Ball State Soccer Advances to MAC Tournament, Faces Kent State in First Round
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The Ball State soccer team enters the Mid-American conference Tournament with momentum, poised to face No. 5 seed Kent State at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Links to the ESPN+ broadcast, live stats, and ticket data are available on the schedule page.
The No. 4 seed Cardinals (10-6-2, 7-4-1 MAC) concluded their regular season with a 2-1 victory over Northern Illinois on Wednesday in DeKalb, securing their tenth win of the season. Goals from Addie Chester and Izzy Ross propelled Ball State to the win, marking the programme’s first double-digit win season since 2019.
Kent State (8-6-5, 6-4-2 MAC), however, enters the tournament off a 1-0 loss to Miami on Wednesday. The Golden Flashes previously defeated Ball State by the same scoreline on Sept. 21 in Muncie, adding another layer of intrigue to this upcoming matchup.
Golden Flashes’ Veteran Leadership
Rob Marinaro is navigating his 25th season as head coach of Kent State, having already surpassed preseason expectations. The Golden Flashes were initially predicted to finish sixth in the MAC by conference head coaches but ultimately secured a third-place finish.
Kent State boasts notable offensive statistics, ranking third in the MAC and 16th nationally in shot accuracy with a.527 percentage. They also rank sixth in the league in scoring offense (1.21 goals per game) and ninth in goals-against average (1.42). A standout goalkeeper leads the MAC and ranks third nationally with 1,710 minutes played, and has accumulated 71 saves, the third-most in the conference.
Offensively, junior midfielder Samantha Miller, senior defender Kelsey Salopek, and junior forward Josie Morgan are tied for the team led with four goals apiece.
Cardinals’ Historic Season and Individual Accolades
Ball State’s victory over Northern Illinois on Wednesday was a milestone achievement, marking the first time the program has reached 10 wins in a season since 2019. That 2019 team finished with a 15-5 overall record and a 9-2 mark in conference play.
The team’s success has been considerably bolstered by the outstanding performance of senior Addie Chester, who was recently named the MAC Forward of the year, First Team All-MAC, and Offensive Player of the Week. Chester has tallied 11 goals and 27 points this season, earning her four Offensive Player of the Week honors and a second First Team All-Conference selection.
Joining Chester with postseason recognition are freshmen Jordyn Klaasen and Lexi Watkins, who earned spots on the MAC All-Freshman Team. Both players scored crucial game-winning goals during the regular season – Watkins against UMass on Sept. 14 and Klaasen against Eastern Michigan on Oct. 9.
Road Warriors and Record chasers
Ball State concluded the regular season with an impressive 8-2 record in road contests, becoming the only team in the MAC with more than six away wins this year.
Seniors Delaney Caldwell and Chester are also making their mark in the Ball State record books. Both recently recorded their 20th career goals, and are nearing the top of the program’s all-time lists. Chester’s 21 goals have her tied for fifth with Amy Holst (2003-06), while Caldwell’s 20 goals place her seventh. Both players have accumulated 55 points,tying them for fifth all-time.
The winner of Saturday’s match will advance to the MAC semifinals to face no. 1 seed Western Michigan at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Pro tip: Keep an eye on Addie Chester – she’s a key player to watch for Ball State!
Reader question: Will Ball State’s strong road record give them an advantage in the tournament?
