With the 2012 NFL Draft taking place tonight, the IC Sports staff has combined its NFL knowledge to produce our fourth annual mock draft.
The draft choices were picked by a consensus from Managing Editor Nate Pentecost, Sports Editor Jay Skebba and IC Sports contributor Nick Delwiche.
To keep the mock as accurate as possible, we have not included possible trades we believe could take place. So even if it is likely that the Vikings at No. 3 or Jaguars at No. 7 may wish to trade down, we have kept each team locked into their original draft position.
Picking a mock draft is nearly impossible, especially with the smokescreens that each team puts out before the draft begins. Then there’s the thought process that each team goes through. Even if 31 teams don’t see someone as first-round talent, it takes just one to make that selection. This is our best guess of how tonight’s draft will play out.
When Eric Page made the decision in January to bypass his senior season, the Rockets all-time leading receiver seemed like a lock to be chosen in the 2012 NFL Draft. Page, however, is not the only Rocket hoping to hear his name called.
The multi-talented Page (WR/KR/PR) said he was projected to be nabbed as a mid-round pick after declaring before turning in a disappointing performance at the NFL Combine.
Scouts then showed up to watch Page on UT’s Pro Day, though his only major drill was the 40-yard dash as he tried to improve upon his combine time of 4.6 seconds. Page trimmed his 40 time to 4.49 seconds, but the story of the day may have been his teammates Mike VanDerMeulen, Desmond Marrow and Adonis Thomas emerging as draft darkhorses.
After sweeping Northern Illinois on the road last weekend, the Rockets lost 3-1 to Northwestern Ohio yesterday afternoon.
Toledo (20-21, 9-6 Mid-American Conference) struggled offensively, leaving eight runners on base and scoring only one run on nine hits.
Junior third baseman Wes White paced UT, going 3 for 4 marking his fourth straight multi-hit game. Senior designated hitter Matt Delewski added two hits and freshman Dan Zuchowski brought in the Rockets only RBI.
The Rockets relied on quality pitching, solid defense and clutch hitting to get the sweep this weekend against Northern Illinois.
“We had great pitching performances, we played very good defense and we were able to score some runs,” said UT head coach Cory Mee. “I’m really pleased with the way we played this weekend.”
The Rockets dropped a close one in Scott Park yesterday, falling to Wright State University 5-4.
Toledo (17-20, 6-6 Mid-American Conference) brought the game to extra innings but failed to respond to the Raiders in the 10th.
Wright State struck first in the third inning after junior starting pitcher Jared Locke balked a runner home with the bases loaded. Another Rocket mistake, this time a fielding error, allowed two more runs to score. The Raiders scored again on an RBI single before Locke finally stopped the bleeding.
Toledo point guard Naama Shafir has been granted a medical hardship waiver by the Mid-American Conference.
The Israeli native will return to the Rockets for 2012-13 campaign and will have one season of competition remaining before her five-year eligibility limit runs up.
Seniors Courtney Ingersoll and Haylie Linn were announced as members of the 2012 Mid-American Conference All-Academic team this week.
“I’m extremely proud,” said UT head coach Tricia Cullop. “They are extremely dedicated individuals, both on and off the court. They represent our program with class.”
The Rockets spring practices culminated in the annual Blue and Gold spring game Friday night at the Glass Bowl.
The Blue Team knocked off the Gold Team 21-13 but the story of the night was the emergence of Dwight Macon and continued progress of Bernard Reedy at wide receiver.
The Rockets hosted Western Michigan over the weekend, taking two of three games in the series. Toledo(17-19, 6-6 MAC) won the first game on Friday 7-4, producing runs early and playing solid defense. Freshman shortstop Nate Langhals had a career-high four hits.
Head coach Tod Kowalczyk welcomed three new Rockets to his program Wednesday when they signed their National Letters of Intent.
Point guard Josh Lemons from La Salle High School in Cincinnati, power forward Aubrey Williams of IMG Academy of Bradenton, Fla. and center Nathan Boothe from Warren in Gurnee, Ill. will continue their basketball careers at Toledo.
The Toledo Rockets are ready to put spring practice in the rear-view mirror as they return to the playing field for the annual spring game at the Glass Bowl Friday.
Players will have one last opportunity to impress the coaching staff before they return to practice in August.
The Toledo lacrosse program is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an eventful alumni weekend.
“We want our alumni and everyone in Toledo to realize that UT lacrosse has been around for 40 years and we are not going away,” said head coach Mike McComish. “We want to build this team up so that high school kids will want to come to UT and hopefully play for us in the future.”
The festivities will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Glass Bowl with an alumni game featuring players from years past on each team. Current players will be refereeing the contest, which is free to attend.
The Rockets extended their winning streak to three games with a 6-2 victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor last night. The win at Ray Fisher Stadium marks the second time in as many seasons that Toledo has come away with a win over the Wolverines.
“It was a really good win for us,” said UT head coach Corey Mee. “I thought our guys played very well. Our formula for success has been to pitch, play defense and hit in the clutch and we did all three of those things tonight.”
The playoff beards have started to fill in on the faces of the Detroit Red Wings as they began their 21st consecutive postseason last night against the Nashville Predators in Tennessee.
The last time the 11-time champions missed out on the chase for Lord Stanley’s Cup was 1990.
George H. W. Bush was President, Tommy Page had the number one song in America, and all you needed for a gallon of gas was $1.16.
The Rockets traveled to Oxford this weekend where they dropped two of three to the Miami RedHawks. Toledo (12-14, 3-3 MAC) won the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader 7-6, which was suspended in the fourth inning Friday due to lightning. Freshman third basemen Anthony Smith had a career-high four hits to lead the Rockets.
Early matchups against Arizona, Bowling Green set tone for challenging season
The reigning Mid-American Conference West Co-Champion Rockets announced their 2012 football schedule late last week. In its first whole season under the direction of head coach Matt Campbell, Toledo will be looking to build off that success with another challenging schedule.
One would be hard pressed to find a better feel-good story through the first four months of last season than that which unfolded in Cleveland.
But while postseason hopes lasted longer than usual, they ultimately faded to a familiar bitter despair as the playoff picture took shape.
The Tribe took first place in the AL Central by force early in 2011, opening the season with a 14-2 tear at home and a 30-15 record through May 23
UT Rockets announced the 2012 football schedule today.
The home opener will be Sept. 15 when the Rockets host arch-rival Bowling Green.
UT has three nationally televised games at the end of the season against Ball State, Northern Illinois and Akron.
After starting the 2012 campaign 2-0 the Toledo baseball team won just five of their next 16 games in a stretch that included a six-game losing streak. Needless to say, it wasn’t the start anticipated for a program who has made three-straight trips to the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Although her season maybe over, senior guard Courtney Ingersoll still has one chance at a shining moment before her career at the University of Toledo comes to an end. The sharpshooter from three-point land will represent the Rockets in the State Farm Three-Point Championship tonight at Tulane University inside the Fogelman Arena.
When designated hitter Victor Martinez tore his ACL working out in January, Detroit Tigers fans were wondering how their team would replace a .330 batting average and 103 runs batted in. Less than 10 days later, they got their answer. Prince Fielder inked a 9-year, $214 million deal after spending the first seven years of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Monday the Lady Rockets disposed of Cincinnati (16-16) in a 72-51 blowout that was propelled by a career night from senior guard Courtney Ingersoll. Virginia Commonwealth’s first two games of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament suggest that tonight’s showdown will be considerably closer.
Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, senior CF Ben Hammer delivered a shot to the left field wall to score the game winning run for the Rockets yesterday afternoon. Toledo opened the ninth inning with a one out walk from freshman Dan Zuchowski followed by a single by senior Matt Delewski to put runners on first and third.
The University of Toledo’s softball team split a doubleheader with Horizon League foe Wright State yesterday afternoon. UT topped the Raiders 5-2 in the first game before falling 5-4 in the second. Freshman Casi Rohr picked up the win for the Rockets, going all seven inning and allowing two earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks.
At the conclusion of their first spring practice of the year, the Toledo Rockets broke the huddle yelling, “MAC champs” in unison. The Mid-American Conference title game is about nine months away, but the goal for the 2012 season is crystal clear. “Our program goals, year in, year out, are to win a MAC championship, get to a bowl game, win a bowl game,” said UT head coach Matt Campbell.
Toledo advanced to the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament with a 76-63 win over Southland Conference opponent McNeese State Tuesday night at Savage Arena. “We just love playing basketball,” said UT freshman point guard Juice Brown. “Yes, we want to continue to play but we’re also trying to get better each and every day, so that’s fun as well.
After dropping a game the Rockets felt they should have won on Wednesday, they knew they had to respond with a victory in the regular season finale. Sophomore Rian Pearson and junior Curtis Dennis made sure to avoid another letdown. UT blew out Eastern Michigan 76-51 in the team's last game before the Mid-American Conference Tournament, which begins next week.
Riding a hot four game win streak into DeKalb, Ill. to face the lowly 3-24 Huskies should have been a quick and meaningless trip. Especially with a showdown for the Mid-American Conference West Division against Eastern Michigan on the horizon...ever heard of a trap game? The young Toledo squad learned of such a game last night as they fell to Northern Illinois, 65-61.
The Rockets wrapped up their 2011-12 campaign with a clutch, 70-65, victory in Muncie, Ind. over the Ball State Cardinals. "Sometimes when you're on the road you can have a crazy start," said UT head coach Tricia Cullop. "You have to stay bubbled in and stay focused and our players did that.
When freshman point guard Julius "Juice" Brown brought home this week's Mid-American Conference Player of the Week award, it marked the fifth straight week a Rocket was honored. Sophomore guard Rian Pearson received the award three straight weeks from Jan.
He was declared not guilty but is he innocent?
"I am innocent and the truth is on our side," proclaimed Ryan Braun after his 50-game suspension for performance enhancing drug use was lifted. Yes, many truths have been revealed in the wake of baseball's most recent scandal, but the reigning NL MVP's statement is void of any.
The Rockets hung on to pick up an 83-74 win Saturday night despite a late push by Western Michigan. With the victory Toledo moves into a second-place tie with the Broncos in the Mid-American Conference West Division. Both teams shot nearly 50 percent from the field but UT outshot the road team 47.
Julius "Juice" Brown fueled the Rockets 72-67 win over Central Michigan last night at Savage Arena with 29 points, knocking down 10 of his 11 shots from the field. "He is playing as good as any point guard in our league," said UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk.
Toledo's loss Tuesday night was surely not the result of a lack of motivation. With first place in the division on the line, and a chance to avenge themselves against the last team to hand them a loss, the Rockets match-up with Eastern Michigan was likely the most meaningful of the season.
The sports world is currently suffering from a bout of "Lin-sanity." The rapidly spreading fever is a result of New York Knicks' point guard Jeremy Lin's rapidly rising success. Known symptoms include amazement, incredulity, speaking in puns and in a handful of severe cases, racial insensitivity.
After an exhilarating comeback win over Bowling Green last Saturday, the Rockets avoided a letdown with a tremendous offensive output last night in Mount Pleasant. The 80-62 blowout win over Central Michigan (13-13, 5-7 Mid-American Conference) extends Toledo's winning streak to a season-high nine games.
The Rockets pulled to within one game of the Mid-American Conference West Division lead after a hard fought 63-50 road win over Ball State last night. Toledo was led by junior forward Curtis Dennis as he hit 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and added a few free throws to notch 17 points .
Toledo has been picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference West Division by the leagues annual preseason head coaches poll. The Rockets received 45 points and trailed only Central Michigan who scored 59 points in the vote. The Rockets return a dugout full of talent this season starting at the mound with senior RHP Matt Kuna and junior RHP Mike Hamann.
Turning the ball over and giving up second chance points are two of the easiest ways to lose a basketball game. The Toledo men's team found that out the hard way on Saturday afternoon when they lost a double digit lead in the second half to drop a tough one to rival Bowling Green, 66-63.
The two hottest teams in the MAC will square off on Saturday when the Toledo Lady Rockets put their seven-game winning streak on the line against I-75 rival Bowling Green. UT has played their best basketball of the season lately, with five of those seven wins coming by double digits to improve to 15-7 (8-2 Mid-American Conference) on the year.
Toledo sophomore Matt Smith stood at the free throw line with 1.4 seconds left on the clock with his team up by two points and drilled both of the freebies to ice the comeback, upset victory over Ohio, 77-73. Smith's two key free throws gave him 18 points to go along with his six rebounds and two blocks.
It is nothing short of astounding how drastically the questions hovering above Eli Manning have changed during the course of his career. After his rookie season in 2004, a year which included an unheard of 0.0 passer rating against the Ravens (he finished with a 55.
The Rockets used a hot hand from Courtney Ingersoll to beat the Akron Zips 71-60 at Savage Arena last night. Ingersoll led the team with 23 points to seal their 11th straight victory over a team from the Mid-American Conference East Divison. "Courtney Ingersoll was the hero of the day," UT head coach Tricia Cullop said.
First year head coach Matt Campbell has picked up right where the Rockets left off in the recruiting world of college football. Campbell and his staff have pieced together the second best recruiting class in the Mid-American Conference and the 61st best class in the nation according to Rivals.
The leaders of the Mid-American Conference East Division proved too much for the Rockets, who fell 86-72 at Akron Wednesday night. Toledo shot nearly 50 percent (28-of-59) from the field but could not stymie a Zips offense which shot nearly as well just from behind the arc (8-19) and drained 60 percent (30-of-50) of their shots from the field.
He is not the Manning we have grown accustom to watching light up the dome in Indianapolis. And by now it is more than evident he will never be the caliber quarterback of his big brother. But there is no longer any denying that Eli is very, very good.
The Rockets women's basketball team drowned Miami with seven three pointers and 51 points in the second half to knock off the 15-5 (5-2 Mid-American Conference) RedHawks 79-66. Toledo shot 54 percent from the floor (32-of-59) including 55 percent (11-for-20) from beyond the arc.
Since joining the Rockets staff in 2009, Toledo's Matt Campbell has built himself a reputation as one of the premiere recruiters in the country. Campbell was the architect of the Mid-American Conference's top ranked recruiting class last year and he'll be looking to make another big splash come national signing day, which is Wednesday.
UT men's basketball claimed their first Mid-American Conference road win since January 2008 with a 63-61 win over Miami (OH) last night. The victory also snaps a four-game losing streak to the Redhawks and marks the first time since the 1999-2000 season that Toledo has won in Oxford.
The Lady Rockets have been playing without senior guard Naama Shafir all season due to a season ending injury. The last thing they needed was junior Lecretia Smith to be sidelined, as was the case Thursday night. However, Toledo (10-7, 3-2) didn't miss a beat as they knocked off the visiting Ball State Cardinals, 63-48.
The Rockets buried Northern Illinois early at Savage Arena last night. Toledo capitalized on a 15-5 run in the first half en route to the 71-41 victory over the Huskies. Junior forward Curtis Dennis led the Rockets with 18 points, 6-of-10 from the field, off the bench.
When the Lady Rockets take the court at Savage Arena tonight they will be looking for their first set of back-to-back wins since knocking off Iona (Dec. 1) and Colorado State (Dec. 4) over a month ago. Needless to say, it has not been the season UT head coach Tricia Cullop and her squad envisioned for themselves after capturing the regular season Mid-American Conference crown and the WNIT championship in their 2010-11 campaign.
Before the Rockets flight to Washington D.C. for the Military Bowl last month, Eric Page expressed his intentions to return to UT for his senior season. However, Toledo's all-time leading receiver hinted at a change of heart throughout this week on social mediums and today announced he will indeed forego his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft.
University of Toledo wide out Eric Page will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft this April. The NFL Draft advisory board projects him to be a third-to-fifth round draft pick. Page is the career leader in yards, receptions and recently tied the Mid-American Conference record for most receptions in a career.
The 2011 season began with a giant expectations and a team full of talent and swagger. The 2011 season ended in turmoil and confusion. However, despite Tim Beckman's premature departure from the Rocket football team in December, the team used that talent and swagger to achieve something that Beckman never could, win a bowl game.
Despite a second half surge, the Lady Rockets were unable to overcome a steep deficit, falling 70-66 to Eastern Michigan at Savage Arena last night. Junior Center Yolanda Richardson led Toledo in defeat with 11 points and a game-high 9 rebounds.
The Rockets have scheduled a home-and-home series with the University of Cincinnati beginning next fall, UT Athletic Director Mike O'Brien announced yesterday. "We are very pleased to be adding the University of Cincinnati to our 2012 home football schedule and look forward to an exciting series with the Bearcats," O'Brien said.
