Goals hard to come by, UT drops two on the road

The University of Toledo women’s soccer team dropped back-to-back Mid-American Conference games this weekend. The Rockets (6-11, 2-6 MAC) fell 3-1 to Buffalo on Friday and 2-1 against Akron on Sunday.

UT now sits in fifth place in the MAC West division with only three games remaining on the schedule.

“We thought we had some really good chances this weekend,” said Head Coach T.J. Buchholz. “We just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.”

The Rockets have struggled all year but even more so on the road. UT has won just two out of eleven games away from the Glass City.

On Friday the Rockets started off behind early with a goal from UB’s Celina Carrero in the 10th minute for the only goal in the first half.

Early in the second half Buffalo’s Kassidy Kidd extended the Bulls’ lead to 2-0 with her first of two goals in the afternoon.

Just seconds after Kidd’s goal in the 53rd minute the Rockets responded with their first successful free kick of the season.

Sophomore Isa Echeverri stepped up to take the kick, curving the ball in over the wall to find the back of the net for her third goal of the season.

Toledo’s comeback would be short-lived. Kidd iced the game, completing her brace in the 78th minute and putting the game out of reach for the Rockets.

Toledo finished off their two-game road trip in Akron on Sunday with a 2-1 defeat despite outshooting the Zips 20 to 7.

“We’re getting the opportunities,” Buchholz said. “The heart is there; the work rate is there. We just aren’t putting the ball in the back of the net.”

UT jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the seventh minute. Senior Megan Connor ran onto a ball played in the box by sophomore Regan Price. Connor then chipped Akron keeper Katie Wilson for her first goal of the season.

“We came out strong,” Buchholz said. “But when the moment is on the line, we struggle with that.”

Akron senior Katie George tied things up in the 29th minute with her fifth goal of the season.

In the second half, the Rockets applied heavy pressure with 10 shots but continued to struggle finding the back of the net.

Zips’ senior Hannah Werth had the deciding goal in the 58th minute. Werth scored her first goal of the season scoring directly from Akron’s third and final corner kick.

Toledo will return home for their last home stand of the year. The Rockets are set to face Ohio on Friday Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. and will host Kent State on Sunday Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. during senior night.