This season for the field hockey team mirrors last season almost exactly -- from the fast start to the slow finish to the team's record.
The Cardinals head to Kent State for the Mid-American Conference Tournament this weekend with an 8-11 record. They are 5-5 in the MAC and tied for fourth in the conference.
In 2002 the Cardinals finished the regular season 9-9 overall and 5-4 in the MAC and tied for fourth.
Even Ball State's first-round opponent in the tournament, Ohio, is the same.
Head coach Annette Payne, however, said she is hoping the result will change. Last year Ball State lost 2-1 to the Bobcats in double overtime.
"It's ironic that it's the same (opponent) as last year," Payne said. "It's a different year, but of course last year is remembered. The players won't forget that game."
Ohio finished the season tied with Ball State in the MAC, though at 6-11, the Bobcats have a worse overall record than the Cardinals.
Ohio received the No. 4 seed, however, because it won the season series with Ball State two games to none.
Ball State is seeded No. 5.
The two teams play the first game of the tournament at noon today. The winner plays regular-season champion Kent State at noon Saturday.
The Cardinals have struggled recently against Ohio. The Bobcats have won eight in a row in the series and 10 of the last 11 dating back to 1999. Ball State lost the two matchups this season by one goal each, the second loss in overtime.
Payne said Ohio is a good team, but she said she isn't concerned with its strengths or weaknesses. She said she needs her team to focus on its own game and winning.
"We have to come out hard," Payne said. "That comes from your preparation and your focus."
Payne said she doesn't focus on the opponent because she said every team in the MAC this season is strong. Every team, she said, is capable of winning the tournament -- including the Cardinals.
"If we take one game at a time and focus on what we have to do that day to get it done," Payne said, "then it's bound to be a good tournament."
In order to win the MAC title and a berth into the NCAA Tournament, though, Ball State must first beat Ohio, something it hasn't done in three years.
"There's a lot of meaning behind this game," Payne said. "It's how important we take this game (that will determine whether we win). I'll emphasize: This is an important game."
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