This weekend the women's soccer team will play two matches.-áThe Friday match sees Northern Iowa (2-0) come to Muncie, and Sunday the Cardinals travel to Xavier (1-1).
Northern Iowa enters Friday's match undefeated with one-goal victories over Centenary (1-2) and Louisiana Monroe (0-2).-á Northern Iowa outshot its two opponents 28-24 in the victories.
Goalie Anne-Marie Witko enters the game with an average of 1.62 goals against from 2002.-á As a freshman, Witko was fourth in the nation with 192 saves.
Head coach Ron Rainey said his team must attack Witko with a calm and careful manner.
"We have to be relaxed when trying to score," he said.
Rainey said the Panthers would come into the game with a lot of confidence because of the quick start to the season. In 2002 the Panthers were 5-13-1.
Xavier enters Sunday's match with a 3-1 victory over Miami, who was picked third in the Mid-American Conference behind Ball State.-áThe Musketeers also lost to Cincinnati 3-1. Lauren Giesting, who has two goals on the season, leads Xavier in points.
After Ball State's 2-1 comeback win over IPFW on Wednesday, Rainey said he wants his team to come with better focus at the beginning of the game.
"We have to challenge the players to focus better," he said.-á "We have to talk about it as a group.-áIt's a problem we have to solve together."
This week sees the Cardinals play three matches, which is the most they will play in any weeklong stretch this year.
Rainey said the extra match would help his team get in game shape.
A key to this weekend, Rainey said, was not to focus too much on how Northern Iowa and Xavier were going to play. Instead Rainey will have his team ready to perform at its highest level.
Throughout the remaining schedule, Ball State will play two games a week.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
