The Ball State soccer team's 0-2 start in Mid-American Conference play magnifies the importance of Friday's game against Akron and Sunday's match with Ohio.
This weekend already has a must-win feeling for the Cardinals. With nine conference games left before the MAC tournament, falling to 0-4 would all but guarantee a second-straight year out of the eight-team MAC Tournament.
Despite all that's riding on these games, the team isn't feeling the pressure.
Coach Craig Roberts dedicated Monday's practice to player conferences about last weekend's matches and the team's overall performance. He said he wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page.
"I thought it was a good time to visit with everyone," Roberts said. "The past couple of years some of the girls have been in similar circumstances, and I didn't want their to be a relapse. I wanted the players to know how I felt about them and the belief I still have in them."
The statistics from last weekend's games show Ball State competed at the same level, if not better, than its opponents. Things just didn't fall their way and the Cardinals are now in a hole.
"The players were very disappointed because, especially on Sunday, they knew we were the better team," Roberts said. "One lapse on defense and the game was over. We basically dominated the game, but just never put the ball in the net."
At Northern Illinois, Ball State had chances to win but came back to Muncie with a 1-0 overtime loss.
"We just have to take everything and learn from that game," sophomore goalkeeper Aubrey Buehler said. "We realize we have the coach and players to win. We just have to put everything together."
Akron comes into the game facing similar challenges. The Zips lost their first two games and are battling to stay afloat in the conference.
For Ball State, this weekend is about sending a message to the rest of the MAC.
"We are looking to stay positive and compete out there," Buehler said. "We have to show MAC we are good so they realize we aren't a team they can walk over."
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