TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo women's soccer team opens its 2021 spring season with a pair of contests this week. The Rockets will begin the week traveling to Muncie, Ind. to face Ball State on Thursday, March 4 before returning to the Glass City on Sunday, March 7 to host Northern Illinois. Streaming for both contests will be available on ESPN+.
 
Thursday, Mar. 4
at Ball State, 4:00 p.m. | Live Stats
 
Sunday, Mar. 7
vs. Northern Illinois, 1:00 p.m. | Live Stats
 
QUOTING COACH BUCHHOLZ
"We are excited to finally get the chance to play this school year. It has been a long layoff from playing for our team and we are ready to finally start competing again. We have two very tough tests this week against Ball State and NIU. Ball State has had tremendous success the past couple of seasons and will be a difficult first challenge on the road. NIU is in the process of building a strong program and should be a great test for our players at home on Sunday."
 
ABOUT TOLEDO
The Rockets will look for 2019 MAC All-Freshman Team member Stephanie Currie to lead them in the attacking third. She was Toledo's top scorer last season with six goals in 19 contests and will be looking to continue that success. UT will also return junior Anita Mancini, who ranked second on the team with four goals and 11 points. Senior Sophia Lewis is also back after topping the team a year ago with six assists.
 
Senior Claire Cahalan and junior Ashton Cassell are expected to lead the Rockets' midfielders. Buchholz expects junior Lexa Bauer to lead Toledo's back line. She missed the team's first seven contests and helped the Rockets win four of their last seven games.
 
SCOUTING BALL STATE
Ball State posted a 15-5-0 overall record last year and finished second in conference play with a 9-2-0 mark. Junior first-team All-MAC selection Nicky Potts returns for the Cardinals after scoring a team-high nine goals. Ball State was the only team in the MAC to allow less than one goal per game (0.85) and topped the conference with an .835 save percentage.
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Huskies will host Western Michigan on Thursday afternoon before meeting the Rockets. NIU posted a 2-14-2 overall record and was 0-10-1 in league play. Senior Haley Hoppe scored the Huskies' lone goal in a 4-1 exhibition loss to Marquette.
 
ROCKETS VS. CARDINALS
The Rockets handed Ball State one of its two league defeats last year with a 1-0 victory at Hotmer Field on Oct. 18, 2019. Anita Mancini netted the game's lone goal in the 58^th minute and Toledo limited the Cardinals to just two shots on goal.
 
Ball State leads the all-time series between the two schools by an 11-9-2 margin. The Rockets are 2-1-1 in the last four matchups, including a 2-1 (OT) win in the 2017 MAC Tournament semifinals.
 
ROCKETS VS. HUSKIES
Brooke Stonehouse's penalty kick in the 74^th minute gave the Rockets a 1-0 triumph over the Huskies on Oct. 27, 2019 in DeKalb, Ill. Toledo registered an 11-5 shot advantage with five shots on goal.
 
Toledo holds a 16-7-2 advantage vs. NIU and has won its last four meetings vs. the Huskies.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Rockets will remain home next week to face Central Michigan on Friday, March 12 before heading to Ypsilanti, Mich. to take on Eastern Michigan on Thursday, March 18.