In what has become an all too familiar theme during the Rockets 2011-12 campaign, the Toledo men's basketball team fell on a buzzer beater Tuesday night in their Mid-American Conference home opener against Ball State. The loss marks the Rockets fifth this season by three points or less.
After losing a heartbreaker to Western Michigan on Thursday to open MAC play, the last thing Toledo wanted was an 0-2 start. For a large portion of the game, that looked like a real possibility, but the Rockets had other ideas. The Lady Rockets (8-6, 1-1) rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half to edge the Central Michigan Chippewas, 58-53, Sunday afternoon at Savage Arena.
After days of speculation, University of Toledo Athletic Director Mike O'Brien announced Monday that interim head football coach Matt Campbell will take over the position permanently. Toledo made Campbell the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision's youngest coach with a five-year deal worth nearly $2 million.
The Lady Rockets' 22-game home winning streak came to an end Thursday night, losing for the second time this season to Wisconsin-Green Bay. Toledo fought hard in front of their home crowd, but wound up on the short end of a 72-65 score, falling to 5-3 on the year.
The Rockets fell behind early and watched Temple run away at the end of last night's game inside Savage Arena. Led by sophomore guard Aaron Brown's 19 points, the Owls improved to 5-2 on the season with the 77-58 victory. "I just don't think we played very well," said UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk.
After being spurned by the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, the Rockets were informed late Sunday evening that they will travel to Washington D.C. to play Air Force in the Military Bowl. "We're very excited," said junior linebacker Dan Molls. "This is a great opportunity for us and the program.
After losing the first matchup earlier this season, the Lady Rockets will get another shot at Wisconsin-Green Bay tonight at Savage Arena. Back on Nov. 16, the Rockets were defeated in Green Bay, 84-68. The 7-0 Phoenix are ranked 16th in the coaches poll and 21st in the AP.
The Rockets will travel to Washington D.C. on Dec. 28 to square off against Air Force in the Military Bowl Presented by Grumman. Toledo finished the 2011 season with an 8-4 record, ending on a high note with a 45-28 victory over Ball State. "I'm just happy to know where we are playing at," said senior running back Adonis Thomas.
UT women's basketball coach Tricia Cullop earned her 200th win Sunday afternoon as the Rockets pulled away from Colorado State to win 58-51 at Savage Arena. "Until [the media] just said it I didn't even know I was close to it," Cullop said. "I'm more worried about piecing everything together now.
The new faces of the Rockets men's basketball team were in the spotlight of the teams 75-73 victory over North Carolina-Wilmington last night at Savage Arena. "I guess the best thing about tonight is, we're disappointed in a win," said UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk.
For just the second time in the past four season the UT women's basketball team will take the floor without point guard Naama Shafir. It surely was not the way the Rockets (3-2) anticipated beginning its four game homestand but UT will look to extend its win-streak to 21 at Savage Arena when they host Iona (4-2) Thursday night.
Six Rockets were named to the 2011 All-MAC football team, the conference announced on Tuesday. Junior Eric Page grabbed first team honors as wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner. Now at 293 career receptions, Page surpassed New Orleans Saints wideout Lance Moore to become Toledo's all-time leading receiver this season.
Northern Illinois bested Eastern Michigan 18-12 early Friday afternoon to dash the Rockets hopes of appearing in the Mid-American Conference championship game. But Toledo still put on a strong showing in Muncie Ind. later that day, topping a solid Ball State squad 45-28 to finish with 7-1 record in conference play.
The Toledo men's basketball team kept their hot streak alive and knocked off the Illinois-Chicago Flames Saturday night at Savage Arena, 82-67. Sophomore guard Rian Pearson led the way for the Rockets, pouring in a career-high 27 points to lead all scorers.
It is the final week of the regular season for the Rockets and as UT prepares for Friday night's showdown at Ball State, the winner of the Mid-American Conference West Division has yet to be determined. Toledo (7-4, 6-1 MAC) is tied for first place in the West with Northern Illinois (8-3, 6-1) but the Huskies hold the coveted tie-breaker, having bested the Rockets on the road in a 63-60 barnburner on Nov.
At times it was a struggle but the UT women's basketball team bounced back from a tough loss at No. 23 Wisconsin with a 53-39 home win over Albany on Tuesday. "Sometimes you do have to grind it out," said UT head coach Tricia Cullop. "It is not always going to look as pretty as you would like it to be.
After posting a combined 126 points the past two games, the Rockets high-octane offensive attack was on display again Friday night in a 44-17 trouncing of Central Michigan. "I just think it was an all around victory for us," said UT head coach Tim Beckman.
Tuesday night Northern Illinois squeaked past a hungry Ball State team 41-38 by way of a 34-yard field goal with less than 30 seconds to go in the game. The Rockets (6-4, 5-1) sit atop the Mid-American Conference West Division with NIU (8-3, 6-1) but lost the tiebreaker in 63-60 barnburner at the Glass Bowl on Nov.
The Rockets will begin the 2011-12 regular season tomorrow against Texas State in the first round of the Texas Pan-American Tournament. Toledo will also face USC-Upstate, Texas Pan-American this weekend before ending the tournament with Victory University on Monday.
Two days after routing Bowling Green, the Dayton Flyers trip up I-75 ran into a road block in Savage Arena. Toledo dismantled the Flyers, 61-51, avenging last year's defeat in Dayton, in large part to a swarming defensive effort. Toledo held the Flyers to just 13 first-half points, forced 24 turnovers and had 14 steals in the 2011 home opener.
Less than a week after capturing a record fourth Mid-American Conference title the Toledo soccer team saw their season come to an abrupt end on Saturday in Milwaukee. The Rockets (14-7-2) pushed No. 23 Marquette (18-3-0) to extra time at Valley Fields before falling 1-0 to the home team in the opening round of the NCAA Championship.
For the second-consecutive week the Rockets hosted a nationally televised Tuesday night contest which reached 120 or more combined points. This time, unlike last week's heart-wrenching 63-60 loss to Northern Illinois, the Rockets came out on the winning end, trumping Western Michigan in a record-setting 66-63 Senior Night shootout.
The Toledo women's soccer team will open the NCAA tournament on Saturday with a first round matchup against Marquette. The Rockets defeated Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference championship to earn a bid to the big dance. "It's exciting to be considered part of the field of 65," said UT head coach Brad Evans.
The Toledo women's soccer team captured their league-record fourth Mid-American Conference tournament championship with a 1-0 victory over Western Michigan Sunday at Scott Park. Sophomore forward Rachel MacLeod scored the lone goal of the contest and senior goalie Vicki Traven needed only one save to register the shutout.
Last Tuesday the Rockets surrendered the wheel of the Mid-American Conference West Division to Northern Illinois by falling short in a 63-60 shootout with the Huskies at the Glass Bowl. "It was a tough loss," said UT head coach Tim Beckman. "Our kids understand that we let an opportunity we were building for slip by.
In a battle between Mid-American Conference Championship contenders the Rockets fell to Northern Illinois on Tuesday night in a 63-60 shootout at the Glass Bowl. The two teams set a Glass Bowl and MAC regulation game record by combining for 123 points.
The Toledo women's soccer team will face Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference tournament semi-final on tomorrow at 11:05 a.m. at Scott Park. The Rockets are unbeaten at home in the MAC this year (5-0-1) including a 2-0 victory over Buffalo back on Oct.
The Rockets have torn through their Mid-American Conference schedule this season and Tuesday they will have an opportunity to improve to 5-0 in the MAC with a win against defending West Division Champion Northern Illinois. Last year in DeKalb, Northern Illinois crushed Toledo 65-30 behind 584 yards of total offense, including 422 rushing yards.
The Toledo women's soccer team got off to a flawless start in the Mid-American Conference tournament on Sunday, throttling the Ohio Bobcats 8-0 at Scott Park. Six different Rockets found the back of the net against OU and UT senior goalie Vicki Traven needed to make just two saves to earn the shutout.
The UT women's soccer team hopes to close out the regular season on a high note as Ball State rolls into town today. The Rockets (10-6-2, 8-1-1 MAC) have accumulated 25 points during MAC play and lead Central Michigan (7-1-2 MAC) by two points for the top spot in the conference.
A letter to students from UT Head Football Coach Tim Beckman
On behalf of the coaches and players on the University of Toledo football team, I would like to personally thank all of you who have come out and packed the student section of the Glass Bowl this season! Your enthusiasm and support are a big reason why we are 4-0 and in first place in the Mid-American Conference right now! As you know, we have two very important home games coming up on the next two Tuesdays on ESPN2: Nov.
The Rockets routed Eastern Michigan 54-16 at the Glass Bowl Saturday afternoon to remain unbeaten in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo (3-3, 2-0 MAC) fired on all cylinders, passing for 302 yards and rushing for 240 while the defense contained the Eagles (3-3, 1-1) to 227 yards of total offense.
The Rockets volleyball team dropped each of their matches in the state of Michigan this weekend, falling 3-0 to Eastern Michigan and 3-2 against Central Michigan, dropping to 1-5 in the MAC and 6-12 overall. The Eagles made quick work of the Rockets Friday, cruising to a 3-0 victory (26-24, 25-7, 25-16) in Ypsilanti.
The Rockets return to the Glass Bowl this Saturday after thrashing Temple 36-13 last weekend at Lincoln Financial Field in their Mid-American Conference opener. Toledo (2-3, 1-0 MAC) will host Eastern Michigan, but after an emotional road win over arguably the best team in the MAC East, their biggest challenge this weekend will likely be remaining focused against a lesser opponent.
PHILADELPHIA -- Toledo clipped the Temple Owls 36-13 in their MAC opener in Saturday, snapping the Rockets three-game losing streak. "There was definitely frustration for the team because we felt like we had two other games that we should have won," said UT junior quarterback Austin Dantin.
The Rockets opened the weekend with a 1-0 shutout over arch-rival Bowling Green then drilled Miami (OH) 3-0 on Sunday. Sophomore Rachel MacLeod netted her fourth goal of the season against BG in the 70th minute to give UT the lead. Senior Vickie Tavern held the Falcon offense in check, making two saves en route to her second shutout of the season despite the rough weather conditions.
The Toledo volleyball team dropped both games this weekend during a mini home stand at Savage Arena. The Rockets fell in straight sets to Western Michigan, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20, on Friday then was shut down against Northern Illinois, 25-15, 25-19, 20-25, 25-21.
The dust has settled, the ruling is in, and the Rockets loss to Syracuse will stand, despite the crucial officiating error which resulted in Toledo falling 33-30 in overtime. After the Orange (3-1) took a 29-27 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the game, sophomore kicker Ross Krautman appeared to miss just left but the extra point was ruled good.
University of Toledo senior Dugan Murphy shot a career-low 66 to take home the individual championship as he guided the Rockets to a third place finish. Murphy's low round was the lowest ever shot by a Rocket at the Inverness Intercollegiate. The tournament was shortened to just one day of play due to heavy rains on Monday.
A blunder by Big East officials cost the Rockets dearly in a 33-30 overtime defeat to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome on Saturday. The loss ended Toledo's run of five consecutive seasons of beating a BCS opponent. "It was a tough loss, there's no question about it," said UT head coach Tim Beckman.
University of Toledo Athletic Director Mike O'Brien and head football coach Tim Beckman made a formal written request to Mid-American Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher asking that he request the Big East Conference vacate Syracuse's win yesterday.
Following back-to-back losses to then No. 18 Ohio State and No. 4 Boise State, the Rockets will close out a grueling non-conference schedule this Saturday when they head to the Carrier Dome to clash with the Syracuse Orange. Last week Toledo found itself severely overmatched as senior quarterback Kellen Moore led Boise State to a 40-15 trampling of the Rockets at the Glass Bowl.
Kellen Moore showed why he is a Heisman frontrunner as No. 4 Boise State's offense dismantled the Rockets defense in a 40-15 victory on Friday at the Glass Bowl. "We got defeated by the fourth-rated football team in this country," said UT head coach Tim Beckman.
The UT women's soccer team closed out its non-conference schedule with a 2-1 loss to Iowa State at Scott Park on Sunday. Toledo (2-5-1) outshot the Cyclones 12-10 on the game, finishing with a 5-2 edge in corner kicks as well. Iowa State (5-3-1) went up early, with Brittany Morgan taking advantage of the teams' first scoring chance by sending a free-kick into the back post from just outside the 18-yard-box in the 15th minute.
The Toledo volleyball squad dropped two of their three matches over the weekend at the Michigan/Adidas Invitational in Ann Arbor, falling to 5-7 on the year. The Rockets were beaten 3-1 by 18th ranked Michigan and shutout 3-0 by Texas A&M. However, UT managed to salvage their third and final game of the tournament, rallying for a 3-2 victory over Xavier.
Last week the Rockets came within a few plays of becoming the first in-state school to knock off Ohio State in 90 years before falling 27-22. Toledo will have a rare shot at redemption this Friday when No. 4 Boise State rolls into town for a clash between what may be the two best mid-major programs in the nation.
Senior point guard Naama Shafir and junior forward Lecretia Smith have been voted captains by their teammates for 2011 season. "Naama has led more by example through her first three years, but it has been exciting to lately watch her develop into a more vocal leader," Cullop said.
The UT women's volleyball team will cap off their non-conference schedule at the Michigan/Adidas Invitational this weekend in Ann Arbor, MI. The Rockets (4-5) are scheduled to face a pair of unbeaten teams in No. 18 Michigan (9-0) and Texas A&M (9-0) on Friday at 1 p.
COLUMBUS — The Rockets failed to score in the final minute on Saturday in Columbus and fell 27-22 despite leading for most of the first half. Toledo committed 14 penalties for 102 yards and saw their special teams fail to stop Chris Fields on his way to a 69-yard punt return.
The Toledo women's soccer team fell in a pair of matches this weekend at the Red Raider classic in Lubbock, Texas. The Rockets fell 1-0 to TCU in their tournament opener on Friday before dropping a 3-0 decision to Texas Tech on Sunday. UT held a 20-5 advantage in shots taken on Friday but Jordan Calhoun capitalized for the Horned Frogs by netting TCU's lone shot on goal in the 68th minute for her first goal of the season.
Toledo saw mixed results at the Rocket Classic this weekend, dropping their opening match 3-1 to Alabama on Friday before beating Penn 3-2 and falling 3-1 to No. 25 Ohio State in a pair of matches Saturday at Savage Arena. "We knew coming into the tournament it was going to be very tough," UT head coach Greg Smith said.
The odds will be stacked sky high against the Rockets this week as they head to Columbus to take on No. 18 Ohio State at the Horseshoe. The Buckeyes enter Saturday's matchup 17-0 all-time against the MAC, including last week's 42-0 season opening thumping of Akron.
Having completed her collegiate career, former UT basketball player Melissa Goodall is headed to Spain to play professionally for Uni-Tenerife in their upcoming season. Goodall signed with Uni-Tenerife on Aug. 30 and will join her new team in Santa Cruz of the Canary Islands on September 14th.
(Insert team name here) travels to Columbus this weekend to battle the Buckeyes at the Horseshoe. Usually this sentence would mean that whoever is traveling to the banks of the Olentangy would most likely be facing one of the best teams in the nation, one of the best coaching staffs in the nation, and possibly a Heisman trophy candidate.
The wait is over and the Rockets will finally kick-off the season tonight at the Glass Bowl against New Hampshire. Toledo will look to open the season with a victory for the first time since 2005. "We have been ready to go since camp started," said senior running back Adonis Thomas.
Since the franchise's inception in 1946 the Cleveland Browns have compiled an impressive eight league championships. That said, the last time Cleveland brought home the hardware was in 1964, when all-time great Jim Brown could still be found roaming the backfield.
A 6-10 campaign generally does not produce this much optimism, but in the Motor City, where Lions fans watched their team win a combined two games the previous two seasons, they cannot help but to be encouraged by the four-game winning streak on which last season ended, not to mention that for first time in 11 years the team ranked in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive scoring.
The New Hampshire Wildcats are from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), which to some people, means that they play a lower brand of football than the Division I Rockets. Those same people think that if Toledo doesn't open 2011 season with a blowout victory, then UT won't be as good as we thought.
The Rockets volleyball team swept the competition en route to winning their third straight Blue-Gold Invitational on Saturday at Savage Arena. Toledo dropped just one set the whole weekend while senior libero Kassie Kadera was named the tournament's most valuable player.
For 18 weeks and 4 days former UT running back and current Baltimore Raven Jalen Parmele awaited a resolution to the labor dispute with team owners which threatened to cancel the 2011 season. In the end, only the August 7th Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was nixed from the schedule, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith signing the new Collective Bargaining Agreement just two days prior, ending the longest lockout in league history.
