In Ball State Field Hockey’s Mid-American Conference opener, the Cardinals (2-6, 0-1 MAC) fell to Miami (Ohio) (4-3, 1-0 MAC), 1-0, off of a corner shot from the RedHawks Noor Breedijk.
Freshman goalie Wietske Overdijkink was a major force in keep the Cardinals close throughout the game. The freshman faced 22 shots, making 11 total saves over the corse of five periods of play. Redshirt senior Michelle Shampton said that losses like this only add more fuel to win the next game.
“It almost looked like we got lucky in many circumstances, but we really put up a fight against this team.” Shampton said “We had plenty of good scoring opportunities that just didn’t materialize. Miami is a very reputable team in the MAC and this very solid performance won’t go unnoticed.”
While the Cardinals did drop a tight game to the RedHawks, Friday’s win stands as the closest finish between these two teams since falling to Miami (Ohio) in 2016, 1-0. In the past two seasons, the RedHawks have clinched two MAC championships and two first round wins in the NCAA Tournament.
“MAC Openers can really set the tone, and despite the fact we lost, we really set the tone for us because we know what we are capable of,” Shampton said. “This is the first time Miami has really faced a threat of a Ball State squad.”
The Cardinals will face another challenge in No. 25 Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan on Sunday, before heading back to Muncie for a pair of conference matchups next week.
“If we can continue to play strong defense, the next step is getting the ball up on offense and working together as a unit to become a stronger team,” Shampton said.
Contact Hunter Skillman with any comments at hjskillman@bsu.edu.
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