Toledo shuts down women’s soccer

The 3-0 loss for the Huskies brings their losing streak to four games

Then-senior+defender+Jenna+Lewey+%285%29+dribbles+the+ball+while+playing+against+the+Toledo+Rockets+on+Sept.+23%2C+2021.

Khavon Thomas

Then-senior defender Jenna Lewey (5) dribbles the ball while playing against the Toledo Rockets on Sept. 23, 2021.

By Davione Barrow, Sports Reporter

DeKALB — The University of Toledo Rockets defeated the Huskies in 3-0 Thursday, giving the Huskies their fourth consecutive loss of the season. 

Rockets junior forward Stephanie Currie scored a goal in the second minute of the match to give the Rockets an early lead over the Huskies.   

From the opening whistle, the Rockets were energetic and played hard from beginning to end. 

“We can’t afford to come into games not fighting from the very first whistle, at a bare minimum we have to bring the fight,” head coach Julie Colhoff said. 

NIU was able to get into the box often in the first half but was unable to get any shots in the net. The Huskies were also able to share the ball and find open teammates in space. 

However, Toledo was aggressive on both sides of the ball. Toldeo often read many passing lanes by NIU, leading to open opportunities in the box for scoring chances. 

Senior goalkeeper Sadie McGill made a lot of big saves for the Huskies, not allowing anymore goals in the first half for the Rockets after their early goal from Currie. 

Sophomore midfielder Abby Zispe set the tone defensively for the Huskies, interrupting a lot of pass attempts from the Rockets.. 

By the end of the first half, the Rockets had a total of 10 shots with seven  on goal. The Huskies only had two shots in the first half, despite them making numerous efforts in getting to the box. 

The Huskies came out a lot more aggressive in the second half, but Toledo’s defensive intensity remained to be a real problem for the Huskies in the second half. 

In the 60th minute of the game, graduate student forward Haley Hoppe went down with an injury and Toledo capitalized off of her departure. 

Two minutes later, freshmen midfielder Olivia Dault scored for the Rockets to give them a 2-0 lead over the Huskies. Hoppe returned back in the contest right after the goal. 

Even with Hoppe back in the contest, the damage had already been done for the Huskies with the Rockets furthering their attack. 

Toledo sent multiple defenders at Huskie players every time they retrieved the ball, creating turnovers that led to scoring opportunities. 

In the 81st minute of the game, sophomore forward Caylee Jozefov scored from an assist by Dault, giving the Rockets a 3-0 lead over the Huskies. 

The Rockets communicated amongst one another frequently and well throughout the match, which translated to them being in sync and locked in from start to finish. 

The Huskies next game is at noon Sunday in Bowling Green, Ohio against the Bowling Green State University Falcons.