TOLEDO, OH – First-year head coach TJ Buchholz and the Rockets kick off the 2015 season with matches at Detroit on Friday at 3:00 p.m. and nationally ranked Notre Dame on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Friday's game against Detroit will be shown live on ESPN3, while Sunday's game at Notre Dame can be seen online at UND.com. Buchholz is ready to take the field for the first time. 

"We are excited to play someone beside ourselves," Buchholz said. "This is a great group of student-athletes and I am very excited about the upcoming season."

Junior Lauren Taylor and the forwards look to provide a spark on the offensive end that was lacking at times during the 2014 season. The team has used training camp to improve, and the squad is ready to get back on the pitch. The Rockets worked the entire off-season to get to this point.

"We've been working all spring and summer to prepare for the season," Taylor said. "Now that it's game week, the team is elated to start the season. It's been a long couple of months and our team is ready to get out on the field and play a real game again."

Toledo will have its hands full during the first two games of the season, but is up for the challenge.

Detroit finished 9-9-1 last fall, and reached the Horizon League Championship contest.  The Titans have played two exhibition games this year, defeating Rochester College 3-0 and losing to Michigan State 4-0.  ­Detroit saw four different goal scorers,  Suzie Redick, Alyssa Lotito, Jennifer Borawski and Paige Roberts all net markers against The Warriors.

The Titans are a familiar non-conference foe for the Rockets. Friday will mark the 10th meeting between the two squads.  UT is 4-5 all-time against Detroit. The first match between the two programs also brought the first overtime match in Toledo history.
Notre Dame begins the season ranked No. 9 in the country. The Fighting Irish took a 4-0 victory over Iowa State and a 6-0 win over Illinois in two preseason matches.  The 2010 National Champions placed two players, Katie Naughton and Cari Roccaro, on the preseason All-ACC squad.  The ACC is one of the best conferences in the nation featuring the top two ranked teams in the nation, Virginia and North Carolina.

UT is 0-2 against Notre Dame, including a 5-2 loss to the Fighting Irish in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.  

"We look to give every opponent a competitive game, just like they try to give us a game, no matter what team we are facing that day," Buchholz said.

The Rockets second weekend in action includes another nationally ranked opponent.  UT heads south to take on Xavier on Aug. 28 at 5:00 p.m., and then heads to Lexington to take on No. 10 Kentucky on Aug. 30 at 6:00 p.m.