TOLEDO, OH - Toledo kicks off its 2011 campaign this weekend when it hosts Big Ten member Purdue on Friday, Aug. 19 at Scott Park. The opening whistle is slated for 5:30 p.m. The Rockets are 11-3-2 all-time in season-opening matches in the program's history, including an impressive 7-1-2 under Head Coach Brad Evans.
Friday's match has been tabbed as "Youth Day." All UT soccer campers and youth teams will receive free admission and can get autographs from the Rockets following the match.
Success at home has been the norm for the Midnight Blue & Gold over the past six seasons, as they have compiled an impressive 47-9-5 record at the corner of Hill Ave. and Parkside Blvd., including a 9-1-2 ledger last fall.
On Sunday, the Rockets will travel to Champaign, IL to tangle with another Big Ten foe, No. 24 ranked Illinois, at 1:00 p.m. (CT) from the Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium.
UT heads into this weekend's season-opening matches following a 0-0 exhibition draw at Detroit last Sunday. The Rockets outshot the Titans by an 8-6 margin with senior goalkeeper Vicki Traven making four saves to post a shutout.
Toledo returns eight of their top 10 scorers from last year's team that posted a 15-4-2 overall mark, including a league-record 10-1-0 Mid-American Conference record, en route to capturing a share of its second league regular-season crown in the last three seasons. Senior Kristen Lynn topped the Rockets offensively last year with 18 points and tied for the team lead with seven goals.
The Rockets will be facing a Purdue team that finished with a 6-12-2 record in 2010, including 2-7-1 in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have 19 letterwinners returning for 14th-year Head Coach Rob Klatte. They are led by the duo of Kellie Phillips (six goals and six assists) and Katie Leinert (five goals, five assists) with 18 points and 15 points a season ago, respectively. Last fall, the Rockets posted a thrilling 1-0 overtime road victory over Purdue. Lynn converted a penalty kick at 93:29 to give Toledo its second all-time victory against a Big Ten opponent and first since the 1996 season. Lynn capitalized on a handball inside the 18-yard box by knocking her shot just past the outstretched arms of Purdue goalkeeper Carianne Betts for the winning tally. The Rockets' only other triumph over a Big Ten foe occurred on Sept. 13, 1996 when they blanked Ohio State at home, 1-0.
Illinois also opens its regular season this weekend and is coming off a 13-5-1 overall mark in 2010, including a 6-3-1 mark in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini, which dropped a 3-1 decision to Pac-10 member USC in the opening round of the NCAA Championships last fall, have 12 letterwinners returning for 10th-year Head Coach Janet Rayfield. They are led by Big Ten Freshman of the Year Vanessa DiBernardo with 11 goals and five assists a season ago. The Rockets and the Illini will be meeting for the first time.
Following this weekend's season-opening matches, Toledo will host three straight matches vs. Louisville (Aug. 26), IPFW (Aug. 28) and Niagara (Sept. 2).
