It’s MAC Tournament or bust for these 5 Ball State Cardinal Field Hockey fifth-years

It was never a question whether these five Ball State field hockey graduate students were going to return to the program for a fifth season. They could have begun their careers, varying from exercise science to computer science and nursing to advertising.

Some have plans to continue playing back in their home country, and they could have gotten a one-year head start on doing so by leaving the Cardinals.

After missing the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament last season with a 7-11 (2-5 MAC) record, these five knew that couldn’t be their last memory of college athletics. Beginning their tenures in the midst of a global pandemic, ending their stay in Muncie couldn’t end on a sour note too.

“We’ve talked about it since freshman year, wanting to make an impact and be the team that turns things around for Ball State field hockey,” Rachel Bohn said. “We’ve had some ups and downs, but this year, we have come in so strong.”

Bohn, a midfielder from Virginia, was an integral piece in helping the 2022 Cardinals punch their ticket to the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2019. Along with her was Michaela Graney, a defender from South Africa.

In Ball State’s first-round MAC Tournament game against Miami (OH), Graney made one of two defensive saves for the Cardinals in a 2-0 loss. Although Ball State failed to make the tournament in the next season, Graney was named 2023 MAC Defensive Player of the Year.

“At home, you don’t really get awards as a defender, so it’s like you were working, working and working for something you’re never going to get,” Graney said. “ … I was so shocked, but I was so grateful for it. It was something I’ll never ever forget.”

And she’ll never forget the feeling of making the conference tournament — or missing out on it.

“We don’t want anything less,” Graney said. “I think last year was a little bit of a wake-up call … We know what it’s like, it got taken away from us for one year, and now we want it back. This is what we’re here for.”

The five graduate students are soaking in their final months on Ball State’s campus, but as Graney said, they came back first and foremost to make the MAC Tournament. And they came back to do damage in it.

Emma Hilton, a midfielder from New Jersey, hit the match-winning goal in an overtime shootout against Indiana University last season. This was the Cardinals’ signature win of the 2023 season, but it was also one of Hilton’s most memorable moments in her half-decade at Ball State.

This was not because of the individual moment of glory, but because the Cardinals’ win against a Big Ten opponent was indicative of why Hilton feels Ball State should not be underestimated given its mid-major standing. Though that was Ball State’s first Power-5 win in eight years, the exhilaration Hilton and her teammates felt in the moments following the win was temporary. Hilton wants her final season in the red and white to be remembered forever.

“This is really the year to do it,” Hilton said. “I know me and the other fifth-years didn’t come back just to play around. I want a ring at the end of the year.”

It takes all 11 student-athletes to win every game and ultimately make it to the pinnacle of the MAC, but Hannah Johnston plays a big role in determining who wins or loses each game. Heading into her third season as Ball State’s starting goalkeeper, the Virginia native knows she is the last line of defense. She knows her performance is what ultimately decides whether Ball State’s opponents score or not.

Team defense leading up to a shot on goal is crucial, but the high stakes that come every time an opponent takes a shot is something Johnston feels she thrives off.

The stakes may be even higher to make the MAC Tournament, especially with the introduction of a new team in James Madison, expanding the tournament field to six of nine teams.

“It’s kind of lit a fire, and I want to go out with a bang,” Johnston said. “We’re gonna really make something out of this season.

Paloma Gomez Rengifo may be the one who has the most to gain out of all five fifth-years. Though she had been a part of the program for two full seasons beforehand, Rengifo missed the Cardinals’ 2022 MAC Tournament run with a season-ending injury.

That setback gave her the opportunity to redshirt, but it took away the opportunity to play in what would have been the most meaningful game of her collegiate career. Coming into the 2024 season recovering from yet another knee surgery in the offseason — her fourth total — Rengifo understands more than anyone that the road back to peak performance requires baby steps rather than giant leaps.

“Our team has been growing little by little, and the more years we have had [together], the more we have grown,” Rengifo said. “Some days we will be tired, but if we go into games knowing what we can do and knowing what we have to do, we will be able to win.”

The Madrid, Spain, native earned a start for the Cardinals in their unofficial scrimmage against Miami (OH) Aug. 24, proving her offseason surgery should not take away from any of her graduate student year.

“After all the surgeries, it just makes you want to come back stronger,” Rengifo said. “It gives me more motivation to get back, so as much as it’s not the best at times, I think it helps out a lot too.”

Due to a broken right pinky finger, Graney did not play in Ball State’s preseason scrimmage. Despite Graney still sporting a cast six days before the Cardinals’ first official match against Saint Francis Friday, Aug. 30, head coach Caitlin Walsh feels confident the Cardinals’ most-accomplished defender will be healthy within the first week or two of the season.

The third-year head coach made news during the offseason, earning a contract extension that runs through 2026. Although she was hired by former Director of Athletics Beth Goetz, her extension was made final by current Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell, a decision that Walsh feels proved the current regime’s pride in the field hockey program in general – the same pride Walsh holds in the Cardinals’ group of fifth-years.

“It says a lot that they took their fifth year and wanted to stay at Ball State for it,” Walsh said. “They’ve gained our trust, but they’ve also gained our respect.”

The respect that Walsh and the entire program have in these core fifth-years goes a long way in forming a team-wide companionship. All five graduate students shared the belief that the Cardinals’ current roster has the best team chemistry during their half-decade in Muncie.

While many things have to click for the Cardinals to accomplish their ultimate goal, the five fifth-years feel this intangible quality can help them do so. Not ready to move on from the sport and the people she loves, Bohn is driven to ensure Ball State’s Nov. 1 regular-season finale against Bellarmine isn’t her last time on the pitch.

“It’s sad to think about the end of this year,” Bohn said. “It’s been a great experience, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

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