Rockets blast off

The University of Toledo women’s soccer team hosted Kent State and Ohio University at Scott Park this weekend, losing to the Golden Flashes 2-1 on Friday and then defeating the Bobcats 2-1 on Sunday.

Junior Isa Echeverri scored in both matches, including the game-winning goal for the Rockets in the 70^th minute against OU. Echeverri has now scored in three straight matches.

UT now stands at 6-4, and is 1-1 in Mid-American Conference play. The Rockets were outshot badly against Kent State 15-8, but they adjusted on Sunday, recording 17 shots to a mere eight for Ohio.

KSU was more aggressive than UT from the start. The Rockets only recorded three shots in the first half. One of those shots was a goal by Echeverri off a corner kick from senior tri-captain Brooke Maletic.

“I think it was a closer game than the stats indicate,” said head coach TJ Buchholz. “They scored on a couple set pieces that were made by the returning MAC player of the year.”

It did not take long for the Golden Flashes to reply. A foul on freshman Sheridan Bufe in the 34^th minute resulted in a free kick for reigning MAC offensive player of the year Jenna Hellstrom, who buried it.

The Golden Flashes remained active on offense for the rest of the half, tallying three more shots but not converting any. The score was tied 1-1 at halftime.

It was a lot of the same from Kent State to start the second half; they put up two shots and three corner kicks in the first six minutes.

Both defenses buckled down after that, as both teams recorded one shot but neither was a real threat. A Toledo foul in the 81^st gave Hellstrom another free kick. She hit another free kick to break the tie and UT a limited amount on time to even the score.

“I think all together everybody played really well,” said sophomore goalie Katie Wilson. “It was a frustrating loss, but we came back.”

The Rockets did manage one more attempt before the final whistle, a corner kick in the 89^th minute, but they could not convert.

After a tough loss on Friday, Toledo bounced back with a one-point victory on Sunday. The Rockets started quick, recording five shots in the first 15 minutes.

“We knew that if we did the same things well on Sunday that we did on Friday, we would be fine,” said Buchholz.

Senior Kiersten Johnson put up her first shot in the 16^th minute, which is late by her standards. She made up for it by scoring her team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 18^th minute.

The Bobcats attempted two shots in the minutes following but neither were a serious threat. Then Alivia Milesky scored her first goal of the season on an assist from Megan Niebuhr in the 22^nd minute to tie the game.

Both defenses remained tough for the rest of half, with each team only managing two mores and none on goal, tied at one at the end of the first half.

Play was physical to begin the second half, with a combined five fouls in the first 15 minutes. Neither team put a shot on goal until a header from OU in the 67^th minute that was saved by Wilson.

“Not fouling as much helped,” said Wilson when asked what was different defensively on Sunday. “All together, the defense is very solid they work their butts off and allow my job to be easier.”

In the 70^th minute, Echeverri scored for the third straight game on a set play and pass from junior Chiara Paradiso to put UT in the lead with 20 minutes left to play.

The Rockets put two more shots up before the end of the game, keeping the pressure on the Bobcats. The game was all but finished; OU managed one more attempt but it did not threaten the Toledo defense.

“Going on the road is hard; in the MAC, there’s a lot of good teams,” said Buchholz. “Both of the teams we are playing are very good teams.”

The Rockets return to action Friday Sept. 30 as they travel to take on the Akron Zips. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.