With two minutes and 19 seconds left in regulation, Ball State trailed Mid-American Conference (MAC) rival Ohio 1-0. Before Friday, the Cardinals described their remaining three games as must-wins.

After all, Ball State was in fifth place in the conference standings, with just one fewer loss between the Cardinals and the seventh-place Bobcats. The Red and Whites had been aggressive throughout the second half, especially in the fourth period, before a penalty corner at the end of the game.

When graduate student Emma Hilton put the ball in play from the corner, her pass rolled straight to her intended target: Jenna Wyckoff. The senior gently placed her stick almost parallel to the court and set up Emma van Hal with a shot.

The Netherlands native led the Cardinals with five goals this season and was Ball State's designated option on penalty corners. Van Hal's first shot did not reach Ohio sophomore Macy Lotze's goaltender as it was blocked in front of the cage by another Bobcat defender.

However, when another Ohio defender tried to kick the ball out of the circle, Van Hal inadvertently got a second chance. This time it was their sixth goal of the season, so the game ended in a draw.

Van Hal modestly described her goal as partly fortunate, but she never doubted that the Cardinals would score. Even though it looked like they had been shut out for the sixth time this season.

“It was a big relief,” said Van Hal. “…We really went into this game thinking, 'We have to win this.' It's 'do or die.'”

The rest of the game flew by as both Ohio and Ball State desperately tried to score again before time expired. Overtime soon became inevitable, but it didn't last long.

Less than two minutes into extra time, van Hal had the ball again, this time sliding along the baseline. This time she wanted to mislead Wyckoff, not the other way around.

The Mansfield Township, New Jersey native took advantage of the opportunity and scored her third goal of the season to win the game for Ball State in overtime. Wyckoff and van Hal may have even created the winning goal.

“We actually texted each other last night and said, 'Hey, we're scoring here tomorrow,'” Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff had scored many game-winning goals in high school and she even knew what it felt like to be part of an overtime celebration in college. However, it wasn't just the fourth goal of her college career on Friday, it was Wyckoff's first in overtime.

“I love being part of the dog pile at the end while my entire team comes over and screams in my face,” Wyckoff said. “We were all so tired and sweaty.”

Head coach Caitlin Walsh let the Cardinals walk around alone before celebrating with the team at her bench, but that didn't mean she was any less excited about the win. She recalled a pregame conversation with Ohio head coach Ali Johnstone in which both leaders acknowledged the similarity of situations both teams faced toward the end of the season.

Both Ball State and Ohio remain in the same spots as before, although the Bobcats and Cardinals would have swapped places had the latter lost its fifth straight game on Friday. Walsh added to the excitement surrounding late goals from Wyckoff and van Hal, but certainly highlighted the recovery of the Ball State defense after allowing Ohio freshman Marie de Grande a goal just 45 seconds into the second period.

Not only did the Cardinals hold the Bobcats scoreless after scoring, but they also limited their MAC rivals to just six shots and 0 penalty corners for the first time this season.

“Everyone was locked up,” Walsh said. “… It’s a privilege to play under pressure, and if you want to go to the tournament, you play under pressure.”
Ball State improves to 4-11 overall and, more importantly, 3-3 in MAC play. Ohio, on the other hand, has now lost three games in a row en route to a record of 5-10 (3-5 MAC). The Cardinals haven't secured a spot in the MAC Tournament yet, but one more win will do the trick.

Van Hal emphasized the importance of not only that Ball State won, but also how it happened. She admitted she was nervous before the opening whistle, but praised men's basketball coach Michael Lewis' pregame pep talks for helping the Cardinals understand how to play under pressure.

Lewis was apparently not his usual fiery self, but rather more sincere and personal. He shared his own experiences as both a player and coach to help the field hockey program understand that the end-of-season situation, while significant, is not a challenge the Cardinals cannot overcome.

“In a way, we have nothing to lose,” Van Hal said. “We can take risks, we can give everything we have.”

Ball State's final home game of the season is scheduled for Sunday, October 27th against James Madison at 1 p.m. While the Dukes sit in first place in the MAC with a 5-0 record (10-4 overall), Wyckoff doesn't believe they are insurmountable.

Even if the Cardinals don't emerge victorious on Sunday, Wyckoff still has a chance of making it into the MAC tournament after perhaps the most important win of the season on Friday against Ohio.

“We needed something that showed how unbeatable we are,” Wyckoff said. “…If we don't beat them this time, we will beat them in the tournament.”

Contact Kyle Smedley via email at [email protected] or via X @KyleSmedley_.