Toledo's soccer team held Louisville to a 1-1 double overtime draw last Friday before posting their first victory of the season on Sunday with a 4-3 win over Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. "Results matter for sure," head coach Brad Evans said.
The Rockets volleyball team opens their season this weekend with the Blue and Gold Invitational at Savage Arena. Toledo held its annual Blue vs. Gold game last week and hopes that the inter-squad scrimmage will prepare them for the round-robin tournament.
Just one week remains before Toledo opens their season against New Hampshire in the Glass Bowl and head coach Tim Beckman and his staff have released an updated depth chart that answers a few burning questions about the 2011 Rockets. With the recent loss of senior safety Mark Singer to a torn labrum injury, it seems that senior Diauntae Morrow will move into the starting free safety slot to go along with junior strong safety Jermaine Robinson.
Toledo's women's soccer team will continue a tough non-conference schedule this weekend at Scott Park after dropping a pair of matches to Big Ten opponents Purdue and Illinois to open the season. The Rockets will face Louisville on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
The Mid-American Conference has announced a revised format for the 2012 FirstEnergy MAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments this coming March at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena. The new format will seed both tournaments by rewarding the No. 1 and No.
Junior quarterback Austin Dantin has earned himself a slight edge in the quarterback battle with teammate Terrance Owens coming out of the Rockets two-a-day practices. "Both of them are getting equal snaps with the first team but I would say Austin has a slight edge with the way he's played throughout these two-a-days," Toledo head coach Tim Beckman said.
The Rockets women's soccer team fell 1-0 to Purdue in its season opener at Scott Park last Friday, the first of two matches the preseason Mid-American Conference favorite dropped to Big Ten opponents over the weekend, falling to No. 24 Illinois 5-1 Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.
The Rockets volleyball squad kicked off their regular season with the annual Blue vs. Gold matchup in Savage Arena on Friday. Junior outside hitter Sondra Parys led all players with 25 kills with a .308 attack percentage. "For the little time that Sondra has been able to practice and play she has really stepped up her game," head coach Greg Smith said.
Just weeks before two-a-day practices begin, the University of Toledo and head football coach Tim Beckman came to terms on a contract extension which will keep him a Rocket through the 2015 season. “I’m just excited about the commitment that is here from Dr.
Toledo will host some of the best players in golf history this coming week at the 2011 U.S. Senior Open at the historic Inverness Club. Players such as Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Tom Lehman and Bernhard Langer will be blazing the fairways starting on Thursday and hopefully through the weekend.
Now over a week removed from the All-Star break, the unofficial midway mark of the Major League Baseball season, the American League Central has quite evidently become a two-horse race between the upstart Cleveland Indians and a gritty Detroit Tigers club.
It has already been an eventful summer for Toledo head coach Tim Beckman. He had to deal with the dismissal of two players from his football team and watched one of his good friends and mentors, Jim Tressel, deal with the "Tattoo 5" saga at Ohio State University.
Over a year has passed since ‘The Decision' which rattled the sports world and stripped the city of Cleveland of its local hero and all-world small forward, LeBron James. While the self-proclaimed ‘King' is now assured title contention for years, along with all-star buddies Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on a star-studded Miami Heat squad, the Cavaliers and their fans anxiously await a draft they hope carries major implications for bringing Cleveland the title which James could not.
It is hard to imagine a plain white T-shirt preventing a player from competing in a basketball game, but University of Toledo's point guard Naama Shafir faces that very situation. Israeli-born Shafir is an Orthodox Jew who wears a T-shirt to cover her shoulders, in keeping with Jewish modesty rules.
After losing two-of-three games this weekend at Ball State, Toledo enters the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the sixth seed and will take on No. 3 Miami (OH) in Chillicothe on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. "The regular season is in the books — it's over," Toledo Head Coach Cory Mee said.
The University of Toledo will be represented by a pair of first-time qualifiers in the upcoming NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships East Preliminary Rounds, held May 26-28 in Bloomington at Indiana's Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex. Senior Audra Brown and sophomore Emma Kertesz each finished in the top-48 regionally in their respective events to earn a place in the preliminary competition.
Former Rocket standout Jacy Dyer has been selected to participate in the 2011 USA Swimming National Open Water Select Camp in Ft. Myers at Florida Golf Coast University. Dyer is one of just 24 athletes (12 male and 12 female) who will attend the camp, which is scheduled to run June 7-10.
With the 2011 NFL Draft taking place tonight, the IC Sports staff has combined its NFL knowledge to produce our third annual mock draft. The draft order was picked at random for our four staff members. Assistant Sports Editor Joe Mehling selected the first pick for the Carolina Panthers followed by Editor-in-Chief Jason Mack with the Denver Broncos pick.
After completing his first season in the NFL, former Toledo and current Cardinals wide receiver Stephen Williams is already without a job—but not from his doing. Due to ongoing negotiations between both the NFL and its players association, Williams has found himself waiting to find out whether he will get to play football next season as both sides negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.
Late-inning mistakes cost the Rockets on Tuesday as they fell 7-6 to Cleveland State at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon. The loss marks the 10th time this season that Toledo has been on the wrong end of a one-run decision. "It was a tough loss," UT Head Coach Cory Mee said.
After splitting the first two games of the weekend, the Rockets lost 8-7 in the rubber match at Northern Illinois yesterday in a battle for first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division. Toledo (20-19, 9-6 MAC) held a 6-5 lead through the seventh until the Huskies (19-18, 10-5) scored two in the bottom of the inning including the game-winning run off of a wild pitch from freshman Adam Tyson (2-3) to take control of both the game and the division.
Barry Melrose, "The Most Interesting Guy in Hockey," recently tabbed the Detroit Red Wings as the team to beat in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a dominating sweep over Phoenix, who could blame him? The Wings were playing without their leader in Henrik Zetterberg and still managed to not only defeat the lowly Coyotes but also send them back to Canada, literally.
The Rockets men's tennis team fell in its bid to capture the Mid-American Conference regular-season title on Friday in Kalamazoo, losing 7-0 to defending conference champions Western Michigan in the regular-season finale. The loss snapped a program-record 12-match win streak and dropped Toledo to the No.
Student athletes at the University of Toledo will bring their talents to Savage Arena on April 25 for the first "So You Think You Can ROCK-ET" talent show. The event runs from 7-9:30 p.m. and costs $5 for the general public and $3 for UT students. It is hosted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Toledo's game against Notre Dame yesterday was canceled due to inclement weather and will not be made up this season. The Rockets (19-17, 8-4 Mid-American Conference), who had been on an 11-game winning streak before losing two-of-three games at Bowling Green last weekend, may have been battling fatigue.
The University of Massachusetts has agreed to join the Mid-American Conference as a football member only beginning in the 2012 season. With the addition of UMass, the MAC now has 14 teams. “UMass comes from a great FCS conference,” Toledo Head Coach Tim Beckman said.
Fresh off a nine-match sweep of Northern Illinois last week, The Rockets men's tennis team will face Western Michigan on Friday at 1 p.m. to determine the regular-season Mid-American Conference Champion in 2011. Toledo (23-8) will travel to Kalamazoo looking to extend its team record 12-game winning streak and stretch the program record for wins in a season to 24.
The Rockets have released their spring depth chart following the annual Blue vs. Gold Spring Game on Friday, which resulted in a 35-14 victory for the Gold team. Few surprises were on the first chart of the 2011 season but most positions have yet to be solidified.
Senior running back Adonis Thomas dominated the spring game, leading his Gold team to a 35-14 victory over the Blue team in Toledo's Spring Game on Friday. Last season's second-team All-Mid-American Conference rusher ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns against the Blue team, as well as 49 yards receiving on five catches.
For a team with plenty of positions still up for grabs, the annual Toledo Blue vs. Gold Spring Game was underwhelming to say the least. Although there were bright spots, like the running backs combining for 209 yards on 50 carries, no other players stuck out in the 35-14 victory for the Gold team.
Toledo avoided a sweep yesterday on the road at arch-rival Bowling Green with a 7-4 victory at Warren Steller Field. The Rockets (19-17, 8-4 Mid-American Conference) had their 11-game winning streak snapped after losing the first two games of the series to BG (13-17, 7-5 MAC), but salvaged the win to remain tied atop the MAC West Division with Northern Illinois.
Win 11th straight game
ANN ARBOR – Michigan native Jared Locke brought a horde of followers with him to face the team he watched as a child. He didn't disappoint. Locke (2-1) allowed just one run over seven innings as Toledo (18-15, 7-2 Mid-American Conference) won its 11th straight game with a 3-1 victory over Michigan yesterday.
Toledo Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk confirmed to the Independent Collegian this week that guards Malcolm Griffin and J.T. Thomas will not be returning to the men's basketball program for the 2011 season. The Independent Collegian first reported their possible departures on March 28 when a source close to the team claimed they were "as good as gone" for next year.
Deputy Athletic Director Mike Karabin announced today that he will retire from the University of Toledo effective Dec. 31, 2011. Karabin, 54, has been a coach and administrator at UT for the past 32 years. A 1980 graduate of UT, Karabin was inducted into UT's Varsity ‘T' Hall of Fame in 2007.
Toledo ran its record above .500 for the first time this season with a 9-5 win over Buffalo yesterday. The victory extended the Rockets winning streak to nine games with a three-game sweep over Buffalo this weekend and gave UT an 8-0 home record on the year.
After leading the Toledo women's basketball team to a 29-8 record and its first WNIT Championship nine days ago, UT head coach Tricia Cullop received a contract extension this week through the 2019-2020 season. "I'm just very appreciative of the offer from [President] Lloyd Jacobs and [Athletic Director] Mike O'Brien because it's meant an awful lot to me that they made that gesture," Cullop said.
Part 2 of 2, Cleveland featured in April 7 issue
The Tigers enter the 2011 season with renewed aspirations of bringing the city of Detroit its first World Series Title since 1984, eager to redeem themselves following a disappointing 2010 campaign in which the club finished third in the American League Central with an 81-81 record.
Jared Locke stifled Cleveland State's hitters as Toledo secured a 5-1 victory over the Vikings yesterday at Scott Park. Locke (1-1) pitched seven innings and allowed just one unearned run on four hits with five strikeouts. The sophomore starter entered yesterday's game with a 10.
The UT women's basketball team held off Southern California 76-68 last Saturday in the WNIT Championship, delivering Toledo its first ever postseason tournament title. Toledo was defeated by Eastern Michigan in the MAC Tournament, forcing the Rockets to settle for a WNIT bid.
Part 1 of 2, Detroit to be featured in April 11 issue
CLEVELAND – As Opening Day took place last week 41,721 Indians fans packed Progressive Field to celebrate the beginning of a new season – and then reality set in. The White Sox jumped out to a 14-0 lead just four innings into the new season, giving Tribe fans a taste of what to expect on the year.
Toledo captured the first postseason tournament crown in school history with a 76-68 win over Southern California in the WNIT Championship on Saturday in front of a Mid-American Conference record 7,301 fans at Savage Arena. Toledo (29-8) ended the season on an 18-game home winning streak, including all six of their victories in the WNIT.
Coming home was just what the Rockets needed. After being selected to finish second in the Mid-American Conference in the preseason coaches poll, Toledo began the year winning just seven of its first 22 games, all of which were on the road. Since their home opener last Wednesday, however, the Rockets have won all four of their games at Scott Park, including a three-game sweep against Akron this weekend.
The University of Toledo softball team fell twice at the hands of the Kent State bats in a doubleheader Saturday at Scott Park. The Golden Flashes took advantage of ten Rocket errors and scored a total of 31 runs, defeating UT 11-1 and 20-9 in the two run-shortened matchups.
The Rockets dominated UNC-Charlotte from start to finish, recording an 83-60 victory in the WNIT Final Four on Wednesday night at Savage Arena on CBS College Sports Network in front of a Mid-American Conference record 7,020 fans. "How amazing is that for women's basketball?" UT Head Coach Tricia Cullop said.
After losing nine of its last 12 games, Toledo grabbed a 5-3 victory over Oakland in its home opener at Scott Park yesterday. The Rockets opened the season with 22 games away from home before their first home matchup. "Playing at home is nice after 22 games on the road," UT Head Coach Cory Mee said.
A source close to the UT men's basketball team told the Independent Collegian yesterday to "expect multiple walk-ons to transfer within the coming weeks." It is still unclear which walk-ons are considering a transfer. Four different walk-ons played last season for the Rockets including junior Jay Shunnar and freshmen Jess Chadwell, Zack Leahy and Richard Wonnell.
The Toledo women's softball team dropped both games of their home opening series against Cleveland State yesterday at Scott Park. The Rockets were outscored 19-2 and fall to 4-19 overall this season. In game one, freshman-starting pitcher Jen Solanics (1-10) went 5.
Erase 12-point second half deficit to advance to the WNIT Final Four
The Rockets outlasted Syracuse 71-68 in an overtime victory yesterday afternoon at Savage Arena to advance to the Final Four of the Women's National Invitational Tournament. Toledo clawed back from a 12-point deficit, outscoring the Orange 36-24 in the second half and 9-6 in overtime.
As the Toledo women's basketball team competes in a historic run to the Final Four of the Women's National Invitation Tournament, the play of the team hasn't been the only thing standing out. With each postseason game, UT fans have increasingly packed Savage Arena, giving the Rockets one of the biggest home court advantages in the tournament.
Following back-to-back 4-28 years, Toledo may be losing two rotation players for the upcoming 2011 season. A source close to the UT Athletic Department told the Independent Collegian this week that leading scorer Malcolm Griffin and freshman guard J.
The Rockets overcame an early deficit but fell to Kent State 8-2 on Sunday in the rubber match of a weekend series at Olga A. Mural Field in Schoonover Stadium. "We made a couple of mistakes early," UT Head Coach Cory Mee said. "We were forced to play from behind and we just didn't get anything going against their starters.
Advance to the WNIT’s Elite 8
Toledo pulled away from the Crimson Tide to register a 74-59 victory on Tuesday at Savage Arena in front of a crowd of 3,740. Toledo advances to the quarterfinals of the Women's National Invitation Tournament for the first time in school history. The Rockets also extended their home win-streak to 15 games and tied for the second most wins in team history at 26, one shy of the school record.
The Rockets took the one game series against Big East foe Cincinnati 7-5 last night at Marge Schott stadium to end a two-game slide. Junior pitcher Tyler Scott earned his first victory of the season, after taking over for Ryan Wilkinson, and allowed just one hit and one run in three innings of work while registering two strikeouts.
Host Alabama Tuesday in “Gold Out”
Toledo extended its home winning streak to 14 games on Saturday, routing Auburn 67-52 to advance to the third round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament in Savage Arena. "We have all the talent we need," sophomore forward Yolanda Richardson said.
The Rockets dropped three of their four games at the PSC Panther Classic in Pittsburgh this weekend to fall to 5-13 on the year. Toledo closed the tournament with a 7-1 loss to Youngstown St on Sunday. "Right now we need to make more plays in the clutch," UT head coach Cory Mee said.
Toledo junior swimmer Laura Lindsay earned All-American honors in the 100 Breaststroke following the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, Texas this weekend. "I knew going into the meet that if I really concentrated on my races I had a chance of making it," Lindsay said.
The Rockets closed out Delaware late in the second half to win 58-55 in Savage Arena on Wednesday in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The victory extends Toledo's home winning streak to 13 and gives them an 9-6 record in WNIT history.
The University of Toledo baseball team will travel this weekend to Pittsburgh to take part in the PSC Panther Classic. The Rockets, whose Wednesday night game against Wright State was canceled due to poor field conditions, hope to improve upon their 4-10 record.
Senior Jacy Dyer and junior Laura Lindsay were invited to participate in the NCAA Swimming Championships beginning on Thursday in Austin, Texas, the first time in program history two players have been invited to attend. "We are very excited to have two people at the NCAA meet," UT Head Coach Liz Hinkleman said.
The Rockets fell to Eastern Michigan 61-55 in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals on Friday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The MAC Tournament marks the first time Toledo has lost to the Eagles this season, winning in the previous regular season meetings.
A dominant pitching performance and two UT errors thwarted the Rockets efforts this past Saturday as they lost to Massachusetts, 2-1, to close out their schedule at the RussMatt Invitational in Winter Haven, Fla. Toledo went 1-4 in their games at the Invitational and are now 4-10 overall.
Toledo closed out its regular season with an 85-75 victory over Central Michigan on Wednesday night at Savage Arena. The victory, on Senior Night, earned the Rockets their first outright Mid-American Conference regular season title since the 2001 season.
Following an 8-5 campaign which included its first bowl game since 2005, Toledo revealed a tough upcoming schedule on Monday including two games against top-10 teams (Boise State, Ohio State) and five bowl participants from 2010. "This year with all the guys we have, we have the talent to play with the best of the best," junior wide receiver Cordale Scott said.
