The Ball State University soccer team is well on its way to winning a second straight Mid-American Conference regular season championship as it is 7-0-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
This weekend it defeated the second-place team, the University of Toledo, in a thrilling overtime victory where senior forward Sarah Leibel scored off a corner with 4:44 remaining in the first overtime period. It was about as fitting of a finish as you'll find on senior day.
The only soccer team on campus is the best team at Ball State. There should be two soccer teams on campus, one men's and one women's, but that's another topic.
The top team isn't football, despite having one of its best seasons in more than a decade. It's not women's basketball, even though it won the MAC West and finished second in the MAC Tournament. It's certainly not men's basketball who ... well, let's let old dogs, or in respect to this year's roster, short dogs lie.
It is the women's soccer team who during the last two seasons has a combined 15-2-2 in the MAC, and 23-4-3 during the last three.
Last week I went out to the team's "serious" days of practice to show off what I have and to find out just how good the players are. Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, I was only allowed to run with the team. Due to compliance issues I wasn't allowed to touch a soccer ball. However, despite my limited action, head coach Michelle Salmon thought I looked impressive.
"You're ability to put one foot in front of the other is outstanding," she said.
So maybe I wasn't completely embarrassing, but then again I was sporting a headband. Although, forward Emily Rein probably liked my headband. She wears one during games, but hers is just a bit different than mine.
If you haven't been out to game, shame on you, Rein wears headgear with padding. The best way to describe it is a helmet. You have to see it to fully understand the novelty of it.
If you want to support Ball State's best team - and why wouldn't you - you'll have to wait.
The Cardinals are now on the road for their final three games of the regular season. They have, however, all but locked up their home field throughout the MAC Tournament. This means all of you who haven't had a chance to show your support for the best team at Ball State can still get out and do so.
The team, despite its success, has never won the MAC Tournament, and the past two seasons have been upset in the first round.
Women's soccer started in 1999 and with Saturday's victory now it has seven 10-win seasons in the nine seasons it has laced up.
The MAC Tournament will be your last chance to see a senior class that has 48 victories to 14 losses in its three plus seasons. That's roughly a 3.5-1 win-loss ratio.
Speaking of the seniors, with Leibel graduating after this season maybe I can pull a Juwanna Mann and play up top next year. Unfortunately, Salmon doesn't see think so.
"You'll have to run that by the NCAA, but I have a feeling that the chance of that happening would be slim to none," she said. "I think Jim Carey said it best in 'Dumb and Dumber.' One in a million. So you're saying I have a chance?"
Maybe I'll break down and get into shape because one in a million works for me.
Write to Levin at levintblack@gmail.com
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