It will be the Wolverines' battle before the war.
The Michigan field hockey team is 2-2 heading into its game with Ball State at Ocker Field, the Wolverines' fifth and final non-conference game.
Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said "the team has been practicing hard everyday this week, trying to learn from the past weekend out East."
Last Saturday in Norfolk, Va., the women battled against powerhouse Old Dominion, but they were unable to get a shot on goal. The Monarchs won, 7-0.
The next day, they faced William & Mary, also in Norfolk, and were successful in their pursuit of victory, winning, 2-0.
Pankratz believes a few improvements need to be made to "strengthen the women's technique and increase their success rate," however, if Michigan is to be successful against the Cardinals.
She said the Wolverines need a tighter defense, faster ball execution and a better scoring touch around the net.
Freshman sweeper Ashley Reichenbach said the team has been concentrating on corners and transfer balls, which is the switching of the ball from one side of the field to the other.
Reichenbach said Ball State is a powerful team, and the game this Saturday should be exciting.
All the games so far have been non-league games, meaning they are not counted against Michigan's Big Ten record. But they are important to the Wolverines, giving them a chance to gain experience and valuable practice under game stress.
Tomorrow's matchup will be Michigan's third home game this season.
Previously on home turf, the team challenged the Owls of Temple and lost, 1-0. The Wolverines beat Boston College at Ocker, however, gaining their first win of the year, 3-2.