Before the start of the 2010 football season, Toledo cornerback Desmond Marrow had an idea. His personal slogan "Make Plays or Die," which he used with high school friend and Iowa wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos at Cardinal Mooney in Youngstown, has begun to blossom into a full-blown business venture.
The Rockets dropped their 12th straight game to Central Michigan, 68-56, on Tuesday night at Savage Arena. Toledo must win one of their remaining two games to avoid matching the worst record in school history, which was set by last year's squad at 4-28 overall.
The Rockets dropped their 11th straight game against Northern Illinois 75-70 in overtime on Saturday night at Savage Arena. Toledo was outscored 11-6 in OT and shot 1 of 7 from the floor. "There is no other way to put it, it was a heartbreaking loss," UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk said.
Northern Illinois snapped the UT women’s basketball team’s nine game winning streak as they fell 57-53 on Saturday in the Convocation Center. The Rockets have lost in five of its last six games in Dekalb. Senior forward Melissa Goodall (5 of 10) scored a team-high 14 points with five rebounds.
After dropping its first three games of the season, the Rockets took two out of three games on the road at No. 16 Louisville this weekend at Jim Patterson Stadium. A masterful eight-inning start on Friday by sophomore Mike Hamann and a ninth-inning rally highlighted the weekend for Toledo.
Just over a month ago, Toledo won its lone conference game of the year over Western Michigan. They got the Broncos attention. Western Michigan jumped out to a commanding 43-5 lead yesterday as the first-place Broncos (16-11, 8-5 Mid-American Conference) cruised to a 68-56 victory over the Rockets in Kalamazoo yesterday.
Day one of the 2011 MAC Swimming and Diving Championships in Athens, OH didn’t quite start out the way the University of Toledo swimming and diving team would have liked, but the Rockets finished strong, winning the 800 Free Relay and setting a new school record in the process.
Toledo overcame an early deficit to defeat Eastern Michigan 65-64 in Savage Arena yesterday. With the victory, the Rockets claimed the Mid-American Conference West Division Title and at least a share of the overall MAC Championship for the first time since 2003.
Without the help of freshman forward Reese Holliday, Toledo fell 75-58 on Saturday to Eastern Illinois at Savage Arena. "Without Reese we physically just got pushed around and out-toughed," Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "We are already outmanned in every game we have been in – [the players] know that.
The Rockets women's basketball team won their eighth straight contest with a 67-49 victory over Ball State and secured themselves a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title. Toledo will have a first round bye in the upcoming MAC Tournament.
The Rockets opened the 2011 season on the road in Cary, N.C. at the USA National Baseball Training Complex, dropping all three contests over the weekend. UT lost two one run games against Canisius on Friday (6-5) and Sunday (7-6) as well as a 5-1 defeat to Creighton on Saturday.
The Rockets earned their seventh consecutive win by defeating Western Michigan 76-39 on Wednesday night at Savage Arena, tying the longest winning streak since the 2002-2003 season. The game marks the largest margin of victory for UT since a 92-36 win over Iona in 2002.
Toledo extended the nation's longest road losing streak to 45 games on Tuesday with an 83-62 loss at Ball State. The Rockets have a 1-60 record on the road in the last three seasons and have lost all 13 this year under first-year head coach Tod Kowalczyk.
The Rockets missed a potential game-winning three-pointer as time expired as Miami (OH) avoided the upset 68-66 in Savage Arena on Saturday. With the game tied at 66, RedHawks guard Allen Roberts missed a go-ahead jumper but forward Julian Mavunga grabbed the rebound and scored with just 3.
The Rockets women’s basketball team extended their winning streak to six games with a 68-48 victory over Ohio on Saturday night at Savage Arena. Toledo has won its last nine games at home and is in first place in the Mid-American Conference. “We’re kind of in uncharted territory in recent history,” UT head coach Tricia Cullop said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Detroit fans shared a collective sigh of relief on Wednesday night after the Pistons avoided the embarassment of being the first team to lose to Cleveland in 26 games with a 103-94 victory over the Cavaliers. Clippers fans did not share in that relief however, as Los Angeles fell to the Cavaliers two days later.
Toledo dropped their sixth straight game last night in a 71-58 loss in Athens to Ohio. The Rockets 43 game road losing streak is the longest in the nation dating back to March of 2008. UT is 4-20 this season under first-year head coach Tod Kowalczyk, whose team has lost all 12 of their games away from Savage Arena.
With just six games remaining before the Mid-American Conference Tournament, the Toledo women's basketball team has found themselves in the driver's seat in the MAC West Division with 9-1 record against league opponents, the best start in school history.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – At this point, it's getting harder and harder to remember what a Cavaliers win felt like. With a 103-94 loss to the lowly Pistons (20-33) last night, Cleveland (8-45) extended their NBA record to 26 consecutive losses, tying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL with the longest losing streak in the history of American sports.
The Rockets dropped their fifth straight game last night at Savage Arena falling to Akron, 59-41. Sophomore Malcolm Griffin was the lone Toledo player to score in double figures with 11 points. "I think that tonight, without question, was our worst performance of the year," UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk said.
Toledo avoided a letdown against Miami (OH) on Saturday, staying atop the Mid-American Conference with a 76-65 win over the RedHawks. With the victory the Rockets (17-6) are off to their best start in league play in school history, winning nine of their first 10 games.
After consecutive victories over the top two teams in the Mid-American Conference East Division, the Rockets needed a late comeback over a struggling Akron squad in a 58-49 victory last night. Toledo (16-6, 8-1 MAC) ended the game on a 28-11 run to pull away from the Zips, giving UT its best league start since 2002-03.
Due to Wednesday’s nasty winter storm that cancelled classes at both Toledo and the University of Buffalo, the UT men’s basketball team spent an extra day in New York as their game against the Bulls yesterday was moved to 2 p.m. today. “We had a team breakfast and went to practice at Canisius College since Buffalo would not let us into their facility,” Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk said.
The UT football program signed 19 recruits and was named the No. 1 class in the Mid-American Conference by Rivals.com and Scout.com yesterday. Toledo was chosen as the top class in the league by Rivals and second by Scout in 2010. "I think the word is getting out about all the great things that are happening in our program," Beckman said.
The Rockets avoided a repeat of last year's letdown against Kent State following their upset over BG with a 66-53 victory over KSU on Saturday in Savage Arena. Toledo topped BG 66-65 last Wednesday and now owns sole possesion of first place in the Mid-American Conference.
Toledo extended the nation's longest road losing streak to 42 games yesterday with a 72-55 loss to Kent State. The Rockets have lost all 10 of their road games this season by an average of 19.6 points per contest. "The first 10 minutes was obviously the story of the game," said UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk, whose team fell behind 10-2 early.
The Rockets silenced almost all of the 3,315 people inside Anderson Arena last night, excluding the few sections of UT faithful, as they downed Bowling Green 66-65. This was the first victory for Toledo on the Falcons home court since Jan. 13, 1999 and snaps a 39-game regular-season win streak at "The House that Roars.
Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk lost his first game against arch-rival Bowling Green on Tuesday 70-64 in front of a season-high 5,523 fans at Savage Arena. "It was a hard-fought and competitive game," Kowalczyk said. "They were just a little more athletic and talented than we are.
Seniors Matt Zahel and Jason Edwards will serve as captains for the Rockets' baseball program during the upcoming 2011 season, eighth-year skipper Cory Mee announced today. "I thought our team did a great job of choosing captains," Mee said. "We want somebody to represent what our team is all about, and I don't think they could have chosen two better people than Matt and Jason.
Toledo let a halftime lead slip away against first place Ball State on Saturday as the Rockets fell 70-60 at Savage Arena. "Maybe I shouldn't be as disappointed as I am," Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "It's got nothing to do with winning or losing.
After squandering a late lead in a loss on Wednesday at Central Michigan, the Rockets reclaimed first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division with a commanding 67-53 victory over Buffalo on Saturday at Savage Arena. The Chippewas lost their share of the division after a 28-point loss at Bowling Green this weekend.
Junior Ari Fisher set a new Mid-American Conference record for the mile, with a time of 4:48.93 and led the Rockets track and field team to a fifth place finish at the All-Ohio Championships Saturday at Kent State. "I was really impressed with Ari's performance today, especially since the mile is not her strongest event," said head coach Kevin Hadsell.
The University of Toledo women's swimming and diving team finished the Rutgers Invitational Saturday night with a fourth place finish. Senior captain Jacy Dyer broke her own Mid-American Conference record in the 1650 free time trial with a time of 16:12.
In their second-straight road match to start the 2011 season, the Rockets' men's tennis team dropped a tough 6-1 decision to ITA No. 12-ranked Kentucky on Sunday. Toledo was unable to overcome the Wildcats, who swept doubles action while winning five of six singles points.
The Rockets broke a five-game losing streak and captured their first conference win of the season 73-60 against Western Michigan last night at Savage Arena. UT led from start to finish against the Broncos. "I told the guys in the locker room we need to remember this and find a way to bottle our energy, enthusiasm and team grit from tonight," UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk said.
Central Michigan snapped the Rockets five-game winning streak last night with a 78-74 victory as both teams are now tied atop the Mid-American Conference West Division. The Chippewas outscored Toledo 16-3 in the final five minutes to claim the victory.
Toledo men's basketball head coach Tod Kowalczyk announced on Tuesday the transfer of University of New Mexico guard Curtis Dennis to Toledo. The 6-5 Curtis has a year-and-a-half of eligibility left and will be able to play following the fall semester of 2011.
Dortch and UT defense shut down All-MAC guard James
The UT women's basketball team shut down Tavelyn James in a 72-56 win at Eastern Michigan on Saturday, improving to 4-0 in the Mid-American Conference for the first time since 1998. Toledo (12-5, 4-0 MAC) split a pair of games against Eastern Michigan (11-7, 2-2) last season.
Toledo extended the nation's longest road losing streak to 40 games at the site of its last victory as they fell 65-52 in Mount Pleasant to Central Michigan last night. The Rockets last road win came against the Chippewas on March 9, 2008. The next largest road losing streak belongs to Chicago State at 27 games.
The Rockets women's basketball team survived an offensive struggle last night at Savage Arena as they defeated Northern Illinois 42-31 for their fourth straight victory. Toledo (11-5, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) shot 29.6 percent (16 of 54) from the field and just 16 percent from behind the arc (3 of 18) but held the Huskies to the fifth fewest points in school history.
National Signing Day for incoming freshmen isn't until Feb. 2, but Rockets head coach Tim Beckman has already added eight players who will join the team this spring "We are very excited to add these eight young men to the Rocket family," Beckman said.
The Rockets lost their first conference game of the season 71-48 against Eastern Michigan on Saturday at Savage Arena. Toledo (3-12, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) had their three-game home winning streak snapped while the Eagles (4-10, 1-0 MAC) defeated a Division I opponent for the first time this season.
Junior point guard Naama Shafir scored 23 second-half points, including six of the eight overtime points, to lead the Rockets to a 63-60 overtime win at Western Michigan Saturday night. The victory extends Toledo's winning streak to three games and gives them a perfect 2-0 record in the Mid-American Conference.
Eric Page was named to the 2010 Walter Camp All-American First-Team team today as a kickoff returner, the first Toledo athlete to be named to an All-American squad since Gene Swick in 1975. The sophomore wide receiver finished third in the nation in kick return average (31.
FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Toledo’s record fell to 0-9 last night after a 78-65 loss at IPFW. The Rockets extended the largest losing streak to begin a season in school history, previously set at six in 1920 and 2009. With the loss Toledo has also lost 30-of-31 games and 37-straight road games dating back to the 2008-09 season.
The Rockets finished their season 8-4 including a 7-1 record in the Mid-American Conference due in large part to sophomore wide out, and Toledo native, Eric Page, who is already having one of the most productive careers in school history. In just his second season, Page finds himself just 53 catches behind Stephen Williams for the all-time record at UT.
When Toledo goes to their first bowl game since 2005, it won't be a traditional holiday for most of the players. The Rockets arrive in Detroit, Mich. on Dec. 23 and remain there through Dec. 26 for the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl against FIU at 8:30 p.
According to U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin, former University of Toledo athletes Anton Currie, Adam Cuomo, Quinton Broussard and Harvey “Scooter” McDougle Jr. will enter guilty pleas in a point-shaving scheme. Currie played basketball while the other three were football players.
Toledo accepted an invitation today to play in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl on Dec. 26 at 8:30 p.m. at Ford Field, just over 60 miles north of the UT campus in Detroit, Mich. The Rockets will be making their MAC-best 11th bowl game (8-2) and their first since a 45-13 victory over UTEP in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
Unbeaten Cincinnati hammered the winless Rockets 81-47 last night at Savage Arena. Toledo has started the season 0-8 and lost 29 of their past 30 games. "I'm sick and tired of learning lessons, and I hope our players are sick and tired of it," Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk said.
The Toledo women’s basketball team was blown out at Dayton yesterday afternoon 102-69, ending their three-game winning streak. The Flyers point total was the highest to ever be scored against the Rockets in regulation; Xavier scored 108 points in a triple overtime victory back in 2001.
The University of Toledo has accepted an invitation to Detroit, Mich. today to play in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl against Florida International (6-6, 6-2 Sun Belt) on Dec. 26 at 8:30 p.m. The Rockets finished the season 8-4, including a 7-1 league record.
The Mid-American Conference unveiled their poor attempt of All-MAC selections today, giving Toledo just one First-Team selection and six overall. The MAC coaches were in charge of choosing the teams and they dropped the ball. With as much as these coaches have to do on a regular basis, it is becoming more and more apparent that these coaches are too busy for the weekly rankings, let alone the responsibility of choosing All-Conference squads.
Malcolm Griffin has been through a lot since his arrival at the University of Toledo just over one year ago. The sophomore guard from Chicago, Ill. has endured coaching changes, the transfers of six of his former teammates and the worst season in Toledo history.
The Rockets battered winless Saint Peter's 61-33 in Jersey City, N.J. Tuesday night. After starting the season 1-3, Toledo has three-straight road wins including victories last weekend over Iona and Maryland, Baltimore County. "We talked about starting anew," Toledo head coach Tricia Cullop said.
Toledo had six players selected to All-Mid-American Conference postseason rosters yesterday. Eric Page was the only member of the Rockets named to the conference's First Team at wide receiver. The sophomore wide receiver also was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year.
Sophomore wide out Eric Page scored five touchdowns, including tossing his second touchdown pass of the year, for the Rockets in a 42-31 victory over Central Michigan on Friday at the Glass Bowl. The Toledo native hauled in two receiving touchdowns and returned two kickoffs along with a passing score to total 344 all-purpose yards.
Toledo secured the Iona Championship Classic Tournament yesterday with a 68-60 win against the host Gaels. The Rockets also topped Maryland, Baltimore County 77-72 on Saturday. The preseason Mid-American Conference West Division favorites came into the tournament with just a 1-3 record.
Illinois-Chicago hit a three-pointer with 7.8 seconds remaining to grab a 63-62 victory against the Rockets in Chicago, Ill. last night. The Flames also recorded a 57-51 win against UT in Savage Arena nine days ago. "There's no question it was a tough pill to swallow," Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk said.
Toledo lost their sixth-consecutive game to open the 2010 season falling 73-67 on the road at the Beeghly Physical Education Center against Yougstown State today. The Rockets have now lost their last 35 games on the road and are 1-50 in the last four seasons, with their last road win on March 2007 at Central Michigan.
Toledo's 14-game winning streak at Savage Arena was broken on Saturday in a 73-69 loss to Missouri State in the consolation finals of the Preseason WNIT. "I don't think everyone was ready to play when we came out to start, and that's on every single one of us," senior forward Melissa Goodall said.
Lose all three games in 2K Sports Classic over the weekend at Savage
With a 64-51 loss yesterday to College of Charleston, Toledo was swept this weekend in three games as part of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer in Savage Arena. The Rockets lost 57-51 on Friday to Illinois-Chicago (3-2) and 76-65 Saturday to Rhode Island (3-2).
The eighth-seeded Rockets women's volleyball team fell to No. 4 Northern Illinois 3-1 on Saturday in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Rockets advanced to the second round by defeating top-seeded Ball State 3-0 on Friday. "Sure I would have liked a better record," UT head coach Greg Smith said.
*Special to the IC*
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Following his first 10 games in the NBA, former Ohio State standout Evan Turner made his return to the Buckeye State on Tuesday. The Philadelphia rookie scored 16 points with nine rebounds in a 101-93 loss to the Cavaliers. The former OSU guard, who was selected second in last season's NBA Draft, was the Big Ten's Player of the Year in 2010 and earned the Naismith Award, given to the nation's most valuable player in college basketball.
