TOLEDO, OH - Senior Kristen Lynn tied a school record with four goals and sophomore Rachel MacLeod added a score with two assists to lead Toledo to a 5-2 victory over Niagara on Friday at Scott Park. With the impressive win, the Rockets even their record at 2-2-1 on the season.
Lynn registered three of her career-best four tallies in an explosive first half that saw the 2010 Mid-American Conference regular-season champions jump out to a comfortable 4-0 cushion. With tonight's effort, the 2010 first-team All-MAC honoree equaled the single match scoring record held by Amanda Brown (1996-99), who also tickled the twine on four occasions against Saint Francis (PA) on Sept. 6, 1997.
The Midnight Blue & Gold wasted little time in setting the tone of this evening's matchup with a score after just 16 seconds had elapsed off the clock. Senior Ana Reynolds stole the Purple Eagles' (0-3-0) opening pass and hit a streaking Lynn down the middle of the pitch. The Strongsville, OH native then beat a pair of NU defenders and blasted a low shot that found the back of the net.
The Rockets doubled their advantage on Lynn's second tally at 9:00. The play was started on a nice combination pass from Reynolds to MacLeod on the right side. The 2010 MAC Freshman of the Year then beat her player to the NU end line and crossed the ball into the middle of the goal area to Lynn, who perfectly volleyed it home.
Toledo was still not done in the attack, and Lynn picked up the "hat trick" at the 17:56 mark in the opening stanza. Sophomore Nicole Gyurgyik got the ball rolling in the right direction with a crisp pass to senior Blair Sorg in the middle of the field. Sorg then advanced the sphere to Lynn behind the last line of the Purple Eagles defense, and the 2010 first-team all-league forward perfectly placed a shot inside the far post for the score.
UT kept its foot on the accelerator and registered one more tally off the foot of MacLeod before the intermission at 33:19. Freshman Rio James played a ball down the left side to junior Rachael Kravitz, who then chipped it into the middle of the Niagara goal area to a wide open MacLeod on the doorstep. The second-year Rocket promptly headed it into the back of the frame for her first tally of the fall.
In the second half, Lynn put herself in elite company in the UT record book when she scored her fourth goal of the match at 53:19. MacLeod fed a pass into the middle of the NU goal box to Gyurgyik, who had her back to the end line. The second-year forward then played the sphere back to Lynn at the top of the goal area, and she ripped a shot from approximately 18-yards out into the net.
Niagara fought to the bitter end and broke up the shutout on a goal by Catherine Meyer at 64:43. The Rockets did not help their own cause on the play and were unable to clear the ball out of danger deep in their own territory. The visitors took advantage of the opportunity and Adriana Gallo found Meyer open on the left side. Meyer noticed UT senior goalie Vicki Traven was off her line and chipped a shot over her head and inside the far post.
The Purple Eagles continued to claw and fight an uphill battle until the final whistle and were able to muster one more goal by Jamie Raepple at 78:20. Teammate Gallo found Raepple open deep in the UT goal box, and she made a quick move to elude UT redshirt freshman goalie Kelsey Borowitz and bodied the ball into the goal.
Toledo finished the non-conference tilt with a decisive 19-5 advantage in shots and an 8-0 edge in corner kicks.
The Rockets return to action next Friday, Sept. 9 when they compete in the Red Raider Classic in Lubbock, TX against future Big East foe TCU and host Big 12 member Texas Tech on Sunday, Sept. 11. The opening whistle against the Horned Frogs is slated for 5:00 p.m. (CT) from the John Walker Soccer Complex.
TOLEDO 5, Niagara 2
UT: K. Lynn (A. Reynolds), 0:16
UT: K. Lynn (A. Reynolds, R. MacLeod), 9:00
UT: K. Lynn (N. Gyurgyik, B. Sorg), 17:56
UT: R. MacLeod (R. James, R. Kravitz), 33:19
UT: K. Lynn (R. MacLeod, N. Gyurgyik), 53:19
NU: C. Meyer (A. Gallo), 64: 43
NU: J. Raepple (A. Gallo), 78:20
SHOTS: UT 19, NU 5
CORNER KICKS: UT 8, NU 0
SAVES: UT 1, NU 5
FOULS: UT 5, NU 7
