The women's soccer team begins its season Friday at Butler. Both teams enter the match picked second in their conferences by the coaches.
"It is a great opening game," head-coach Ron Rainey said.-á"Butler will show us what we need to work on."
In 2002 the Bulldogs traveled to Muncie and defeated the Cardinals 2-1.-áMidwestern Collegiate Conference Player of the Year Amy Morrison scored both goals.-á
This year Ball State will not have to worry about Morrison, who graduated, but Cardinal defenders will have-áto track senior forward Krista Rott, who scored 12 goals last season.-á
Butler also features junior goalie Katie Sanders, who posted an .81 goal against average in 2002.
Ball State counters Butler's firepower with its two top scoring junior forwards, Dee Nocero and Kate Nadalin.-áThe pair led the team in scoring with 13 and 10 goals last year.-á
Senior Megan Swafford returns to the team as goalie.-áThe Ohio native posted the best goals against average in the conference in 2002.
This season marks the first time since Ball State's inaugural year that the team has opened on the road.-áIn 1999 the Cardinals notched their only victory of the year, 4-2, at Earlham.
Rainey said the game would be a picture of contrast.-áHe said Butler likes to possess the ball for long periods of time, and last year the Bulldogs used this strategy to rattle the Cardinals early in the match.-á
To win the match, Rainey said, the team must win the battle of tempo and ball control.
"We have to be comfortable with them possessing the ball," Rainey said.
Rainey said he wants to develop this showdown into an intense rivalry, but he said in order to create a rivalry Ball State must start beating Butler.-áThe teams also played against each other during the spring in an exhibition game, and Rainey said that the familiarity between the two teams breads a competitive atmosphere for Friday's match.
Ball State and Butler are both entering this match after playing one exhibition game.-áBall State beat IUPUI 5-0 and Butler lost 4-1 to Purdue.-áRainey said nothing could be determined by exhibition games because of the multiple combinations used by the teams.
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