Oct. 8, 2015
By Jack Dougherty, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" There's no substitute for dependability, but it's a trait that's hard to come by. Cal Ripkin Jr's unbreakable record was dubbed unbreakable simply because it is. The wear and tear of a year-round sport puts even the strongest men and women in a cycle of fatigue and injury. Every once in a while, you have to sit one out.
Well, not Cal Ripkin Jr., and certainly not Elizabeth Ball.
"E-Ball" has been a consistent force in the middle ever since her arrival to State College. In her freshman season, the center back recorded 23 regular season starts and logged over 1,800 minutes on the pitch. It's tough enough for a freshman just to get acclimated to the collegiate game, let alone become a model of dependability for the entire defense.
This season, she's been even better. The true sophomore leads the Nittany Lions with 1,093 minutes played. Ball has started every game so far at center back, and that trend doesn't look like it will change any time soon.
"She's so dependable," said head coach Erica Walsh. "You know you're going to get an honest effort out of her every day. I think her ups and downs of her freshman year are starting to smooth out. We're starting to see way more consistency out of her and I think our team believes in her. We're also starting to see more leadership out of her which is exactly what we need."
Her newfound leadership role is a recently acquainted piece to her puzzle. Ball possesses the most experience along the back line despite it being only her second year. Her fellow center back Kaleigh Riehl and right back Ellie Jean, both freshmen, have looked to Ball all year in pressure situations.
Ball has been an unbreakable wall in the back all year, but she's undoubtedly in her best form at this point in the season. Last week, she was awarded Team of the Week honors by TopDrawerSoccer after a dominating performance against Northwestern.
"It's awesome," Ball said. "It was a big honor and I'm really excited. We've been playing really good defense and I couldn't have done it without my back line and Britt [Eckerstrom]."
The Nittany Lions, led by Ball in the middle, allowed a quiet total of three shots to the No. 24 Wildcats in a convincing 3-0 victory last Sunday. The shutout marked the fifth time this season PSU has held their opponent scoreless.
"Elizabeth had a great game," said Walsh. "That's the best I've seen her in a Penn State jersey on Sunday. She was confident both on the defense and the attack and she's having fun. She definitely raises the level of our team when she plays that well. We've been talking a lot about blue collar and she's setting the example in that area."
Penn State's recent defensive success has lowered its average goals allowed to 0.75. Somehow, the defense is in fact improving as the year rolls on. This can be credited to the ever-growing chemistry along the back line. Their close ties and strong friendships off the field are contributing to their solid play on the field.
"Being good friends and being such a close family is awesome because we already know what we're going to do," Ball said. "If Kaleigh's going to play me the ball I already know what's coming. It's good to have that connection because it would be terrible if we hated each other, so I think it really helps."
It's clearly evident on the field how in-synch the back line has been of late, and it all starts with Ball. She's become a great communicator in the middle of the pitch, directing traffic and aiding Eckerstrom during opponents' attacks. With Ball feeling as comfortable as ever leading the defense, this back line's confidence is sky high.
"They're gaining more and more confidence with every game," said Walsh. "We always talk about 'defender nation' and coming together as a group and really taking pride in a shutout."
"We definitely have a lot of confidence, but we're also trying to stay humble," Ball said. "It's really important that we come out every game hard and don't get complacent."
Ball's consistency and steady play has brought the young defense to a new level. Trust is imperative on defense, and that's what Ball provides in one of the most crucial positions on the pitch. If she can stay healthy, scoring on the Nittany Lions will continue to be easier said than done.