The Rockets captured the Peace Pipe Trophy last night for the first time since 2006 in a 33-14 victory over Bowling Green at the Glass Bowl. Toledo racked up 537 yards of offense and forced the Falcons into four turnovers. "I feel relieved, we owed them," junior running back Adonis Thomas said.
Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk told the Independent Collegian yesterday that freshman point guard J.T. Thomas will make his debut this Friday at 7 p.m. against Illinois-Chicago. Thomas has missed the first two games of the season while recovering from a foot injury suffered over a month ago in preseason workouts.
The eighth seeded Toledo women’s volleyball team defeated ninth seeded Kent State 3-1 (25-22, 25-16, 16-25, 25-21) on Tuesday at Savage Arena to advance to the second round of the Mid-American Conference tournament. The Rockets will face top seed Ball State on Friday Nov.
In their second-straight game against a Top 25 opponent, the Rockets fell to No. 22 Temple 82-49 yesterday. Toledo opened their season on Nov. 10 at No. 13 Illinois with an 84-45 loss. “If I had to do this whole scheduling stuff all over again, I would do it again,” UT head coach Tod Kowalczyk said.
The Rockets will look to rebound from a 65-30 loss to Northern Illinois last week while trying to regain the Peace Pipe Trophy against arch-rival Bowling Green Wednesday in the Glass Bowl at 8 p.m. on ESPN 2. The award is given annually to the winner of the rivalry game.
Junior point guard Naama Shafir clinched a season-opening victory for Toledo after hitting a near half-court shot with 20 seconds remaining to give the Mid-American Conference West Division Champions a 71-66 victory over St. Francis (PA) in the opening round of the Preseason WNIT on Friday at Savage Arena.
The University of Toledo women’s cross country team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship yesterday. The Rockets have never competed in the championship meet in school history. “We felt all year that we are talented and tough enough to make it,” said Head Coach Kevin Hadsell.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Tod Kowalczyk era began in a losing effort for Toledo against No. 13 Illinois as the Rockets fell 84-45 in front of 15,333 at Assembly Hall last night. Toledo was held to 35.6 percent from the field and was outscored 34-14 in the paint.
Owens to make his first start after Dantin’s season-ending injury
With a spot in the Mid-American Conference Championship game likely at stake, Toledo travels to Dekalb to take on Northern Illinois in a battle of the league's last unbeatens tomorrow night at 7 p.m. on ESPN 2. "This is what we've worked for and now it's here," UT head coach Tim Beckman said.
The Toledo men's basketball team will travel to Champaign, Ill. to tip-off there regular season with a showdown against No. 13 Illinois in an opening round game for the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. "They are just normal people, just because they are ranked, we can't go in there scared and jittery," sophomore guard Malcolm Griffin said.
No. 1 seed Toledo fell 1-0 to No. 5 Western Michigan on Friday in the semifinals of the 2010 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Broncos lost 3-1 yesterday to Central Michigan, as the Chippewas earned their second consecutive MAC Tournament Championship.
The Toledo women’s basketball team downed Alaska Anchorage 63-37 last Thursday at Savage Arena. The Rockets shot 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from beyond the arc and 46.9 percent (23-of-49) overall from the floor in the 26-point victory. Senior Melissa Goodall led the Rockets’ offense with 13 points, netting 3-of-7 shots from three-point land and grabbed a team-high eight boards.
The Rockets defeated the University of Michigan-Dearborn 92-73 last night at Savage arena in the team's final exhibition game before traveling to Big Ten powerhouse Illinois next Wednesday to begin the regular season. "We still have a lot of work to do defensively and our offense was a little better tonight," sophomore guard Malcolm Griffin said.
With Toledo off to their best start since 2005, the Rockets have used an unfamiliar formula which fans haven't seen in the past few seasons—a team led by its defense. Toledo has had four players earn Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors this season, each coming within the year's first seven weeks.
The IC reviewed the Blue Jackets on Oct. 25 and the Red Wings on Oct. 28. The inaugural season for the Toledo Walleye was called a success by many as the team reached the East Coast Hockey League playoffs after posting a 35-30-7 record. “Last year, we had guys who were just driven for reasons outside of team success,” Walleye head coach Nick Vitucci told the Toledo Blade on Oct.
Improves to 5-0 with 42-7 win against EMU
YPSILANTI, Mich.—The Rockets are bowl eligible for the first time since 2005 after defeating Eastern Michigan 42-7 on Saturday. The Rockets lost starting sophomore quarterback Austin Dantin on the first play of Toledo's second possession. A source close to the team confirmed to the Independent Collegian last night that Dantin will miss the next six weeks, meaning he will not play in the final three games of the regular season.
Led by senior Ari Fisher’s second consecutive individual Mid-American Conference Championship, the women’s cross country team captured their third league title in school history this weekend. Fisher took the title with a time of 20:05.8 and became the fourth back-to-back women’s champion in the history of the MAC.
The Toledo women’s soccer team avenged their season-ending loss to Ball State with a 1-0 victory over No. 8 seed Ohio in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Sunday. The top-seeded Rockets had a chance to become the first undefeated team in league play in MAC history but lost to the Cardinals, who previously were winless in league play.
In their first game of the season the Rockets defeated Siena Heights 82-80 in an exhibition game on Saturday at Savage Arena. It was the first game for head coach Tod Kowalczyk after coming over from Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Rockets finished the season with a 4-28 record in 2009, and return just three players who started a game in senior Justin Anyijong, sophomore Malcolm Griffin and junior Jay Shunnar.
Toledo will look to run its record to 5-0 in conference play this Saturday as the Mid-American Conference Western Division's top team travels to last place Eastern Michigan on Saturday at 4 p.m. on SportsTime Ohio. The Rockets (5-3, 4-0 MAC) will look to avoid a letdown against the Eagles (1-7, 1-3) before they take on the league's only other unbeaten Northern Illinois (6-2, 4-0) on Tuesday, Nov.
Toledo looks to complete the first perfect league season in Mid-American Conference history in their regular-season finale against winless conference-foe Ball State in Muncie, Ind. at 3 p.m. today. "It would be very special and a great honor," junior Kristen Lynn said.
For the second consecutive season the Toledo women’s basketball team has been picked as the favorites to win the Mid-American Conference Western Division. UT received 40-of-48 votes in the preseason poll ahead of Eastern Michigan, who had the other eight.
Part 2 of 3:
The IC reviewed the Blue Jackets on Oct. 25 and will preview the Walleye on Nov. 1. The Detroit Red Wings have been arguably the most successful hockey franchise of the past decade and will once again be among the leagues elite in the 2010-11 season.
Despite trailing by 17 after one quarter of play, the Rockets improved to 4-0 in the Mid-American Conference with a come from behind 31-24 victory over Ball State Saturday night at the Glass Bowl. "The kids showed resilience to come back and fight and end up winning the football game" UT head coach Tim Beckman said.
The UT women's soccer team secured the top seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and at least a share of the regular-season conference title this weekend with 1-0 wins over both Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. All three teams were undefeated in conference play heading into the weekend.
Part 1 of 3: The IC will preview the Red Wings on Oct. 28 and the Walleye on Nov. 1
COLUMBUS – After making the playoffs in 2008, last season was a disappointment for the Columbus Blue Jackets as the team finished in last place in the Central Division with 79 points, the fourth-worst record in the NHL. That resulted in the hiring of Scott Arniel, a rookie head coach whose only experience in the NHL was as an assistant for the Buffalo Sabres from 2001-06.
Following a 34-21 win over Kent State which saw the Rockets score 27 unanswered in the second half, Toledo looks to remain unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play against Ball State this Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Glass Bowl. UT (4-3, 3-0 MAC) will be favored by their largest margin against any team so far this season, currently sitting at 11.
With the Rockets setting school records last week stretching their winning streak to eight and unbeaten streak to 11 games, the Rockets will be tested this week against league unbeatens Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. Toledo will take on the defending MAC Champion Chippewas tomorrow at 4 p.
Coming off the most explosive offensive performance of the year, the Rockets will host a struggling Ball State team Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Glass Bowl. The Rockets rattled off 27-unanswered points last weekend to come back and defeat Kent State to improve to 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference for the first time since 2005.
After trailing 21-7 at halftime, Toledo scored 27 unanswered and allowed just 34 yards in the second half, including -25 yards in the third quarter, to defeat Kent State 34-21 on Saturday in the Glass Bowl. "I thought our coaches and players did a good job of making some minor adjustments at the half," Toledo head coach Tim Beckman said.
The Rockets matched two school records extending their winning streak to eight games and unbeaten streak to 11 games with two wins this weekend at Kent State and Buffalo. Senior Brittany Hensler was the star of the weekend for Toledo (12-2-2, 8-0-0 Mid-American Conference), scoring the match-winning goal in both games.
The Toledo women’s cross country team finished ninth at the Pre-NCAA Invitational this weekend, the highest finish by a Mid-American Conference school in league history. “The team ran incredibly well,” UT head coach Kevin Hadsell said. “Our times were slowed by the slow early pace of the race, but in this sport the times don’t matter and the place does.
Toledo will try to rebound from a 57-14 blowout at No. 3 Boise State this week as it welcomes in Kent State to the Glass Bowl on Saturday at 7 p.m. UT (3-3, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) fell behind early against the Broncos, as BSU scored 36 points in the first half including their opening touchdown just over two minutes into the game.
The Rockets won their first game of the Mid-American Conference season last Saturday against MAC East Division leading Akron after falling to Ball State on Friday. Toledo will host Kent State tomorrow at 7 p.m. and Ohio on Saturday at 3 p.m. Saturday's match against the Bobcats will serve as "Dig Pink" in attempt to raise $1,000 in donations for breast cancer research.
Toledo looks to build on its lead in the Mid-American Conference as they go on the road this week against Kent State and Buffalo. Both KSU and the Bulls have struggled this season. The Golden Flashes (1-8-4) and Buffalo (1-12-1) have yet to win a league game this season as each has an 0-5-1 conference record.
After losing big at No. 3 Boise State last weekend, the Rockets return to the Glass Bowl to battle Kent State this Saturday. The loss sent Toledo to a 3-3 record but with only league games remaining, UT can turn their focus on the team’s number one goal, the Mid-American Conference Championship.
Sources close to the team told the Independent Collegian today that sophomore quarterback Austin Dantin will start Saturday's game at No. 4 Boise State. Redshirt-freshman quarterback Terrance Owens will also see playing time against the Broncos. Toledo head coach Tim Beckman said the starter would be determined by who practiced the best this week and the decision would come on Thursday.
Following three straight road wins, the Rockets looked like they had turned the corner with a season-defining win at Purdue with four touchdowns by sophomore quarterback Austin Dantin. UT followed it up with Dantin being benched in a 20-15 loss to Wyoming last week in their first game as a favorite this season.
Toledo sophomore outside hitter Sondra Parys is beginning to return to form after being sidelined by illness and injuries for several months. "I missed all of preseason and all of spring season last year," Parys said. "It has been hard and has been some time but it is good to be back.
Just a week ago sophomore quarterback Austin Dantin led Toledo to a 3-1 record and had a career game scoring four touchdowns and leading the Rockets to a 31-20 victory at Purdue. Meanwhile, redshirt-freshman Terrance Owens wasn't even listed in the top three of the depth chart.
Fresh off a disappointing loss to Wyoming, the Rockets schedule only gets tougher as they travel to No. 4 Boise State on Saturday. The Broncos have been perennial overachievers the last few years, making it hard for many to accept that they deserve such a high rating in the polls.
Trailing 20-0 with under a minute left in the third quarter on Saturday, the Rockets pulled sophomore starting quarterback Austin Dantin in favor of redshirt freshman Terrance Owens, who nearly led Toledo to a fourth quarter win in a 20-15 loss to Wyoming.
The Rockets have lost 10 of their last 12 games after dropping both contests this weekend. Toledo fell in four sets to Mid-American Conference West Division leading Eastern Michigan (24-26, 25-20, 25-23, 25-10) on Friday and in three sets against Central Michigan (25-19, 25-22, 27-25) on Saturday.
The Toledo women's soccer team extended their winning streak to five games with road wins over Akron and Ohio this weekend. The Rockets have not lost since Sept. 3 in a 4-1 game against Louisville. The victories give Toledo an 8-2-2 record on the season including a 4-0 mark in Mid-American Conference play.
Rockets kicker likely out for the season
Toledo junior kicker Ryan Casano has torn his ACL in practice and looks unlikely to return this season. Casano made just 2-of-7 kicks this season, with all five misses coming from over 40 yards. He also served as the team's kickoff specialist attempting all 17 this season for a 63.
After three straight road victories, including a 30-21 upset at Purdue, the Rockets return home to battle Wyoming in the 2010 Homecoming game Saturday at 7 p.m. This will be the first Toledo home game since Sept. 2 and head coach Tim Beckman looks forward to the opportunity to play at the Glass Bowl.
Both the Toledo men's and women's cross country teams had a player earn MAC Cross Country Runners of the Week honors after the Roy Griak Invitational this weekend in Minneapolis, Minn. Junior Jon DeWitt (25.40) earned the honor for the men's team after finishing 64th in a field featuring six nationally-ranked opponents.
Seniors Michelle Hui and Emily Hardcastle have been chosen as the captains for the UT women’s golf team for the 2010-11 season. “I am extremely pleased to announce that Michelle and Emily will be our captains this year,” head coach Nicole Hollingsworth said.
Coming off three straight victories on the road as an underdog, Toledo will play the role of the favorite for the first time this season with their matchup against a struggling Wyoming team on Saturday. Wyoming has a long way to go to become relevant, and this year's team has a lot of flaws that second-year head coach Dave Christensen must worry about.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.—The Rockets shocked Purdue with a 31-20 victory on the road at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday. Toledo has won three-straight road games and has the third-longest streak of consecutive seasons with a win over a BCS team by a non-BCS qualifier in NCAA history, accomplishing the feat in each of the last five seasons.
With losses this weekend on the road at Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, the Rockets have lost six straight and have won just two of their past 12 matches. "It was a frustrating weekend, let's put it that way," Toledo head coach Greg Smith said.
The Rockets opened their Mid-American Conference season with victories against Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. The wins improve Toledo to 6-2-2 overall for the season and 42-8-5 at home since 2005. The weekend began with a match at Scott Park against the Huskies.
Toledo returns to Purdue for the second-consecutive year this week with a pair of streaks on the line as they travel to West Lafayette, Ind. on Saturday at 12 p.m. The Rockets will try to avenge last season's 52-31 loss and look to be the fourth team in school history to win three-consecutive road games while also trying to defeat a BCS team for the fifth-straight season.
UT Athletic Director Mike O'Brien announced yesterday that the university has agreed to a contract extension with women's basketball head coach Tricia Cullop through the 2017-18 season. "The University of Toledo is truly a special place, and I feel very honored to receive a contract extension through 2018," Cullop said.
Former UT men's basketball head coach Gene Cross was hired yesterday as an assistant coach by the Utah Flash of the NBA Developmental League. "I am very excited to announce the addition of Gene Cross to the Utah Flash family," Flash head coach Kevin Young said according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Following the departure of former head coach Lars Jorgensen to Tennessee to take an interim assistant coaching position, the Rockets have replaced him with his former assistant Liz Hinkleman. "We are very pleased to name Liz Hinkleman as the head women's swimming and diving coach at the University of Toledo," UT Athletic Director Mike O'Brien said.
As the Toledo Rockets travel to West Lafayette, Ind. for Saturday’s game against the Boilermakers, they will be taking on an extremely injury-riddled squad. At quarterback Purdue has Robert Marve, a former highly-touted recruit who transferred from Miami Fla.
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The defense forced six turnovers and recorded seven sacks Saturday night as the Rockets won 37-24 at Western Michigan, improving to 2-0 in the Mid-American Conference. "We just continue to make big plays," sophomore linebacker Dan Molls said.
The Rockets lost their fourth-straight game Friday night against Michigan State in straight sets (25-23, 25-22, 31-29). The loss sends Toledo to 5-6 on the season while UT has lost six of their last eight games. “I think with Michigan State and the rest of our preseason we have really had to fight to score points,” Toledo Head Coach Greg Smith said.
Senior defensive end Alex Johnson suffered an injury in the fourth quarter of the Rockets 37-24 victory after attempting to wrap up Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder for a sack and colliding with teammate T.J. Fatinikun. Johnson was taken out on a stretcher from the locker room to an ambulance.
