner of goal.
"It's the kind of goal you would expect from a national team player," Roberts said.
Benyrova's goal in the 105th minute broke a 1-1 tie and proved to be the game winner. It was her first goal of the season.
The moment of brilliance overshadowed a very physical game. The teams combined for 25 fouls and Roberts said he felt lucky to end the game without any injuries.
Indiana State used that approach to try and slow down the Cardinals' finesse game. Junior forward Shaniece Thorpe used to speed to avoid the Sycamore bodies and create havoc throughout the game. She scored the Cardinals other goal to equalize in the 69th minute.
"Shaniece was also a game-changer," Roberts said. "She came in from the start and they couldn't contain her. She made good runs and played with a lot of skill. She got herself in a lot of dangerous situations.
Thorpe used those runs to penetrate the defense and pass it off to a teammate or set up something for herself. Roberts said aggressiveness towards goal is something the team has worked on in practice.
The win improves Ball State's record to 2-2 on the season. The team's next game is against Xavier on Sunday.
"It was good for us to be involved in a game where the team plays very physical against us," Roberts said. "I thought our freshman competed very well and it was a very good result for us."
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