The Ball State University field hockey team has made an annual tradition out of playing a difficult out-of-conference schedule, and the trend shows no sign of stopping in the 2007 season.
The Cardinals begin the season this weekend, traveling to Villanova University Saturday before playing at La Salle University Sunday.
Villanova went 13-8 last season, including victories in eight out of nine home games. The Wildcats also defeated two ranked teams and were nationally ranked at the end of the season. La Salle was 7-13 in 2006.
In addition to the Villanova game, Ball State will play five teams that finished in the national rankings top 25 last season.
Currently, Ball State is playing three teams in its non-conference schedule that are ranked in the top-20 preseason poll.
Coach Annette Payne said her team welcomes the pressure of playing tough teams early in the season.
"You've got to be willing to have big challenges," Payne said. "It's exciting for us. It's an opportunity."
Payne said she is responsible for the non-conference schedule.
"I do the schedule," Payne said. "Every non-conference game is treated the same."
The Cardinals played one preseason game, a scrimmage with modified rules against No. 15 Indiana University. The Hoosiers outscored Ball State 5-4 in 67 minutes of play, but Payne said she was pleased with her team's performance.
"To date we've had a fantastic preseason," Payne said. "We played great against IU."
Ball State enters the season coming off its first winning Mid-American Conference record under Payne. The Cardinals went 6-4 in the league and advanced to the conference title game before Ohio University defeated them in overtime.
The MAC coaches predicted Ball State to finish second in their preseason coaches' poll.
The Cardinals lost their top three scorers from last year, including 2006 MAC Player of the Year Lindsay Quay. In addition, goalkeeper Caroline Lehman, who ranked third in the MAC in goals-against average in league games last season, is no longer on the team for undisclosed reasons.
Tiffany Shifflett, a sophomore goalkeeper vying for the starting position, said the players will focus more on themselves than predicting what their first opponents will throw at them.
"Our whole goal is to make Villanova play our game," Shifflett said. "We just have to keep doing our Ball State thing."
Payne said she expects the Wildcats to be unselfish with the ball.
"I'd expect some speed and ball-handling skills, and a lot of distribution," Payne said.
Payne said in-game adjustments and focusing on improvement will be the most important key to this season.
"We have to be willing to problem solve throughout the match," Payne said. "We have to identify our biggest weaknesses, and we have to hit those hard."
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