Penalty kicks send Rockets to
next round of MAC tourney
YPSILANTI, Mich. — It took 120 minutes and five penalty kicks
but the No. 6 seed Toledo Rockets captured a thrilling victory
over the No. 3 seed Eastern Michigan Eagles on Sunday.
With ice water colder than the frigid air in her veins, junior
forward Rachel MacLeod slammed home the game winning shot in
the fifth round of penalty kicks.
“I just kept telling myself ‘you got this’,” MacLeod said.
“Just try to stay calm; you’ve done this so many times in
practice. It’s not a big deal.”
“It hasn’t been easy but this is probably the most cohesive we
have been all year,” said UT head coach Brad Evans. “This team
really needed something like this. I’m really proud of the
kids, they did a great job today.”
The Rockets (8-11-1, 5-5-1 MAC) opened up the scoring in the
10th minute when senior midfielder Kristen Mattei scored off
an assist from MacLeod.
Eastern Michigan (11-7-1, 8-3-0 MAC) responded in the 36th
minute when Stephanie Clarke redirected a pass with a header
into the back of the net.
The second half saw no score for either team, leaving the game
tied 1-1, but UT dominated with 11 shots to the Eagles four.
Toledo’s offensive pressure did not result in a goal, but kept
the Eagles on their heels, forcing goalkeeper Jenna O’Dell to
make four saves.
UT kept the same game plan in the first round of overtime, out
shooting Eastern Michigan 5-0. The Rockets had opportunities
to take the lead, including a near goal from freshman Angelica
Hernandez.
Still tied after the first overtime, the teams switched sides
and started double OT.
With the wind now at their backs, EMU saw a golden opportunity
to score. Forward Angela Vultaggio managed to work behind the
entire defensive line and found herself one-on-one with
freshman goalie Sam Tiongson. Tiongson held her ground and
Vultaggio sailed her shot over the goal and behind the net.
“I thought Sam did a good job because I thought she was going
to come out and then she back peddled and held her ground and
waited patiently, which is a tough thing for a goalkeeper to
do,” Evans said. “I thought she made herself big enough and
put it on the player.”
With the score still tied at one, the teams entered a
shootout.
Sophomore goalie Kelsey Borowitz stepped in between the posts
for penalty kicks but was unsuccessful at stopping EMU’s
Stephanie Clarke who put her shot in the lower left corner of
the net. Senior Natalia Gaitan kicked first for UT but had her
shot toward the lower left corner blocked by O’Dell.
In the second round, the Eagles’ Molli Krick’s shot sailed
wide left but Mattei was able to convert her attempt to equal
the score at 1-1.
Both teams were unsuccessful in rounds three and four, as
EMU’s Bianca Rossi’s shot was blocked by Borowitz, and UT
senior Megan Blake hit the right crossbar. The Eagles’ Marisa
Kozikowski’s shot hit the right post and Toledo sophomore
Alexis Tice had her shot at the right corner blocked by
O’Dell.
In the fifth and final round, the Eagles’ Cara Cutaia aimed
for the upper right corner, but went wide of the net setting
the stage for MacLeod’s match-winning kick.
“These are the moments that make Rachel who she is,” Evans
said. “That’s why we put her at number five because she was
going to be ready to take that kick and she was going to want
that moment.”
It turned out to be a pretty big deal. While the regular
season wasn’t exactly impressive, the Rockets are peaking at
the right time. They are the lowest seeded team still in the
tournament and Evans knows this is the time to step up.
“What we talk about all year is the conference tournament,”
Evans said. “The regular season is important too but it is not
as important as the conference tournament is to us.”
Toledo finished with an impressive 25-14 edge in kicks, as
well as a 7-4 edge in corner kicks. Tiongson was between the
posts for the first 110 minutes, recording 4 saves before
Borowitz came in to help the Rockets in the shootout.
UT will face the No. 2 seed Central Michigan on Friday.