Final Stats
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (6-7-4, 5-2-2 MAC) battled Central Michigan (12-3-2, 4-3-2 MAC) to a 1-1 double overtime draw on Sunday afternoon in Mid-American Conference action at chilly Scott Park. It is the fourth time in the last five seasons these two teams have played to a draw.
The Rockets opened the scoring at 10:55 on sophomore Tara Witt's third tally of the season. The goal was setup on a well-placed left-footed corner kick by freshman Molly Cornwell to Witt, who rose up and headed it into the top corner of the goal.
The Chippewas fought back and looked like they had tied the score 30 minutes into the match when Jacquie Lacek headed home a goal, but the forward was called for offsides and the score was nullified.
In the second half, CMU had another golden opportunity to draw the two teams even at 54:46 when Lacek was all alone at the top of the UT goal box, and she fired a shot that hit the top corner of the post and cross bar and deflected out of danger.
The third time must have been the charm for Central Michigan, as the visitors tied the score at 62:37 on a tally by Carly Tydings. CMU's Lacek played a cross to Tydings, who was alone in front of the UT goal, and she blasted a shot that senior goalkeeper Jen Whipple made a nice initial stop on. Unfortunately for the Midnight Blue and Gold, the ball deflected back to Tydings, who this time deposited it into the back of the net for the equalizer.
The Rockets had one final attempt to win the match in regulation at 86:45, when Cornwell blasted a shot which deflected off CMU goalkeeper Anne Decker, but the home team was unable to capitalize on the opportunity and the contest went to overtime.
In the first extra period, Toledo possessed the best chance to score, when freshman Ali Leak made a long run down the sidelines with the ball and blasted a shot from about 15-yards out that was deflected out of bounds and out of danger by a CMU defender.
The Chippewas also had a opportunity in the waning seconds of the first overtime when Kylie Armstrong took a shot from about 10-yards out, but it too was blocked.
In the second overtime, UT's Witt fired a high shot that CMU's Decker deflected off the cross bar, but it bounced back to the netminder and the teams settled for the draw.
The Chippewas outshot the Rockets by a 17-8 margin. Whipple made six saves for UT, while CMU's Decker made three stops.
Toledo will play its final regular-season match on Thursday, Oct. 26 when it travels to arch-rival Bowling Green at 3:00 p.m. UT has clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament for the second-consecutive season, and will play a first-round match on Sunday, Oct. 29. Currently, the Rockets are the No. 2 seed and trail only frontrunner Ball State. The top four seeds will host the first-round matches.
TOLEDO 1, Central Michigan 1 (2OT)
UT: T. Witt (Cornwell), 10:55
CMU: C. Tydings (Lacek), 62:37
SHOTS: UT 8, CMU 17
SAVES: UT 6, CMU 3
CORNER KICKS: UT 6, CMU 5
FOULS: UT 9, CMU 11