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Maybe we should have seen this coming. The Rockets defense showed flashes against No. 24 Arizona, trailing just 7-2 late in the first half, but were eventually wore down from poor field position, no offensive support and from just playing a talented Wildcats offense.
The Rockets will attempt to win back-to-back conference games for the first time since 2005 they battle Western Michigan at Waldo Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. Toledo is coming off a 20-13 victory against the defending Mid-American Coference East Divison Champions, the Ohio Bobcats.
A total of 21 UT baseball players recently closed out play in various collegiate summer leagues. Senior first baseman Jim Vahalik and senior pitcher Matt Zahel were each named to the Valley League All-Star Game. Vahalik hit 32-of-114 for a .281 average with 11 runs scored and 20 RBI in 33 games.
The UT men’s golf team moved ahead of three teams on Tuesday to tie for eighth place in the Marshall Invitational at the Guyan Golf and Country Club in Huntington, W. Va. The Rockets shot one-over par with a team score of 853 (287-283-283) at the par-71, 6,456-yard course.
Last season, Western Michigan looked like one of the more promising teams in the Mid-American Conference. They returned some major talent and were led by one of the more talented quarterbacks in the MAC, Tim Hiller. Yet the Broncos struggled in 2009, losing four of their final six games and failing to qualify for a bowl with a 5-7 record.
Defense shines for UT to open conference play with 20-13 win
ATHENS, Ohio – After losing their season opener 41-2 to Arizona, the Rockets topped defending Mid-American Conference East Division Champion Ohio on the road 20-13 in the opening game of MAC play. The victory kept the Bobcats at 499 wins in school history and was Toledo's 12th-straight win over OU.
The Toledo women's volleyball team lost three-of-four matches at the UW-Milwaukee Invitational in Wisconsin this weekend. Toledo jumped out to a quick start defeating Creighton (21-25, 26-24, 25-15, 23-25, 15-13) in a five-game thriller but won just two sets the remainder of the tournament.
Traven records shutout in draw against No. 23 Minnesota
The Rockets had a pair of double-overtime draws this weekend against Big Ten opponents home at Scott Park. Toledo tied Michigan 2-2 on Friday before playing to a scoreless draw against No. 23 Minnesota yesterday. Against a ranked Gophers team yesterday, junior goalie Vicki Traven made nine saves for her second complete-match shutout of the season.
The UT women’s golf team finished in 10th place yesterday at the Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich. “The course played tough today with some difficult pin placements and some windy conditions,” Toledo head coach Nicole Hollingsworth said. “We’re going to try to build on this finish against a tough field.
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions would be 1-0 if it weren’t for horrendous officiating. Trailing 19-14, Johnson caught a 25-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds remaining. The referee directly in front of the play signaled touchdown, but a second official overturned his call.
After a devastating 41-2 loss at home to Arizona last Friday, the Rockets enter Mid-American Conference play in the season’s second week against the defending MAC East Division Champions as they travel to Athens to face Ohio on Saturday night. Toledo has won 11 consecutive games against the Bobcats while OU is looking for their 500th win in team history.
The Rockets look to rebound this weekend at the Marquette/UW-Milwaukee Invitational after dropping two of three matches at the Bama Bash Tournament. Toledo fell to both host Alabama (25-20, 25-17, 25-23) and UAB (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) in straight sets.
Fresh off a 41-2 home loss to last season’s Pac-10 runner up Arizona, the schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Rockets as they travel to Athens on Saturday to face the defending Mid-American Conference East Champion Ohio University. The Bobcats have an impressive résumé, reaching the MAC Title in two of the past four years, but have been unable to take the next step under sixth-year head coach Frank Solich.
The Rockets fell in their home opener Friday night against Arizona 41-2 in front of a crowd of 25,907 in the Glass Bowl. Toledo managed just 183 yards of total offense while giving up a staggering 518 yards to the Wildcats. UT sophomore quarterback Austin Dantin was 14 of 23 for 103 yards and one interception while junior running back Adonis Thomas rushed for 52 yards on 10 carries.
The Rockets will begin their season at home as they welcome Pac-10 runner up Arizona to the Glass Bowl Friday on ESPN at 8 p.m. It will be the first time a Pac-10 team has played in a Mid-American Conference stadium. "The whole nation and the whole world's going to be watching," senior linebacker Archie Donald said.
The Rockets look to carry the momentum of their victory against No. 12 Michigan to the Bama Bash tournament this weekend. Toledo stunned the Wolverines in a thrilling five set match last Saturday giving them a perfect 3-0 record and claiming their sixth Rocket Classic Title.
When Arizona steps into the Glass Bowl on Friday night, they will be the first Pac-10 team to enter a Mid-American Conference stadium in league history. The Wildcats fielded a strong team in 2009, finishing behind just Oregon in the hunt for the conference title.
The IC’s 2010-11 football preview
With the 2010-11 season about to kick off on Friday as the Rockets face Arizona in the Glass Bowl at 8 p.m. on ESPN, the Rockets have one goal in mind—playing on Dec. 3 in the Mid-American Conference Championship. "Dec. 3, we want to be in that game," Toledo head coach Tim Beckman said.
The Rockets upset No. 12 Michigan Saturday night at Savage Arena en route to their second-straight Rocket Classic Championship. “This is one of the best feelings in the world,” junior captain Kassie Kadera said. “After we beat Louisville last year, all the returning players had the feeling we could do anything.
After upsetting Big Ten opponent Purdue to begin their regular season, the Rockets have cruised to a 3-1 start with recent victories coming against Morehead State and Youngstown State, outscoring opponents 12-5. Toledo opened their home campaign against Morehead State on Friday.
Toledo head coach Tim Beckman announced today that sophomore Austin Dantin will be the starting quarterback for the season opener against Arizona on Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Dantin played in seven games last season completing 79-of-119 passes (66.4%) for 962 yards and four touchdowns and four interceptions after replacing Aaron Opelt, who suffered a torn rotator cuff.
-The QB shuffle Although UT head coach Tim Beckman announced sophomore Austin Dantin as the starting quarterback for the 2010-11 season, he has also kept the door open for others announcing that “you will see all the quarterbacks in the [Arizona] game.
Replacing a star player is always difficult. Replacing a player like Barry Church is something else entirely. Safety Isaiah Ballard will have his chance to make a name for himself this season in wake of the four-time 1st team All-MAC performer's departure to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.
Losing seven seniors off a roster of 14 would be detrimental to many programs across the country, but thanks to players like Kassie Kadera, Toledo finds itself with an opportunity to make a run at the Mid-American Conference Championship. Kadera, a junior setter out of Aurora, Ill.
When the University of Toledo football team hits the field on their opener against Arizona on Sept. 3, it will also be the debut of ‘M.P.O.D. Inc.,' a 12-player group which lives by the motto "Make Plays or Die." M.P.O.D. Inc. is led by senior cornerback Desmond Marrow, and consists of running back Morgan Williams, wide receivers Eric Page, Kenny Stafford and Ed Williams, tight end Jerome Jones, offensive lineman Nate Cole, linebacker Archie Donald and defensive backs Diauntae Morrow, Taikwon Paige, Jermaine Robinson and Mark Singer.
Former Toledo wide receiver Stephen Williams made his professional debut with the Cardinals last Saturday as Arizona beat the Houston Texans 19-16. Williams and the Cardinals play in Tennessee against the Titans tonight on ESPN’s Monday Night Football at 8 p.
With his roster spot still up in the air, Barry Church took advantage of an injury-depleted safety spot and came up with one of the marquee plays in Saturday’s 16-14 victory preseason game in San Diego. The former Toledo safety scooped up a second-quarter fumble by Chargers running back Darren Sproles on the Cowboys (2-1) 13-yard line and returned it 80 yards before being tackled eight yards from the endzone.
Sophomore running back Jake Walker will be leaving the UT football program this season to transfer to Eastern Illinois. "Jake did a good job for us and I hate to see him leave," UT head coach Tim Beckman said. "He just made the decision to leave, and he will be good at Eastern Illinois.
The Rockets kicked off their season Saturday night with the first annual Blue-Gold match at Savage Arena. The Blue squad prevailed in three sets in the inter-squad scrimmage as their regular season debut is slated for Friday at Savage Arena. "I thought our transition offense was really good and our defensive plays, the way we were going to the floor and controlling the ball were all positive," UT head coach Greg Smith said.
Sources tell the Independent Collegian that former UT running back Jake Walker has transferred to Eastern Illinois. The 5-11, 210 pound sophomore from Delray Beach, Fla. ran for 67 yards on 16 carries in his rookie season in 2008 before being redshirted last year.
CANTON, Ohio – Former Toledo safety Barry Church played in his first professional game on Sunday, as his Dallas Cowboys topped the Cincinnati Bengals 16-7 in the NFL's preseason opener at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium. "It was the most nervous thing I've ever done in my life," Church said.
The Rockets will look a bit different on their season opener against Arizona on Sept. 3, with Toledo preparing to wear new uniforms for the upcoming 2010-11 season. The Rockets will officially unveil both the home and away uniforms on UT's Media Day on Saturday.
After signing head coach Lars Jorgensen to an extension through 2014 in April after winning the school's first ever Mid-American Conference championship, Jorgensen has left the Toledo swimming and diving program to take the assistant coaching job at Tennessee, his alma mater.
The University of Toledo football team was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference West Division on Friday at the MAC Media Day at Ford Field. "I think that because the kids are so young and we don't have a proven quarterback, I thought that they'd have us somewhere around that spot," Toledo head coach Tim Beckman said.
After being suspended for the final 13 games of the season, Toledo forward Mohammad Lo was suspended by first-year head coach Tod Kowalczyk from July 11-25. The Toledo Blade reported that sources told them it stemmed from "academic and disciplinary matters.
King turns to villian and what Cleveland can do to recover
By Zach Davis Sports Editor "When I look at myself, I'm not representing LeBron now. I'm representing the league, the city of Akron, the city of Cleveland… I'm not going to disappoint anybody." These words issued by former Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James during a 2007 Nike advertisement campaign went out the window last week with the phrase "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" as James instantly went from one of the most beloved to hated players in the NBA and solidified himself as one of the biggest villains in Cleveland sports history.
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is a bit emotional. I never saw that level of passion out of him before his reaction to the departure of LeBron James on Thursday night. He was always just a name, never a face. Now Gilbert is quickly becoming one of the more famous sporting figures in Cleveland, the yin to Art Modell's malevolent yang.
The free agent frenzy of 2010 is in full swing with the recent signings of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in Miami. The New "Big Three" signed last week after James made his decision during a primetime television special on ESPN. James may have renewed the hopes of championships in South Beach, but as for the teams left without James on their roster such as Cleveland, Chicago, New York and New Jersey, their shots at winning titles in the near future were hampered.
The UT baseball team saw many ups and downs during the 2010 season. Despite finishing under .500 in 2009, the Rockets reached the Mid-American Conference tournament finals before losing to Kent State. This year Toledo returned 25 lettermen in and a survey of MAC coaches saw that UT was picked to finish second in the MAC's East Division.
Stephen Strasburg: Believe the Hype CLEVELAND – After Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg’s historic MLB debut last Tuesday, many baseball fans wanted to see what he would do for an encore. As it turns out, Strasburg looks like he is already one of the game’s best pitchers.
IC Staff The University of Toledo men’s basketball team has added their third addition to the 2010 roster with recruit J.T. Thomas. “J.T. is an important piece to our puzzle because he is a guard and we obviously were lacking in that area,” Kowalczyk said.
Zach Davis Sports Editor Over the last week, the NCAA has seen dramatic changes to its conferences with Nebraska and Colorado leaving the Big 12 to join the Big Ten and Pac-10, respectively. Next week's developments could be even bigger with rumors of Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State among others leaving the Big 12 in ruins on their way to joining the Pac-10.
Joe Mehling IC Staff Writer Juniors Matt Suschak and Jared Hoying have signed on to play professionally after being selected on the second day of the 2010 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft on Tuesday. Of the draft's 50 total rounds, Suschak was chosen in the 7th round by the Atlanta Braves while Hoying was taken in the 10th round by the Texas Rangers.
It was a weekend to remember as solid pitching and a hit streak of historic proportions propelled the Rockets to a three-game sweep against Eastern Michigan this weekend at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich. The sweep gave Toledo 31 wins on the season, which is UT's first 30-win season since 1999.
Former UT basketball players Stephen Albrecht and Jake Barnett have chosen where they will play next season. Albrecht will be heading to Brown, while Barnett has chosen St. Louis. “I [considered Division II], but I just looked at my future and the possibility of having an Ivy League Degree was something I couldn’t pass up,” Albrecht said.
The day that Cavaliers fans have been dreading has finally come. The "Summer of LeBron" has begun. Following a terrible showing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, including the worst playoff loss in franchise history, Cleveland's best hope for breaking a 46-year drought without any major championship may soon be gone as two-time MVP LeBron James enters Free Agency.
The Mud Hens have battled inconsistency both on and off the field this season. Despite posting the lowest ERA in the International League at 3.41 and the second lowest WHIP at 1.31, Toledo needed wins yesterday and Saturday to pull above .500 at 20-18.
The Rockets 2010 campaign has come to an end after failing to qualify for the Mid-American Conference tournament. Toledo finished the season with a 12-39 overall record and a 4-18 record in the MAC. The Rockets finished their season with 14 straight games on the road, posting a 4-10 record, being outscored by 21 runs.
After visiting the University of Toledo campus last weekend, Wisconsin-Green Bay freshmen Rian Pearson and Matt Smith transferred to the Toledo basketball program on Monday. Both players played under new head coach Tod Kowalczyk last season and will sit out next year due to NCAA transfer rules.
The University of Toledo softball team swept Horizon League leader Cleveland State on the road yesterday 4-0, 4-3. The sweep was the first for the Rockets this season and just the second time this year UT has won back-to-back games. Cleveland State had won eight of their last nine games but left 21 runners on base in the series, losing twice to the same opponent for the first time this season.
The Rockets fought back from a 5-0 deficit Wednesday at Scott Park to defeat Wright State 9-8 in 12 innings and end their two-game losing skid. The walk-off single was provided by junior shortstop Chris Dudics, whose three-hit performance extended his hitting streak to 25 games.
Former University of Toledo players Barry Church and Stephen Williams have been signed as free agents following the NFL Draft. Church will join the Dallas Cowboys while Williams will be playing for the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals reached the Super Bowl in 2008 and both teams lost in the second round of the playoffs this year.
The Rockets halted a six-game losing streak and took two-of-three from Northern Illinois this weekend at Scott Park. "We won the series but I would have been happier [winning] three out of three," said Toledo Head Coach Cory Mee. "It's big in our conference to keep winning series' especially coming back and competing after having a rough patch there.
University of Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk secured his first recruit for the upcoming 2010 season on Saturday. Reese Holliday, a 6-4, 205 pound guard from Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kan., averaged 23.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his senior year, leading the Sabres to the Class 4A State Championship.
After splitting the series against Miami (OH) on Friday, the Rockets were swept in a two-game series against Ball State. The Rockets rallied in game two to defeat the RedHawks 11-6 after suffering a nine-run loss earlier in the day. UT was on the brink of splitting the series against Ball State after a 10-1 defeat on Saturday, but the Cardinals devastated Toledo with a walk-off home run to win 13-12 on Sunday.
With the 2010 NFL Draft taking place tonight, the IC Sports staff has combined its NFL knowledge to produce our second annual mock draft. The draft order was picked at random for our five staff members. IC Staff Writers Joe Mehling and Tony Bibler drew the first two picks with St.
The Rockets couldn’t stop the bleeding Wednesday as they fell 9-7 to visiting Cleveland State at Scott Park for their sixth loss in a row. “We need to play better,” Toledo head coach Cory Mee said. “Our formula for success is to pitch, play defense and hit in the clutch, and right now we’re not doing it as well as we can.
Former Iowa State guard Dominique Buckley will transfer to Toledo and be eligible to compete for the Rockets beginning in the 2011-12 season, Toledo Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk announced Tuesday. After Buckley sits out the 2010-11 season, he will have two years of eligibility left at UT.
On a cool, windy night at the Glass Bowl that felt more like a game in October, the Blue team defeated the Gold Team 21-14 in the annual spring game as the Rockets embark on their second season under Toledo Head Coach Tim Beckman. A one-yard touchdown run from junior running back Morgan Williams and subsequent two-point conversion pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Dantin to freshman wide receiver Edward Williams with 1:04 to play sealed the victory for the Blue team, who had 311 yards of total offense in the game compared to the Gold team's 193.
After a disappointing 5-7 year in which the Rockets lost four of their last five games, the UT football team took the field for the first time in the 2010 season in Friday’s spring game. It was the first occasion that Toledo played without key players from last year’s team, such as defensive star Barry Church and offensive starters including quarterback Aaron Opelt, running back DaJuane Collins and wide receiver Stephen Williams.
