With two minutes and 19 seconds left in regulation, Ball State trailed Mid-American Conference (MAC) rival Ohio 1-0. Ahead of Friday, the Cardinals dubbed their remaining three matches as “must-wins.”
After all, Ball State was perched at fifth place in the conference standings, with just one less loss separating the Cardinals from the seventh place Bobcats. The red and white had been aggressive the entire second half, particularly the fourth period leading up to a penalty corner opportunity late in the match.
As graduate student Emma Hilton inbounded the ball from the corner, her pass rolled directly to her intended target: Jenna Wyckoff. The senior softly laid her stick nearly parallel with the pitch, setting up Emma van Hal with a shot.
The junior Netherlands native led the Cardinals with five goals this season, and she has been Ball State’s designated option out of penalty corners. Van Hal’s first shot did not make it to Ohio graduate student goalkeeper Macy Lotze, as it was blocked by another Bobcat defender in front of the cage.
However, when a different Ohio defender tried to rocket the ball out of the circle, van Hal inadvertently earned a second chance. This time, it resulted in her sixth goal of the season and tied the match at one apiece.
Humbly, van Hal called her goal partly lucky, but she never doubted that the Cardinals would score. Even when it looked like they may have been shut out for the sixth time this season.
“It was such a relief,” van Hal said. “ … We really went into this game thinking, ‘We need to win this. It's do or die.’”
The rest of regulation flew by as both Ohio and Ball State urgently tried to score once more before time expired. Overtime soon became inevitable, but it didn’t last long.
Less than two minutes into the extra period, van Hal once again had possession of the ball, this time gliding on the baseline. This time, she was looking to set up Wyckoff rather than the other way around.
The Mansfield Township, New Jersey, native seized the opportunity and fired in her third goal of the season to win the match for Ball State in overtime. Wyckoff and van Hal may have even manifested the match-winning goal into existence.
“We even texted each other last night saying, ‘Hey, we're gonna score on this tomorrow,’” Wyckoff said.
Wyckoff had scored many match-winning goals in high school, and she even knew what it felt like to be a part of an overtime celebration in college. However, Friday’s was not only just the fourth goal of her collegiate career, it was Wyckoff’s first in overtime.
“I love being a part of the dog pile at the end with my whole team coming over and screaming in my face,” Wyckoff said. “We were just all so tired and sweaty.”
Head coach Caitlin Walsh let the Cardinals dogpile on their own before she celebrated with the team near their bench, but that didn’t mean she was any less excited about the win. She remembered a pre-match conversation with Ohio head coach Ali Johnstone, in which both leaders acknowledged the similarity of situations each side faced late in the season.
Both Ball State and Ohio remain in the same standing spot as before, however, the Bobcats and Cardinals would have swapped places if the latter lost their fifth straight match Friday. Walsh reinforced the excitement surrounding Wyckoff and van Hal’s late goals, but she was sure to point out Ball State’s defensive recovery after allowing a goal to Ohio freshman Marie de Grande just 45 seconds into the second period.
Not only did the Cardinals hold the Bobcats scoreless after the goal, but they limited their MAC rival to just six shots and 0 penalty corners for the first time this season.
“Everyone was locked in,” Walsh said. “ … It's a privilege to play under pressure, and if you want to go to the tournament, you're playing under pressure.”
Ball State improves to 4-11 overall, and more importantly, 3-3 in MAC play. Ohio, on the other hand, has now lost three straight matches en route to a 5-10 (3-5 MAC) record. The Cardinals have not yet clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament, but one more win will do so.
Van Hal underlined the importance of not only the fact that Ball State won but how it did so. She admitted to facing nerves prior to the opening whistle, but she credited men’s basketball coach Michael Lewis’ pregame pep talk in helping the Cardinals understand how to approach playing under pressure.
Lewis was apparently not his usual fiery self, but rather, he was more candid and personal. He relayed his own experiences, both as a player and a coach, to help the field hockey program understand that while its season-closing situation is weighty, it is not a challenge the Cardinals can’t overcome.
“In a way, we don't have anything to lose,” van Hal said. “We can take risks, we can give everything we have.”
Ball State’s final home game of the season is set for Sunday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. against James Madison. While the Dukes sit at first place in the MAC with a 5-0 record (10-4 overall), Wyckoff does not feel they are insurmountable.
Even if the Cardinals don’t emerge victorious Sunday, Wyckoff still likes their chances at making the MAC Tournament after clinching perhaps the most important win of the season Friday against Ohio.
“We needed something that showed how unbeatable we are,” Wyckoff said. “ … If we don't beat them this time, we'll beat them in the tournament.”
Contact Kyle Smedley via email at kmsmedley213@gmail.com or via X @KyleSmedley_.
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