MAC-Opening Win 'Huge' For CMU Soccer

Friday, September 27

Muncie, Ind.

4 p.m.

Central Michigan University

4-0-2, 1-0-0

Ball State

6-3-0, 0-1-0

Central Michigan

Ball St.

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

9/27/2019 7:23:00 PM | Soccer

Box Score

Chippewas knock off Ball State to remain unbeaten

By: Nick Vuylsteke, CMUChippewas.com

MUNCIE, Ind. – The streak continues, and none have been bigger than this.

The Central Michigan women's soccer team opened Mid-American Conference play on Friday with a 1-0 victory over Ball State at the Cardinals' Briner Sports Complex.

The win, CMU's fourth straight, lifted it to 4-0-2. Ball State is 6-3.

Ball State (6-3) was picked to finish second in the league preseason poll after finishing as the regular-season and conference tournament runner-up last fall. It was Ball State's first loss in a MAC opener since 2011.

"This win was huge," first-year CMU coach Jeremy Groves said. "We had a good nonconference (season), but that doesn't get you into the NCAA Tournament, you still have to do well in your conference.

"To go on the road against one of the favorites in the conference (and win is big). It's a statement saying we're not messing around this year, and we're going to compete."

How It Happened
Senior midfielder Marle Bringard scored the game's only goal on a header in the 44^th minute. Junior Samantha Kaye-Toral picked up the assist, her first as a Chippewa.

It was Bringard's second goal of the season, and the eighth of her career.

"First and foremost, I saw a ton of fight, which is what we've been harping on all season," Groves said. "I said in preseason we're not going to win games by six or seven goals, we have to fight things out.

"We got a really good goal at the end of the first half, our kids continued to fight, and we defended really well. In the end, we're probably disappointed we didn't score more goals. We missed three one-on-one chances with the goalkeeper. But, the fight from our group is really good right now."

In Goal
Senior Zoie Reed had four saves in posting her second shutout of the season, and the 11^th of her career.

Numbers
CMU finished with five shots and three corners. Ball State had 13 shots and six corners.

Next
CMU travels to Oxford, Ohio on Sunday (1 p.m.) to play Miami (Ohio). The RedHawks (2-6, 1-0) opened MAC play on Friday with a 3-1 win over Eastern Michigan.