FIELD HOCKEY: Cardinals ready for major rebuild
August 15, 2012As Beth Maddox enters her third season as Ball State's field hockey coach, her team is at a crossroads.
As Beth Maddox enters her third season as Ball State's field hockey coach, her team is at a crossroads.
The 2012 season doesn't start for another five months, but coach Beth Maddox has added six incoming freshmen to her roster.
ATHENS, Ohio — With the odds in its favor against a team it had swept during the regular season, Ball State was looking to go three-for-three against Miami and advance to play top-seeded Ohio in the Mid-American Conference tournament.
Its regular season is history. Its about to embark on a journey full of adversity and challenges, starting with a familiar foe.
With a chance to earn a higher seed and enter the Mid-American Conference tournament with some much needed momentum, the Ball State field hockey team couldn't match the firepower of Missouri State, dropping its conference finale in Springfield, Mo., on Sunday afternoon.
The final regular season home game didn't favor the Ball State field hockey team Friday afternoon at the BSU Turf Field.
Following last Sunday's Senior Day 2-1 overtime loss to Ohio, coach Beth Maddox acknowledged her team would correct its mistakes and move forward.
What looked to be a complete mismatch between the best team in the Mid-American Conference and a group of inexperienced newcomers panned out to be an interesting Senior Day for the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.
Darting down the left side of the offensive zone, weaving her way passed multiple Kent State defenders, Devanny Kuhn powered a shot into the back of the goal.
After a disappointing one-goal loss at Central Michigan last Sunday, the Ball State field hockey team will square against Kent State and Ohio, two of the better teams in the Mid-American Conference, this weekend.
As it arrived in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., for a Mid-American Conference showdown with Central Michigan, Ball State envisioned crashing the home teams' Senior Day.
When Laura Malinoski signed her National Letter of Intent to play for Ball State, she knew it wasn't going to be an easy transition.
As Kaitlin Thompson entered the game as a substitute in the 60th minute of the Mid-American Conference game against Missouri State, she wasn't anticipating what was about to unfold.
The 19th meeting between Michigan State and Ball State proved to be an exciting one.
The Cardinals are 0-4 versus the Big Ten this season, including losses to Indiana, No. 13 Michigan, No. 14 Northwestern and No. 18 Ohio State.
As all 10 freshmen arrived for fall camp in mid-August, many assumed they would be sitting on the bench watching the upperclassman play.
After dropping the first two of three games in its Mid-American Conference road trip, the Ball State field hockey team will travel to Oxford, Ohio, to play a 6 p.m. game today against Miami.
As her team departed Muncie en route to Ohio, coach Beth Maddox was confident in coming away with two victories over Mid-American Conference foes Ohio and Kent State.
It was a mismatch from the opening draw as the Ball State field hockey team was completely dominated by Ohio on Saturday.
After dropping its last contest 5-0 to non-conference opponent Ohio State, the Ball State field hockey team begins a three-game road trip starting this afternoon in Athens, Ohio.
