The Kent State soccer team suffered a season-ending loss to the Ball State Cardinals in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament in a penalty kick shootout.
For the Flashes, it was yet another game where the defense played excellently down the stretch, but the offense just couldn’t get anything going. It was the team’s fourth shutout loss of the season.
“We have a tremendous group of seniors, and I just wish we could have done more for them,” coach Rob Marinaro said. “I’m so grateful for everything they have done for our program, and they left us with a great legacy.”
The breakdown
In the first half, both teams struggled to create solid offensive opportunities. The Flashes had significantly more shots than Ball State, but the team still struggled to find the net. Both teams played lockdown defense to keep the game scoreless within the first half.
“Defense was excellent tonight on the ball,” Marinaro said. “We created a lot and had the majority of play and opportunities.”
The stat sheet favored the Flashes most of the night. The Flashes had 20 shots, including overtimes, while 11 of those were on net. BSU had eight shots, while only two made it on net.
Junior goalie Leah Shaffer had two saves on the night while BSU had 11. BSU had seven corner kicks while the Flashes had three.
“Shootouts are so hard to decide a game, but those are moments people need to step up,” Marinaro said. “Leah Shaffer made some big saves for us and was huge in the moment.”
The second half was a reflection of the first, as both teams continued to struggle offensively. Both teams did play tremendous defense to send the game into two overtimes, and ultimately, a shootout decided the final score of BSU 5-4 in penalty kicks.
With the loss, the Flashes will begin looking towards next year to hopefully return to the MAC Tournament. The team should have several key players returning to build around, such as Shaffer, junior forward Josie Morgan, sophomore defender Allison Collins and junior midfielder Samantha Miller.
“I am really proud of our effort tonight and they poured it all out tonight,” Marinaro said. “When you let it get to penalty shots, it can be anyone’s game.”
Emily Bezjak is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].