TOLEDO, OH - Toledo dominated all facets of the match against Buffalo and claimed a 3-1 victory on Friday at blustery Scott Park. With the win, the Rockets improve to 8-5-2 overall and more importantly 4-2-1 in the Mid-American Conference.
UT held a decisive 21-4 advantage in shots and a 10-4 edge in corner kicks to register its fourth-straight triumph over the Bulls (3-11-1, 2-4-1 MAC).
"It is starting to get to that time of the season when you need to be improving your performance each time out, and I thought we did that today," Toledo Head Coach Brad Evans said. "This week in training we changed a couple things with our goal being to try and create some more positive momentum, and I think it showed on the field."
The three-time defending MAC tourney champs exploded out of the gates and scored on its first shot off the foot of senior Molly Cornwell at 3:21. The two-time league Player of the Year received a cross from junior Sarah Blake with her back to the UB goal about 25 yards out. Cornwell rotated her body and fired a left-footed shot over the head of the Buffalo netminder Amy Coron into the back of the net. The tally was Cornwell's fourth of the season and tied her for the team lead.
The Bulls seemed to settle down a little after yielding the early goal and had a quality chance to knot the score on a long run by Taylor Thompson at the 16:40 mark. The freshman made a long run with the ball and beat UT junior goalie Angela Righeimer wide, but the ball scooted too far wide for her to have a clear look at the goal. Thompson regained her composure to put her in a better position and tried to get off a shot, but the UT defense quickly recovered and cleared the ball off the line.
Toledo kept its foot on the accelerator as the first half wore on and doubled its lead on a goal by senior Heather Wesley at 29:04. Teammate Kristen Lynn made a nice run with the ball and played it past the UB defense to Wesley, who was streaking down the side deep in the oppositions' territory. The Dublin, OH native then took a quick dribble and blasted a shot home to give the Midnight Blue and Gold a two-goal cushion at the intermission.
With all the momentum on their side, the Rockets continued to dominate as the second stanza started, but a slight defensive lapse cost cost them dearly and cut their lead in half. UB's Lindsey Bailey was playing in a corner kick when the ball struck Toledo freshman Rachael Kravitz's hand in the goal box, causing a penalty kick. Buffalo's Stephanie Velez stepped up to take the free kick and drilled home the penalty shot into the lower right corner to put the visitors on the board at 62:40.
Fortunately for the Rockets, they did not let that slight error affect their play and quickly recovered, re-establishing their two-goal lead on a tally by Kravitz at the 66:22 mark. Classmate Kristen Mattei started the play with a nice cross into the middle of the UB goalbox. There was a skirmish for the free ball and Kravitz emerged with it, firing a shot that hit paydirt to make the final tally, 3-1.
"Kristen made a nice pass, and I was fortunate to be in the right position to poke it into the back of the net," said Kravitz, who has now scored points in three of the last four matches.
Toledo's Righeimer made his first start of the season and went the distance, finishing with only one save to earn her first win of the season. For the Bulls, Coron was credited with 13 saves and suffered the loss.
"We came into today's match knowing that we had something to prove, and I think we did that," Kravitz said. "We came out strong and fast and really took it to them offensively."
The Rockets return to action on Sunday, Oct. 18 when they wrap up their four-match home swing against Kent State. The opening whistle is slated for 1:00 p.m. Prior to the start of the contest, UT will honor its five seniors - Megan Ginley, Nora Jereb Ali Leak, Cornwell and Wesley - who will be appearing in their final regular-season, weekend home match. Sunday's match has also been tabbed as "Think Pink Day." The Rockets will wear pink jerseys and raffle them off after the match with all proceeds going to Susan G. Komen for the cure foundation.
"Hopefully today's momentum will be carried over to Sunday's match and through the remainder of the conference season," Evans said.
TOLEDO 3, Buffalo 1
UT: M. Cornwell (S. Blake), 3:21
UT: H. Wesley (K. Lynn), 29:04
UB: S. Velez (Penalty Kick), 62:40
UT: R. Kravitz (K. Mattei), 66:22
SHOTS: UT 21, UB 4
CORNER KICKS: UT 10, UB 4
SAVES: UT 1, UB 13
FOULS: UT 9, UB 9