It was a weekend for the Rockets to forget as they were swept at home in three games set against arch-rival Bowling Green. The sweep knocked Toledo out of a tie for first in the Mid-American Conference West standings and into third place. The Rockets pitching staff allowed BGSU to rack up 32 total runs during the series.
The Rockets dropped three-of-four games this weekend by a combined total of six runs. “Every game matters, but there are still a lot of games left and what’s done is done and we just have to move on,” Toledo Head Coach Tarrah Beyster said. “These were very close games this weekend, but we have to move on to the following weekend.
After a 5-7 season last year, the Rockets will try to continue to their rebuilding process in head coach Tim Beckman's second year of Toledo's self-proclaimed "new era" with their annual Blue and Gold spring game at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the Glass Bowl. After 15 days of practice and a winter of work, both squads are excited to showcase their talent, not to mention earn the steak dinner and bragging rights that the victors will claim until the team reconvenes in early August for two-a-days.
"We were jumping around. The stadium was going crazy. I ran down [the field] and it was just like the whole stadium stopped, and I was just laying there like ‘Wow.'" That was the last play senior cornerback Desmond Marrow took part in for the Rockets after suffering a season-ending injury covering the opening kickoff at Northern Illinois on Oct.
The official Web site for Northern Illinois athletics references Toledo and depicts them as the “Evil Empire.” The site, NIUHuskies.com, contains a splash page which lists NIU head coach Jerry Kill’s top 10 reasons to buy season tickets for the Huskies.
The Rockets lost 8-4 on Tuesday at Michigan, ending their winning streak at eight games. "It was a good ball game," UT head coach Cory Mee said. "Early on, Michigan jumped out front and had a couple of homeruns early in the game. Our guys fought back and got it back to 5-4.
The Rockets traveled to Amherst Audubon Field and swept a three-game set from the Buffalo over the weekend. The sweep is UT's eighth-straight win and their 14th victory in the last 16 games, last losing at Ohio State. Toledo's lone Mid-American Conference loss came over two weeks ago when they dropped a 2-1 decision at Scott Park against defending MAC Champion Kent State.
After sophomore forward Ian Salter told the Independent Collegian he would not be returning to the Rockets on Wednesday, the University of Toledo basketball program announced that sophomore guard Larry Bastfield and freshmen guards Josh Freelove and Neil Watson would also be leaving the team.
The Rockets suffered back-to-back losses this weekend against arch-rival Bowling Green. Toledo was outscored 12-2 over the weekend, falling to 7-26 on the season and just 1-5 in Mid-American Conference play. "BG is a big rival, and I knew the girls were really excited about heading down to Bowling Green to take on the Falcons," Toledo head coach Tarrah Beyster said.
Toledo men's basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk told the Independent Collegian yesterday that forward Mohammad Lo would return next year for his senior season. Lo was suspended by former head coach Gene Cross for the final 13 games of the season after an altercation in practice with former freshman guard Jake Barnett.
The Rockets posted back-to-back wins in games against Olivet College at home on Tuesday and at Cleveland State on Wednesday to run their winning streak to a season-high five games. Toledo's 27-8 victory against Olivet marked the biggest offensive output of the season and the largest since the Rockets beat Wayne State 30-7 on April 24, 2002.
Freshman guard Malcolm Griffin told the Independent Collegian yesterday that he will return next season and not seek a transfer from the program after former head coach Gene Cross' resignation last month. Griffin was Toledo's third-leading scorer at 7.
The Rockets traveled to Akron over the weekend and swept all three games from the Zips at Lee Jackson Field. Toledo (16-9, 5-1 Mid-American Conference) caught fire against the Zips (14-12, 2-4 MAC) and posted a blistering .434 team average. Leading the charge for UT was back-to-back MAC West player of the week Jared Hoying.
The Toledo softball team lost three-of-four games at home this weekend against Mid-American Conference West Division foes Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. The Rockets lone victory was a 6-5 win over the Eagles in the first game of a double-header on Friday.
The University of Toledo named former Wisconsin-Green Bay head coach Tod Kowalczyk as the 18th men's basketball coach in UT history at Savage Arena on Tuesday. Kowalczyk posted a 136-112 record for the Phoenix in his eight seasons, including back-to-back 22-win seasons and invites to the College Basketball Invitational.
Holding a 3-2 lead over Ohio State heading into the bottom of the eighth inning yesterday in Columbus, the Rockets surrendered two consecutive RBI singles to the Buckeyes, losing 4-3. The loss was UT's 17th-straight to Ohio State (14-7). However, the Buckeyes—who lost three-of-four games heading into the contest—had also averaged 15.
Sophomore guard Clare Aubry asked for and was granted a release from her scholarship and received it on March 24, citing playing time as one reason she is planning to transfer. "I love to play the game and I just feel like a piece of me is missing, so I'm trying to get that back," Aubry said.
The University of Toledo named former Wisconsin-Green Bay Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk the next men's basketball coach at UT in Savage Arena today. Kowalczyk posted a 136-112 record for the Phoenix in his eight seasons, including back-to-back 22-win seasons and invites to the College Basketball Invitational.
After losing 2-1 on Friday, the Rockets came back and swept both games of a double-header on Saturday to win the series against Kent State. The Golden Flashes beat Toledo 5-3 in the Mid-American Conference Championship game last season. Pitching was the difference for Toledo (13-8, 2-1 MAC) in the series as six pitchers combined to give up just four runs all series, three of which were earned.
In the wake of former UT men’s basketball coach Gene Cross’ resignation, the future of many of UT’s players at the university are in doubt. One of them was not freshman guard Jake Barnett – or so we thought. On March 14, I attended a press conference with both Barnett and junior forward Justin Anyijong, who stood up as captains and responded to the questions that Cross unfairly left them to answer, leaving just three days before.
In their first meet at the renovated UT Track, the Toledo track and field team won the Toledo Collegiate Challenge with a total score of 144 points, ousting Mid-American Conference rivals Bowling Green (131) and Ohio (127) in the process. “I’m pleased that we won,” Toledo Head Coach Kevin Hadsell said.
After a 15-3 victory at Dayton, the UT baseball team dominated Oakland 20-4 yesterday at Scott Park for their fourth consecutive win. The Rockets (11-7) were led offensively by junior shortstop Jared Hoying, who was 3 for 3 with two runs, two RBI and one stolen base against the Golden Grizzlies.
Freshman guard and co-captain Jake Barnett has requested and received a release from his scholarship after saying on March 14 that he would be back with the team next season. "When you make a commitment for something, it's your word," Barnett said in the March 14 press conference about former head coach Gene Cross' departure.
After a season of injuries at the quarterback position last year, the University of Toledo football program is again looking to find a new signal-caller. Four-year starter Aaron Opelt graduated but left the Rockets showing the exciting promise that head coach Tim Beckman's new offense displayed in just its first year of installation.
The Rockets dropped both games yesterday in South Bend against No. 24 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish dominated the first contest winning 11-0 in just five innings while allowing just one hit by Toledo. Despite early success in the second game, the Rockets fell 8-4.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Toledo women's basketball team's season came to a close in the place it began with a 72-57 loss to Michigan in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament yesterday. The Rockets opened the year with a closed-door scrimmage at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Toledo women's softball team lost three-of-five games this weekend at the Miami (OH) Invitational in Oxford, Ohio and is now 6-19 this season. The Rockets went 1-1 against Robert Morris, were victorious over Canisius and defeated by both Michigan State and host Miami.
The Rockets traveled to Cincinnati and took two-of-three games from the Bearcats at Marge Schott Stadium over the weekend. Junior infielder Jared Hoying hit .438 (7 for 16) over the three games, knocked in seven runs and hit four home runs, three of which came in the opener of a double-header on Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore right-hander Kyle Shaw pitched all nine innings in a shutout yesterday as the Rockets won their home opener 4-0 over IPFW to improve to 7-6 on the season. Shaw recorded four strikeouts and gave up just three hits to the Mastodons (1-13), improving his record to 2-1 with the performance.
The Rockets welcome Big-East foe Pittsburgh to Savage Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. to kick off the first-round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament. This year marks the sixth time that UT has been involved in the WNIT, last playing in 2003. Tickets are on sale now at $5 for students and $11 for general admission.
The Rockets spilt a pair of games against Southern Utah University yesterday afternoon at Scott Park. Toledo took the first game 7-3 but fell in the second game 8-5 as their record moves to 4-16 on the season. Sophomore Erin Gates and freshman Erinn Wright led the Rockets as both players went 5 for 8 with two RBI.
CLEVELAND — In a match up of the Mid-American Conference's top two seeds, the UT women's basketball team trailed by one with just 90 seconds remaining but allowed eight unanswered points in a 62-53 loss to No. 1 Bowling Green in the MAC Championship game at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday.
Gene Cross resigned as the head coach of the UT men's basketball team on Thursday, just three days after Athletic Director Mike O'Brien received an accusatory letter about Cross. The Independent Collegian submitted a public records request for the letter on Saturday morning that has yet to be fulfilled.
Shocked. Surprised. These were just a couple of the words that players and coaches from the Toledo men's basketball team uttered after their head coach Gene Cross stepped down on Thursday. Though some believed that Cross could've been fired after his team posted a 4-28 record this season, quitting was an unexpected turn of events.
The Rockets were victorious in one of four games this past weekend in the Johnny Gill Memorial Tournament held in Rock Hill, S.C., and are now 6-6 on the season after the three-day tournament. Toledo was led by senior catcher and infielder Aaron Dudley, who went 6-for-15 with four RBI and batted .
University of Toledo Athletic Director Mike O'Brien announced that Gene Cross has stepped down as men's basketball coach. "We would like to thank Gene for his efforts on behalf of the men's basketball program and wish him well in his future endeavors," O'Brien said.
The Rockets suffered an 89-84 overtime loss Tuesday night in the season-finale against Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, Mich. "I think we showed a lot of heart coming back despite the deficit to force overtime," Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop said. "The unfortunate thing was that in overtime we had some turnovers that absolutely killed us.
Since Pistons' president of basketball operations Joe Dumars dealt team captain and 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson two games into the 2008-09 season, Detroit has gone just 58-83 and in all likelihood will miss the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
Former Toledo football players Barry Church and Stephen Williams participated in the 2010 Scouting Combine over the past week in Indianapolis as they prepare for the NFL draft. The combine, held from Feb. 24-March 2, puts players through various drills, tests and interviews in front of more than 600 NFL personnel.
Junior Aleksander Elezovic was named the Mid-American Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week yesterday after earning three individual victories and two doubles wins last week in matches against Butler University, Wayne State and the University of Notre Dame.
School record losing streak stops at 19 games
The Rockets snapped the school's longest losing streak at 19 games on Saturday night at Savage Arena as they defeated the Mid-American Conference West Division leader Ball State 45-42. With the loss, the Cardinals fell into a three-way tie for the top spot with Central Michigan (14-14, 8-7 MAC) and Eastern Michigan (16-13, 8-7 MAC).
For the first time in school history, the University of Toledo swimming and diving team became Mid-American Conference Champions on Saturday after piling up 670.5 total points over the course of four days of competition at the championships, which were held at Miami (OH) in Oxford.
The Toledo women's basketball team clinched their fifth Mid-American Conference West Division title after a 62-48 victory over Ball State at Savage Arena Saturday on Senior Day. The Rockets remain one game behind Bowling Green for the MAC regular season championship.
The UT baseball team opened the 2010 season over the weekend with a 2-1 record in the Service Academies Classic. The Rockets return 25 letterwinners to a team that lost 5-3 to Kent State in the finals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament last season.
The Rockets fell to Western Michigan 61-41 last night, extending the school's longest losing streak to 19 games. Toledo trailed by as many as 25 and was outscored 30-8 inside the paint. "That's why they shot 54 percent, because they got points in the paint and we didn't," Toledo Head Coach Gene Cross said.
The Rockets staked at least a partial claim in the Mid-American Conference West Division title with their 77-68 victory Wednesday night at Central Michigan on Senior Night. With the victory, UT (21-6, 11-3 MAC) can claim sole possession of the West Division title with a win in one of their final two regular season games.
After posting a league-best 43-11 record throughout the first 54 games of the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers made the biggest move of the trade deadline, acquiring two-time All-Star forward Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards. Though failing to entice Phoenix to part with Amar’e Stoudamire, the Cavs still were able to fleece Washington by acquiring Jamison, along with point guard Sebastian Telfair of the Clippers, in a three-team deal while only giving up center Zydrunus Ilgauskas and a first round pick.
The return of senior forwards Tanika Mays and Allie Clifton could not help the Rockets as they suffered their sixth loss of the season 73-67 Saturday at Northern Illinois. With the loss, UT (20-6 Mid-American Conference) remains first in MAC West division but falls behind Bowling Green (21-6, 11-2 MAC) for the best record in the conference.
The Tarrah Beyster era in Toledo Softball began this weekend as the first year head coach led the Rockets into the 2010 season with a 1-4 record in the First Pitch Classic in Charlotte, N.C. “I’m very excited to be a part of the Rocket family,” Beyster said.
Despite trailing by just one at halftime, the Rockets losing streak hit 18 games as they fell to Horizon League foe Cleveland St. 87-63 on Saturday. The Vikings shot an incredible 74 percent (20 for 27) from the field, outscoring Toledo 53-30 in the second half.
The Rockets lost a school record 17th-consecutive game last night to Eastern Michigan 58-42. The losing streak also ties Fordham for the longest in the nation. When the Rockets lost 74-59 on the road against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 13, freshman guard Malcolm Griffin guaranteed a win.
For most students, attending college means doing so at the local university or within a few hours from home. Imagine what it would be like to attend college in a foreign country roughly 6,000 miles away from your hometown where the people speak an entirely different language.
The 2009-10 Rockets have endured a year unlike any Toledo has ever seen, as UT is on pace to complete the worst season in school history. Since winning three-of-four games with their last victory coming on Dec. 10 against IPFW, the Rockets are tied with Fordham for the nation’s longest losing streak at 17 games, nearly doubling the previous school record of nine tied by last year’s squad.
The Rockets ran their win streak at Savage Arena to 11-consecutive games with a 65-41 victory over divisional foe Western Michigan in front of 4,225 fans on Saturday. The game held a "Rockets for a Cure" theme, including an auction of UT's special pink, game-worn jerseys following the game, with proceeds going to the Susan G.
Toledo lost 63-46 at Central Michigan last night for its school-record 16th-consecutive loss. The Rockets (3-23, 0-12 Mid-American Conference) are now 0-28 on the road under head coach Gene Cross and just 1-43 away from Savage Arena since the 2007-08 season.
A short-handed UT defeated Akron 74-68 at Savage Arena last night. Toledo was without senior forwards Tanika Mays and Allie Clifton. Mays hyperextended her knee in practice and Clifton is still battling with plantar fasciitis. "I'll take a win any day," UT Head Coach Tricia Cullop said.
On Monday, Toledo Head Football Coach Tim Beckman announced the addition of Louis Ayeni, Scott "Izzy" Isphording and Glen Elarbee to the Rockets' football staff. "We are very fortunate to have Izzy, Louis and Glen join the Rocket family," Beckman said.
The Rockets lost a school-record 15th-consecutive game last night in a 55-47 loss at Miami (OH), extending the original record of 10. Gene Cross continued his winless record on the road in his two seasons as head coach for UT, running his record to 0-27.
Sophomore swimmer Laura Lindsay was named the Counsilman Hunsaker National Collegiate Swimmer of the Week on Tuesday after her performances in the Rockets 159-135 victory in their regular season finale at Buffalo last Saturday. Lindsay finished in first place in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke with NCAA “B” qualifying times of 1:02.
After tying the score at 59 on Saturday, the Rockets went scoreless in the final 4:46 of the game for their 14th-straight loss, falling 65-59 at home to Buffalo. The Rockets also let a close game slip away at home on Thursday in a 65-58 overtime loss against Ohio.
The Rockets responded from Wednesday’s loss against Kent State with a 76-54 victory over Ohio University on Saturday at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio. “The loss on Wednesday took a lot of wind out of our sails, but I thought our players responded and played extremely well today,” Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop said.
UT Head Coach Tim Beckman announced his 2010 football recruiting class yesterday at Savage Arena. The group of 26 ranks as the No. 1 class in the Mid-American Conference by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, two of the top recruiting analyzers in the nation.
After leading by double digits at halftime, the Rockets were outscored 11-3 in the final two minutes last night in a 62-59 loss at Kent State. "Kent outplayed us in the second half," Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop said. "They were more aggressive. I thought they wanted it more.
