by Delaney Caldwell had to wipe away tears before she talked about today’s Ball State soccer match.
The senior Cardinal and her fellow five graduating teammates walked across the pitch at Briner Sports Complex for the final time of their careers after falling to Miami (OH) 2-1.
“It’s not the way we wanted to end our final home game, and this shows how much I love this program,” she said. “It’s been awesome playing here. I’ve loved every second of it and I’m glad I got to do it with this team.”
First-year Ball State head coach Andy Stoots said this season came down to how the upperclassmen responded to a new staff. After the team’s final match in Muncie, he said that the group answered the call perfectly.
“When I looked at the state of things when I got here and just kind of how things shaped up last fall, you had a lot of people returning from that team. They had some sour feelings, especially after you finished second-to-last in the conference. That’s tough,” Stoots said. “I tell people all the time how much we embrace the senior class. I’ve wanted this year to be special for them.
“They’ve also embraced us and embraced the ideas and all of that … I’m over the moon and happy for them and extremely grateful for their support. They are the rock and the foundation of our team.”
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) matchup pitted the No. 4 Cardinals against the No. 3 Redhawks as the regular season drew one game closer to completion. The first few minutes were back-and-forth as no one could gain the upper hand.
But in her final game on her home field, Caldwell delivered as she scored at the 32:52 mark, giving Ball State a 1-0 lead.
However, that was the only instance that the Cardinals found the back of the net Sunday afternoon. Though the game was tied at halftime, the Redhawks didn’t take much time to find momentum in the second half. Miami recorded its first point at the 35:00 mark, thanks to a goal from junior midfielder Morhéa Hoefen.
The visitors scored once again at the 16:03 mark of the half, as junior forward Katie O’Malley’s goal became the deciding factor. Ball State finished the game with two shots on the goal in the loss, but the Red and White only got one to convert. Another issue for the Cardinals was their ball handling, as they had trouble keeping the ball away from Miami.
“We turned the ball over too many times and just couldn’t hang on to it,” Stoots said. “That’s completely on me. I didn’t have our team ready to play in the comments that we knew would be big in this one.”
The loss is the first for Ball State since Oct. 5, and it’s the first time Miami has won in Muncie since 2014. Cardinal seniors Addie Chester and Emily Roper said the same thing following the loss: This is motivation.
“I want to see us play a full 90 minutes and score goals. We just need to find the back of the net more often,” Roper said. “I’d rather be up 4-0 than 1-0, and some of that’s on me. I got to score more goals and finish them. I want to see a MAC championship.”
Stoots agreed with his two upperclassmen. After the Cardinals lost their last game, they went on a four-game win streak, which ended in today’s game.
He is sure that this team is capable of repeating that.
I had no doubt that we have the right character and attitude to keep things going.
Though the Cardinals fell in the final homestand, the number of fans didn’t change in the cold temperatures. Stoots said the support has been noticed by the program, and it’s one of the main reasons the Red and White saw success one year after being the second-to-last team in the MAC.
“Muncie’s a special place. Ball State’s a special place. I think when I came here, the goal was to create something special. Something that our athletic department, our university, and more than anything, something that our players can be proud of,” Stoots said. “I think we’re on the right track, for sure, and you can feel the energy around the program just based on the number of fans and the support that we’re getting.
“Thank you to all of those folks, because we wouldn’t have had the season we had if it weren’t for their support.”
The Cardinals travel to Northern Illinois for their final regular-season match Wednesday, Oct. 29. The contest will start at 3 p.m. The MAC Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, begins Saturday, Nov. 1.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
