Field Hockey faces challenge in No. 10 Louisville, Ohio

Ball State field hockey players celebrate after senior midfielder Carley Shannon scored a goal in the first half of the Cardinals' game against Ohio on Aug. 27 at Briner Sports Complex. Ball State scored two goals in the first half. Patrick Murphy // DN
Ball State field hockey players celebrate after senior midfielder Carley Shannon scored a goal in the first half of the Cardinals' game against Ohio on Aug. 27 at Briner Sports Complex. Ball State scored two goals in the first half. Patrick Murphy // DN

Ball State Field Hockey (1-9, 1-1 MAC) returns home to face No. 10 Louisville (8-3, 2-2 ACC) and MAC opponent Ohio (4-5, 2-0 MAC).

The Cardinals earned their first win of the 2018 season in an overtime thriller Friday, Sept. 28, but were defeated by No. 1 North Carolina just two days later. Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives for the Cardinals to take away from last week’s games. 

Louisville has won five out of their last six games and will wrap up their four-game road streak after Wednesday’s game. A battle between a No. 75 ranked team and a No. 10 ranked team does not intimidate Ball State.

“We’re all just looking forward to putting points on the board and upset an ACC team,” said sophomore goalkeeper Grace Chavez. “They’re a good team. We’re looking forward to trying to make a name for Ball State.”

The Cardinals are looking to roll off their recent success and do something they haven’t done in a while in beating Power Five team. The last time the Cardinals did so was a 3-2 win against Michigan State in 2015. 

“It will be a great challenge,” said head coach Stephanie Bernthal. “They have the ability to score well. We’re looking to go out there and set the tone on our turf.”

In conference play, the Bobcats are currently 0-3 on the road this season and are coming off a 5-1 loss to Drexel. However, the Bobcats are a current conference leader with wins over Central Michigan and Appalachian State. 

The endurance of the Cardinals has recently been put to the test. Friday’s matchup will be their fourth game in the span of one week. 

“The mental toughness on the season really starts to kick in,” said Chavez. “I think that’s what we as a unite strive in. We’re all mentally tough. We all have to think about our end goal and keep pushing towards that. “

The Cardinals will take on No. 10 Louisville at home on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 3 p.m and remain home Friday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. as they take on Ohio.    

Contact Gavin Crafton with any comments at gncrafton@bsu.edu or on Twitter @GavinCrafton 

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