Soccer host to Ball State, Miami this weekend

The CMU soccer team will attempt to continue one of its best starts in school history this weekend.

Central (9-3, 4-0) will play Ball State (4-7, 2-2) at 4 p.m. today and Miami (6-4-1, 2-1-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday, both at the CMU Soccer Complex.

The Chippewas won seven consecutive games and are tied for first in the NCAA with nine shutouts on the season.

“It definitely puts a target on your back,” said senior forward Amanda Waugh. “Teams are going to be coming out a little harder against you.”

After starting the first eight games of the year, Waugh has come off the bench in the last four. But she sees it as a way to make the team play at its peak for the entire game.

“I know that Chelsi (Abbott), (Laura) Twidle, Molly (Gerst), the girls starting over me, have been giving really good minutes,” she said. “If I’m able to give good minutes off the bench and we’re able to maximize our forwards, then that’s what I want to do.”

Central has not allowed a goal since Michigan State’s Lauren Hill scored in the 76th minute on Sept. 6, and is 7 minutes and 21 seconds away from setting the school record for most consecutive minutes without allowing a goal.

Ball State

The Chippewas play a Ball State team that is third in the MAC in goals per game at 1.45, and has only been shut out in three games this season.

The Cardinals are led by senior Megan Ridley, who already tied her total goals from last year with four and has two assists to tie her for third in the MAC in points (10) on the season.

Ball State is coming off a 4-3 loss to Toledo in which the Cardinals went ahead 3-0 in the first 40 minutes of the game. Toledo came back and scored four, including three in the second half to give Ball State its second MAC loss.

This marks the second consecutive season the Chippewas have started MAC play 4-0, but coach Tom Anagnost said with how the season ended last season, it should make the team stronger.

“Having gone through something like that, you tend to gain from that experience,” he said. “I’m hoping that experience from last year can get us to where we are playing better at the end of the year.”

Waugh said the biggest difference between this year and last year’s team is the depth the team has.

“This year compared to last year, we are able to rely on so many more people,” she said. “We’ve been getting some really good minutes from different faces.”

The RedHawks

Sunday, Central could have one of its biggest challenges in the MAC with Miami (6-2-4, 2-1-1 MAC) coming to Mount Pleasant.

Winners of two consecutive MAC games, including a 4-1 win against Bowling Green in their last game on Sunday, the RedHawks are tied with Central for first in the MAC while having allowed nine goals on the season.

Miami has allowed more than one goal just once, in a 2-1 loss to Dayton on Sept. 18. The RedHawks also are second in the league with 19 goals.

The RedHawks have not won in Mount Pleasant since a 2-1 win over the Chippewas in 2001.