After winning against Ball State Friday, the Eastern Michigan University soccer team lost to the visiting Toledo Rockets 2-1 on Sunday. The loss gives EMU an unfavorable chance of getting into Mid-American Conference tournament.
Beating Ball State gave EMU its third win out of its last four. Bianca Rossi scored two goals and Stephanie Clarke scored her first goal of the season in the 5-1 victory over the Cardinals.
Eastern Michigan (3-12-2, 3-6-1 MAC) needed to win its remaining games to take the eighth seed going into the postseason.
Toledo (10-6-2, 8-1-1 MAC) entered the game in first place in the MAC.
Before the game got started, EMU honored its five senior players Chelsea Detrick, Julie Kain, Amanda and Katie Marsh and Maggie Manville.
The game started and remained scoreless throughout the first half. Toledo got eight shots on goal while EMU had six.
Three minutes into the final half, forward Nicole Gyurgyik scored to put Toledo up 1-0. Ana Reynolds scored her first goal of the season seven minutes later from a scramble in front of the net to give Toledo a 2-0 lead.
EMU remained aggressive on defense and tried to apply pressure.
In the 81st minute, Angela Vultaggio scored with help from Detrick to put EMU on the scoreboard. EMU would not get that game-tying goal. Coach Scott Hall recognizes the tough competition brought on by Toledo.
“Toledo has been the team that has finished at the top the last four years,” Hall said. “We go toe to toe with them, and all our freshman get to see them compete and see what the standard is.”
The last home game of the regular season for the Eagles will take place at 3 p.m. Thursday at Scicluna Field.
Quotes from the Seniors:
How do you look back on your career at EMU?
Any last words of advice for everyone else on the team?
“Big games like Toledo show how high the emotions get and how hard everyone has to work in
order to be successful in the MAC so go hard.”
— Maggie Manville
