Coming off a loss to Miami (OH) at home, Ball State Field Hockey (0-7, 0-1 MAC) takes on California - Davis (5-6, 0-0 America East) looking to get back on track.
The Cardinals utilized their week off to focus on their upcoming opponent, as well as fix their issues offensively and defensively. Through seven games, Cardinal opponents have attempted 131 shots and 72 corners, while connecting for 30 goals. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have attempted a mere 37 shots and 19 corners, connecting on only 3.
“I think we will be nice and fresh after the week,” head coach Stephanie Bernthal said. “We had a lot of time to work on things during practice. We’re looking to get on board and score some goals.”
In their last outing, the Cardinals fell to the RedHawks in their second home game of the season by a score of 0-4. The defining stat of that matchup was the amount of corner shots allowed, which amounted to 16. Three of the four goals came from Redhawks corners.
Sophomore Grace Chavez has been an active player for the Cardinals, clocking in 490 combined minutes and a staggering 55 saves in the first seven games of the season. Her presence sets the tone for the defense.
“We have had this entire week off to tweak what we have been doing, and to get focused for our game and hopefully we can earn our first win,” Chavez said. “We have been practicing hard and doing new drills to make sure we are ready for Monday.”
The Aggies’ previous game was a 3-0 win on the road against Central Michigan. Van den Bosch leads the team with four goals this season.
The game begins at 1 p.m. on Monday Sept. 24 at Briner Sports Complex.
Contact Gavin Crafton with any comments at gncrafton@bsu.edu or on Twitter @GavinCrafton.