INDIANAPOLIS -- The Ball State soccer team played IUPUI to a 1-1 draw in rainy conditions on the road Friday night in the Cardinals’ non-conference finale.

Ball State senior defender Kelsey Shapiro scored the equalizer with her first career goal on a corner kick in the 70th minute. The teams then remained tied for the final 20 minutes of regulation and both 10-minute overtime periods at Michael A. Carroll Stadium.

It was the first draw of the season for the Cardinals, which will now enter Mid-American Conference play with a record of 5-2-1. IUPUI owns a record of 3-2-3.

Ball State was credited with 27 shots on the night to 16 for IUPUI, and the Cardinals registered 20 shots after halftime as they began to apply the pressure. They also held a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks.

“I didn’t feel it was one of our best games,” Ball State coach Craig Roberts said. “I was disappointed with our ability to finish. We created scoring opportunities that we just didn’t convert, and that’s something we have to be accountable for.”

Ball State was also whistled for 16 fouls in the game to seven for IUPUI, including a 9-2 disparity in fouls in the first half alone.

IUPUI goalkeepers Giselle Guzman and Nicole Kulovitz combined for nine saves in the game to hold Ball State to just one goal, while freshman Brooke Dennis drew the start in goal for the Cardinals and made a career-high seven saves of her own.

The game went scoreless through the first half before IUPUI struck first in the 57th minute. Sarah Carlisle found Tori Minnich with a long pass against the run of play, and Minnich was able to find the back of the net.

Ball State’s goal came just 13 minutes later on a set piece. Leah Mattingly sent a corner kick into the box, where Shapiro was waiting to knock it in.

“We did score off a restart, which is something we have given a lot of attention to,” Roberts said. “I was pleased with that. We also played well defensively.”

Mattingly played a role in the Ball State goal and also continued her strong defensive play. Roberts credited Mattingly and fellow freshman Orla Travers-Gillespie with helping solidify the Cardinals’ defensive effort against the Jaguars.

Friday’s game was the second straight for Ball State that went scoreless into the final minute of a second overtime period. The Cardinals won Sunday at Air Force on a goal from Nicole Pembleton with just 22 seconds remaining.

Ball State is now off until next weekend when it will open MAC play with road games Friday at Buffalo and Sunday at Akron. Those contests will wrap up the Cardinals’ stretch of five straight road games.

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