Courtesy: Zolton Cohen

KALAMAZOO -- The Western Michigan women’s soccer team heads out on the road for the final time of the regular season, traveling to Miami on Friday for a 3 p.m. match and then heading to Muncie, Ind., to take on Ball State on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Western Michigan (5-7-3, 2-4-2 MAC) currently sits in eighth place in the Mid-American Conference standings. The Broncos need to stay in the top eight in order to make the MAC Tournament.

To do so, Western Michigan needs to stay ahead of Buffalo (2-5-1 MAC), Bowling Green (1-4-3 MAC), Ball State (2-6-0 MAC) and Northern Illinois (0-6-2 MAC).

In Friday’s match, the Broncos have to corral the third-best offense in the MAC and deal with its second-best defense. The Redhawks (8-6-1, 4-3-1 MAC) are averaging 1.40 goals per game and only surrendering 0.73. Sarah Lund is the top scorer for the Redhawks, leading the team with five goals and two assists. Not far behind her is Allison Berkey with four goals and two assists. Kersta Carlson leads the team and the MAC in assists with six.

Krista Pace has seen every minute in net for the Redhawks, making 74 saves in 15 games to go with five shutouts.

Although Ball State has only won four games on the season, they have been tough at home with a 3-1-0 record, while the Broncos are 0-1-1 in two MAC road games this season. The Cardinals are last in the MAC in defense, allowing 2.67 goals per game, almost 1.00 goal per game worse than 11th place Buffalo (1.69). Ball State is sixth in the MAC in offense, just above Western Michigan, averaging 1.13 goals per game.

Western Michigan ends the regular season with its final home game on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m.