TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo Rockets women's soccer team will begin its home slate of contests for the 2021 season this week, playing the home opener against Detroit Mercy on Thursday at 7 p.m. and hosting Senior Day on Sunday against Dayton at 1 p.m.

The Rockets enter the week after beginning the season 0-0-2 following a pair of draws at Purdue Fort Wayne (0-0)  and at Cincinnati (1-1).

Taking on the Titans
Detroit Mercy kicked off the 2021 season with two losses last week. The Titans first faced Michigan State, falling in a 4-0 final. From there, they played to a 5-1 final at Western Michigan. The lone goal for the Titans in the game came from senior Julie Ann Piechocki just before the end of the first half with an assist from freshman Sophia Butkovich. The match against Toledo will be Detroit's third straight road match to begin the season before the Titans return home on Sunday. 

Facing the Flyers 
The Rockets will be Dayton's third MAC opponent of the season with all three games coming on the road. The Flyers began the season at Akron with a 2-0 victory before topping Kent State in a 5-0 final. Of the seven Dayton goals over the first two games of the season, Marlee Taylor has netted four. Before coming to Toledo, Dayton will face Northern Kentucky on Thursday. 

Cassel Seeking New Career-High 
Senior Ashton Cassel continued a streak of scoring a goal in each of her four seasons with her goal against Cincinnati on Sunday. Now in her fourth season, Cassel has a total of four goals with Toledo, tallying one each season with the team. 

Standing Strong 
Serving as Toledo's goalkeeper for the first two matches of the season, sophomore Emma Boutorwick allowed just one goal over 220 minutes of action. Boutorwick tallied four saves in each contest. In the first game, she was able to record her first shutout of the season and the second of her career. She nearly did the same against Cincinnati, allowing just one goal in the second half. She has a 0.41 goals-against average through the first two games of the season.

Freshman Quartet Making Impact 
Freshmen McKenna Schultz, Sissy Novak, Olivia Dault and Mia Leonetti all played over 140 minutes between the first two games combined, with all four starting against Cincinnati. 

Follow the Rockets
Be sure to follow the Rockets soccer team on social media
Twitter - @ToledoRockets and @ToledoSoccer
Instagram - 'utrockets' and 'toledosoccer'
Facebook - 'Toledo Rockets' and 'Toledo Soccer'