In the final weekend before Mid-American Conference competition begins, the Ball State soccer team will play its Senior Day game.
The Cardinals will honor six senior players: Maggie Cox, Victoria Jacobs, Lindsay Kempf, Jasmine Moses, Nicole Pembleton and Cailey Starck.
“It’s a very weird feeling,” Starck said. “You play with these people for four years and to know it’s all coming to end, it’s sudden.”
The seniors come from different backgrounds and different places, some from places as close as Indianapolis, others as far as California or Ontario. They all came together here to play the sport that they love.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was a kid, as have the others,” Starck said. “For the majority of us, this is the last year we play soccer competitively like this.”
Though it is the end of a long journey for these seniors, it is still the very beginning of that same journey for the youth teams joining Ball State and Jacksonville State on the field Saturday as part of Youth Soccer Month. Youth teams will run onto the field with both teams at the start of the game, and the teams will play in a scrimmage during halftime.
“It’s great to share our sport with the youth of today and I’m glad they get to share the field with us, it’s a fun opportunity for both us and youth soccer,” head coach Craig Roberts said.
Through all the festivities of the day, there is still a soccer game to be played and Ball State will come out focused and ready for Jacksonville State.
“The seniors have been firing on all cylinders this week and are looking to come out with a lot of extra energy from the get-go,” Roberts said. “They know what Senior Day is about and they plan to win.”
The game starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Briner Sports Complex.
