Senior tri-captain Rachael Kravitz had a team-high two shots at Purdue on Friday.
Courtesy: Toledo Athletics
Toledo Suffers Season-Opening Setback at Big Ten Member Purdue, 2-0
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - Toledo (0-1-0) allowed a pair of second-half tallies within a span of one minute and suffered a 2-0 season-opening setback at Purdue (1-0-0) on Friday under the lights at the Varsity Soccer Complex. With the loss, UT is now 11-5-2 all-time in season-opening matches in program history, including 7-3-2 under 12th-year Head Coach Brad Evans.
"Obviously, I'm very disappointed with the result as I thought we played well for large stretches of the match, but it wasn't good enough and when we faced some adversity, we didn't respond effectively," Evans said. "I like this team a lot, but we've got some work to do to get better."
Following a scoreless first stanza, the Boilermakers found the back of the net in both the 58th and 59th minutes to win back-to-back season-opening contests against the Rockets. Last fall, Purdue escaped the Glass City with a 1-0 triumph on a second-half tally.
PU cracked the scoring column when Alex Hairston tickled the twine after a left-to-right cross from Jordan Pawlik at 57:13. Hairston was also credited with the match-winning goal in last year's triumph over UT.
Only 48 seconds later, Purdue's Pawlik successfully connected a lead pass to Hadley Stuart in the 18-yard box that led to a shot inside the right post to set the final difference at 2-0.
UT's best chance to score came in the 12th minute when junior Rachel MacLeod was one-on-one with Purdue's Clara Kridler, but the Boilers' goalkeeper make a fine diving stop near the right post.
The Rockets also had a quality opportunity to silence the crowd of over 1,000 fans in the 35th minute when sophomore Rio James attempted to flick in a corner kick, but PU's Kridler was again quick to react and prevented a goal.
Purdue finished the season-opening match with a slight 8-6 edge in shots and a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks. Senior Rachael Kravitz paced UT with two shots, while Pawlik registered a team-high two shots for the victors.
"We were able to piece some good things together tonight and we had our chances on goal," said Kravitz, who has started 40 consecutive contests. "However, we have to make those chances count. Our transitioning in our next match will be important. We will take this match and learn from it as we continue to get better."
Between the posts, sophomore Kelsey Borowitz went the distance and did not record a save in a loss.
The Rockets return to the pitch on Sunday, Aug. 17 when they host Ohio Valley Conference member Belmont at Scott Park. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and will be carried live on the Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN). UT has compiled an impressive 56-11-7 (.804) record at the corner of Hill Ave. and Parkside Blvd. since the start of the 2005 campaign, including a 9-2-2 (.769) ledger last fall.
Sunday's match has also been tabbed as "Welcome Back Students." All UT students are encouraged to wear gold to the home opener and participate in a raffle to receive free gear from the Rocket Shop.
Purdue 2, TOLEDO 0
PU: A. Hairston (J. Pawlik, E. Lancaster), 57:13
PU: H. Stuart (J. Pawlik), 58:01
"Obviously, I'm very disappointed with the result as I thought we played well for large stretches of the match, but it wasn't good enough and when we faced some adversity, we didn't respond effectively," Evans said. "I like this team a lot, but we've got some work to do to get better."
Following a scoreless first stanza, the Boilermakers found the back of the net in both the 58th and 59th minutes to win back-to-back season-opening contests against the Rockets. Last fall, Purdue escaped the Glass City with a 1-0 triumph on a second-half tally.
PU cracked the scoring column when Alex Hairston tickled the twine after a left-to-right cross from Jordan Pawlik at 57:13. Hairston was also credited with the match-winning goal in last year's triumph over UT.
Only 48 seconds later, Purdue's Pawlik successfully connected a lead pass to Hadley Stuart in the 18-yard box that led to a shot inside the right post to set the final difference at 2-0.
UT's best chance to score came in the 12th minute when junior Rachel MacLeod was one-on-one with Purdue's Clara Kridler, but the Boilers' goalkeeper make a fine diving stop near the right post.
The Rockets also had a quality opportunity to silence the crowd of over 1,000 fans in the 35th minute when sophomore Rio James attempted to flick in a corner kick, but PU's Kridler was again quick to react and prevented a goal.
Purdue finished the season-opening match with a slight 8-6 edge in shots and a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks. Senior Rachael Kravitz paced UT with two shots, while Pawlik registered a team-high two shots for the victors.
"We were able to piece some good things together tonight and we had our chances on goal," said Kravitz, who has started 40 consecutive contests. "However, we have to make those chances count. Our transitioning in our next match will be important. We will take this match and learn from it as we continue to get better."
Between the posts, sophomore Kelsey Borowitz went the distance and did not record a save in a loss.
The Rockets return to the pitch on Sunday, Aug. 17 when they host Ohio Valley Conference member Belmont at Scott Park. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and will be carried live on the Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN). UT has compiled an impressive 56-11-7 (.804) record at the corner of Hill Ave. and Parkside Blvd. since the start of the 2005 campaign, including a 9-2-2 (.769) ledger last fall.
Sunday's match has also been tabbed as "Welcome Back Students." All UT students are encouraged to wear gold to the home opener and participate in a raffle to receive free gear from the Rocket Shop.
Purdue 2, TOLEDO 0
PU: A. Hairston (J. Pawlik, E. Lancaster), 57:13
PU: H. Stuart (J. Pawlik), 58:01
SHOTS: UT 6, PU 8
CORNER KICKS: UT 1, PU 3
SAVES: UT 0, PU 2
FOULS: UT 9, PU 8
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