Start of a Dynasty?

Two years and two regular season Mid-American Conference Championships are now in the books for second year head coach Michelle Salmon. The Cardinals finish the regular season with a record of 12-5-1 and a MAC record of 9-1-1. After defeating Miami in the last regular season game this year 2-1, the Cardinals will have to open MAC Tournament play with the Red Hawks at home.

It wouldn’t be a regular season finale without high drama. Annie Aiello scored her fifth goal of the year all of which are off of penalty kicks. Aiello buried the ball in the back of the net in the 31^st minute. Senior, Sarah Liebel, earned the PK when she was taken down from behind in the penalty box by the starting goalkeeper, who was promptly ejected with a red card.

Aiello’s goal would not hold up all the way to the end of the match. In the 76^th minute Miami scored the equalizer. The game would then tick down the final 14 minutes of the match without either team scoring. This means overtime! After dominating regulation, the Cardinals dominated overtime as well. Freshman, Kristina Anderson pushed up from her usual defensive position to become one of the three forwards for Ball State. In the 96^th minute, it was Anderson sent the ball into the 18 yard box to allow junior forward, Sarah Schumacker to atone for an earlier missed shot that rung the post. Schumacker bulged the old onion bag with her fifth goal of the year and third game-winning goal of the season.

By winning the regular season MAC Championship Ball State has assured itself home games for every round of the MAC Tournament. The first match will be held Sunday November 4^th at 1 PM. The opponent will be the same one the Cards faced in the regular season finale, Miami. The game like every other home match will be at Ball State’s soccer field across from Ball Memorial Hospital. The winner of that game will take on the winner or the Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan game.

When the team was posing for pictures to commemorate the Championship sophomore, Megan Ridley held up deuces for both MAC Championships in back-to-back seasons.

Coach Salmon worked hard to ensure that admission to the opening round game would be free to everyone so that the crowd will be as big as possible. Coach Salmon wants every one to wear their red to the game. Some of the players jokingly called it a “Red-Out.” Whatever you call it this is just another game in the Cardinals’ quest to get to the NCAA Tournament this year.