On Tuesday afternoon, the University of Toledo Athletic Department unveiled the estimated $9 million Fetterman Training Center to the media, with the official dedication and tour for fans coming this Saturday prior to the men's basketball game against Buffalo.
Drop record 12th-consecutive game, 0-26 on road in Cross’ two-year tenure
The Rockets dropped their 12th-straight game on Monday night 58-47 to Bowling Green. The loss adds to the longest losing streak in Toledo history and marks the 26th-straight road loss for UT under Head Coach Gene Cross. “They’re disappointed with the loss, but I will not allow them to be down,” Cross said.
The Rockets dropped their 10th-straight game Tuesday night as they fell to Kent State 69-49. The game was decided after a 20-0 run by the Golden Flashes which spanned over the first and second half. Toledo failed to score 50 points for the seventh time this season.
In May 2001, Curt Miller took over a struggling Bowling Green women’s basketball program that finished the previous season with an 11-18 overall record. Miller entered this season with 179 total wins (fourth-most all-time in Mid-American Conference history) and recently garnered his 100th MAC victory.
The UT women’s basketball team maintained first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division and escaped with a 69-67 overtime victory in Buffalo last night after letting a 14-point lead slip away in the second half. “It was obviously an ugly game,” Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop said.
\ Senior forward Tanika Mays' career-high 28 points helped push the shorthanded Rockets past Eastern Michigan in a 72-63 victory last night in Savage Arena. The victory moved Toledo into sole possession of first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division standings.
Toledo dropped its sixth-straight game last night at Eastern Michigan, falling 74-59. The 15-point loss marks the 12th loss of the season by 10 or more points for the Rockets, who have won just once in their last 37 road contests dating back to the 2007-08 season and are now 0-22 on the road under Toledo Head Coach Gene Cross.
Well, it’s time to put you on notice. The Toledo women’s basketball team is off to their best start in 11 years and is on pace to go down as one of the finest teams in program history. In just her second season with the Rockets, UT Head Coach Tricia Cullop has completely changed the landscape of the program.
Senior forward Tanika Mays’ 22 points and 13 rebounds led the Rockets to a 74-60 victory in front of a season-high 3,394 fans Saturday afternoon at Savage Arena. “I just come out and play and do what I need to do for my team,” Mays said. “My plan is to do everything I can to help my team win every time I take the court.
The UT men’s basketball team’s offensive struggles continued on Saturday in the Mid-American Conference opener as the Rockets lost 59-48 at home against Central Michigan. “That was a very ugly game,” Toledo Head Coach Gene Cross said. “They came out and jumped on us.
The Toledo swimming and diving team won the opening three events but could not upset unbeaten Ohio State in a 161-133 loss at the UT Student Rec Center on Saturday. “We fought hard today and it was a really close competition,” UT Head Coach Lars Jorgensen said.
Toledo Head Coach Tricia Cullop had seen enough yesterday as her team trailed by 17 points at halftime. "I said you three captains need to talk [to the team]," Cullop said. "I'll see you at the three minute mark and I walked out." The Rockets responded by overcoming a 19-point deficit in the second half for a 68-65 victory over No.
The Rockets put together a second-half comeback after scoring just 19 points in the first half but fell short 66-56 to Wright State on Tuesday. The loss sends Toledo to a 2-7 record and snaps their two-game winning streak. "You have to put two halves together," said Toledo Head Coach Gene Cross.
Is it possible for the Tigers to trade two former All-Stars, including the face of the franchise in center fielder Curtis Granderson and starting pitcher Edwin Jackson, and actually be better off? In this case, absolutely. While Detroit may not see the dividends immediately, the Tigers received a slew of valued prospects, including SP Max Scherzer and relief pitcher Daniel Schlereth from Arizona and CF Austin Jackson and RP Phil Coke from the Yankees.
Freshman co-captain Jake Barnett recorded a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 76-67 victory over the University of Maryland Baltimore County at Savage Arena on Saturday. Barnett was one of three UT freshmen to score in double figures for the Rockets (2-6, 0-0 Mid-American Conference), who won their second consecutive game of the season.
Freshman Kenzie Bagan and her record-setting pace in the 200 butterfly helped the Toledo swimming and diving team place third out of seven teams at the Eastern Michigan Invitational this weekend in Ypsilanti, Mich. Bagan, who nearly broke the school-record a month ago in a dual meet against Miami (OH), edged Taryn Smith's old record of 2:03.
Freshman Kiah Douglas and juniors Amanda Kaverman and Alex Alfoari finished in first place in their respective events on Saturday at the Findlay Oiler Opener to begin the indoor season. “Overall, it was a very good opening meet for us,” said UT Head Coach Kevin Hadsell.
The Rockets' offense hit on all cylinders Friday night as senior running back DaJuane Collins and sophomore running back Morgan Williams combined for 299 rushing yards as UT cruised to a 47-21 win over Eastern Michigan on Senior Night in the Glass Bowl.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In front of a crowd of 14,759 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. on Friday night, UT guard Stephen Albrecht poured in a game-high 20 points but the young Rockets were outmatched by No. 2 ranked Michigan State as they fell 75-62 in the regional game of the Legends Classic.
A trio of Toledo volleyball players received postseason Mid-American Conference honors this past Friday. Freshman outside hitter Sondra Parys earned All-Freshman team honors, while sophomores Kassie Kadera and Amber DeWeerdt were second-team All-MAC selections.
The Rockets defeated Saint Peters 68-50 at Savage Hall on Saturday to improve to 3-1 on the season. Toledo was led by senior guard Tanika Mays who scored 14 points while freshman center Yolanda Richardson added 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots.
UT senior quarterback Aaron Opelt suffered a partial tear of his right rotator cuff against Western Michigan on Oct. 10. Opelt has missed two games and parts of two others since the injury. "There's just a little tear in the back of my shoulder, and that's what I'm battling right now," said Opelt after UT's loss to Central Michigan on Wednesday night.
The UT women’s basketball team won 72-62 against Cleveland State to open the season at 1-1 in a pair of home games. “We couldn’t wait for this win,” said sophomore guard Naama Shafir. “We know we’re and good team and we can win. We played good and had a lot of energy.
Rockets pull within three late, doomed by 21 turnovers
The Rockets rallied in the second half Saturday night but could not catch up to Eastern Illinois, losing to the Panthers 72-62 at Savage Arena. It was the first ever meeting between the two teams. “EIU is a very seasoned team,” said Toledo Head Coach Gene Cross.
Toledo volleyball team to face Bowling Green in first round
The Rockets spilt a set of away matches to end the regular season this weekend, falling to Ball State 3-0 on Friday but regrouping to defeat Buffalo 3-1 on Saturday. With the win over Buffalo, Toledo finishes the season in a three-way tie for second place in the Mid-American Conference West Division with Central Michigan and Northern Illinois.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Senior quarterback Dan LeFevour and the Central Michigan offense moved the ball at will against Toledo last night in a 56-28 win, matching a season high in points. The Chippewas beat Eastern Michigan 56-8 in their previous home game.
When it comes to sports, obstacles, hurdles and challenges are just part of a packaged deal. If there is anyone in Toledo’s field of athletics who understands this, it’s men’s head basketball coach Gene Cross. A season after going 7-25 (5-11 Mid-American Conference) in his head coaching debut, Cross knows there will be growing pains with a young and relatively inexperienced roster that includes no returning seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and nine freshmen, but he feels that last season’s woes have better prepared him as a coach.
After leading the Toledo women’s volleyball team to wins over Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan last weekend, sophomore setter Kassie Kadera was announced Monday as the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week. It is the first time Kadera has earned the honor.
After losing their last matchup to previously winless Miami (OH) on Oct. 31, Toledo will travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich. to take on league-unbeaten Central Michigan on Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. The Rockets (4-5, 2-3 MAC) hit the low point of their season last week following a last minute fumble at the goal line by sophomore tight end Danny Noble with 61 seconds remaining.
Nine games into the season, it’s no surprise to see Central Michigan atop the Mid-American Conference standings. If the Chippewas (7-2, 5-0 MAC) had not let their matchup last year against Ball State slip away, we would likely be seeing CMU raise the MAC Championship for the fourth-straight season in 2009.
The fifth-seeded Rockets lost 4-2 to No. 1 Central Michigan in penalty kicks after battling to a scoreless tie after two overtimes on Friday in the Mid-American Conference tournament semi-finals. The Chippewas (16-3-3, 9-0-2 MAC) won their first MAC Championship on Sunday after a 1-0 victory over Miami (OH).
One year ago, UT freshman center and Toledo native Yolanda Richardson was prepping for her final season of high school basketball at Start, one in which she helped lead the Spartans to a 22-3 record and their first appearance in the state finals. Last Thursday, she made her college debut and helped Toledo prepare for the regular season in an 88-64 exhibition victory over Ashland at Savage Arena.
Swimming tops Miami (OH) and OU The Toledo swimming and diving team won both home meets this weekend at the UT Student Recreation Center pool over visiting Mid-American Conference teams Miami (OH) and Ohio to improve to 8-1 (4-0 MAC) this season. The RedHawks and Bobcats have combined to win 26-of-29 MAC Championships since 1981.
` The UT women’s soccer team looks to win their fourth-consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship this weekend in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The fifth-seeded Rockets will take on No. 1 Central Michigan on Friday at 11 a.m. with the winner advancing to the championship game on Sunday to face the winner of No.
After a promising start to the 2009 season for the UT football team, the Rockets have struggled in recent weeks, losing three out of their past four games and falling out of contention for the Mid-American Championship. In their “new era” under first-year head coach Tim Beckman, Toledo (4-5, 2-3 MAC) has shown signs of improvement from last year’s 3-9 squad.
After being picked to finish last in the Mid-American Conference West Division last season, the Toledo women’s basketball team went 18-13 (11-5 MAC) under first-year head coach Tricia Cullop and ended the year as the second-ranked team in the division.
Church named Jim Thorpe Semi-Finalist Toledo safety Barry Church was named one of the 12 semi-finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award yesterday, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. Church is eighth in the Mid-American Conference in tackles this season with 82 (7.
The Toledo women’s soccer team defeated Ohio 3-1 yesterday in the opening round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The fifth-seeded Rockets came away with the victory after goals from sophomores Kristen Lynn and Jamie Morsillo and senior Ali Leak.
Sophomore Ari Fisher won the individual Mid-American Conference Championship and the UT women’s cross country team finished second overall for the conference title in Athens, Ohio on Saturday. Fisher is the school’s first women’s MAC Champion since Briana Shook won back-to-back titles in 2001-02.
OXFORD, Ohio — After a 99-yard drive led by their third-string quarterback on UT's final possession, the Rockets fumbled at the goal line giving Miami (OH) their first win of the season on Saturday, 31-24. Junior quarterback Alex Pettee drove Toledo down the field with just over seven minutes remaining after the departures of injured quarterbacks Aaron Opelt and Austin Dantin, but a fumble by sophomore tight end Danny Noble bounced out of bounds in the end zone, giving the RedHawks a touchback with just 1:01 remaining.
Swimming finishes in first place at EMU The Rockets recorded three victories this weekend and are now 6-1 in the fall portion of their 2009-10 season. On Saturday at the Eastern Michigan Tri-Meet in Ypsilanti, Mich., Toledo posted wins over host Eastern Michigan (167.
The Rockets could see senior quarterback Aaron Opelt return to the lineup on Saturday as they look to push for bowl eligibility with a road game against winless Miami (OH). Opelt and freshman backup Austin Dantin have been cleared to play this week, and Opelt has been practicing with the first-team offense.
The Rockets end the Mid-American Conference regular season today as they renew their rivalry with Bowling Green at Scott Park at 3 p.m on BCSN. "Every time we face BG, something is always on the line," said UT Head Coach Brad Evans. Toledo (9-6-3, 5-3-2 MAC) is guaranteed a spot in the MAC tournament and will play its first-round match on Sunday, Nov.
The Toledo women's basketball team has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the Mid-American Conference West Division for the upcoming 2009-10 season. The conference's head coaches and 24 members of the league's media contingent comprised the vote.
Senior wide receiver Stephen Williams broke UT's career receiving record, but couldn't carry the Rockets past Temple's top-ranked Mid-American Conference defense as the Owls trumped Toledo in the Glass Bowl 40-24. Toledo (4-4, 2-2 MAC) dropped to fourth place in the MAC West Division with the loss, while Temple (5-2, 4-0) took sole possession of first place in the MAC East Division with the victory.
The UT women’s volleyball team improved to 5-5 in conference play with victories at home this weekend against Bowling Green and Miami (OH). The Rockets dominated the Mid-American Conference’s second-place team in the East Division with a 3-0 victory over Miami on “Dig Pink Night” Friday at Savage Arena.
The Toledo women’s soccer team went 0-1-1 this weekend, falling to Eastern Michigan 2-1, but battled the Mid-American Conference leading Central Michigan to a scoreless tie. The Rockets started the weekend with a visit to Scicluna Field in Ypsilanti Mich.
Despite playing without senior quarterback Aaron Opelt and losing freshman backup Austin Dantin to a high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter, the Rockets secured a 20-19 victory over Northern Illinois last Saturday when senior safety Barry Church blocked a potential game-winning field goal with 37 seconds left to keep their hopes of winning the Mid-American Conference Championship alive.
When a team moves from worst to first, it’s a nice story. When a team as poor as Temple has been in the past few years does it, it’s a huge turnaround. It all starts with Temple’s fourth-year Head Coach Al Golden, who has already posted a 14-28 record since his arrival in 2006.
After home victories last weekend against Buffalo and Kent State, the Toledo women’s soccer team has moved into sole possession of second place in the Mid-American Conference and secured themselves a spot in the MAC tournament. “Everyone is very proud about qualifying for the tournament,” said Toledo Head Coach Brad Evans.
The UT women’s volleyball team will raise money for charity when they host Mid-American Conference East Division foe Miami tomorrow night for Dig Pink Night at Savage Arena. The Rockets’ have set a goal to raise at least $1,000 in donations. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds will be donated to Susan G.
UT had two female athletes earn Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors for their performances last weekend. For the second time this season, sophomore Ari Fisher was named Mid-American Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week following her strong showing at the Pre-Nationals Invitational Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind.
Control destiny for MAC title
After a 58-26 Homecoming loss to Western Michigan last week, senior safety Barry Church promised the Rockets' defense would not come out flat for the rest of the season. Church lived up to that promise on Saturday night notching 12 tackles and two blocked kicks, including a potential game-winning 42-yard field goal with 37 seconds left, to propel the Rockets to a 20-19 victory over NIU and into the driver's seat for the Mid-American Conference Championship game.
Hockey returned to Toledo after a two-year hiatus as the newly-formed Toledo Walleye came up one goal short in a 2-1 loss on Friday. While opening day wasn't a success on the ice, it was a victory for the city of Toledo, which sold out its brand new Lucas County Arena as 8,000 fans came to support their new team.
The Toledo women’s volleyball team split a pair of Mid-American Conference road games over the weekend, winning at Kent State on Saturday after a losing to the Ohio Bobcats on Friday. The Rockets (12-8, 3-5 MAC) received double-doubles from sophomore setter Kassie Kadera and sophomore outside hitter Amber DeWeerdt in a 3-2 (14-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 16-14) win against the Golden Flashes (11-11, 4-4 MAC) on Saturday.
The Toledo swim and dive team opened the season on Saturday, placing first in 10-of-16 events in a tri-meet hosted by Oakland in Rochester, Mich. The Rockets earned their third-straight victory over Illinois with a 182-114 win and beat Oakland for the fourth-straight time, winning 177-119.
The Toledo women’s soccer team moved into sole possession of second place in the Mid-American Conference after a winning two games this weekend at Scott Park. The Rockets won Friday in a 3-1 match against Buffalo before a hat-trick by junior Brittany Hensler led UT to a 3-2 double-overtime victory against Kent State on Sunday.
The Rockets could be without senior starting quarterback Aaron Opelt on Saturday in a must-win situation as they host Northern Illinois on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Glass Bowl. After a 58-26 home loss to Western Michigan last week, a loss to NIU would greatly diminish the Rockets' chances at winning the Mid-American Conference.
After a season of near victories last year, Northern Illinois has established themselves as one of the best teams in the Mid-American Conference this season. Despite winning just two games in 2007, the Huskies posted a 6-7 record last year. NIU, however, failed to close out big games, losing by four points at Minnesota and Tennessee, falling by three at Western Michigan and coming up a field goal short of defeating Central Michigan in overtime.
Defying temperatures in the mid-40’s and 20 mile per hour gusting winds, the Toledo men’s golf team climbed two spots in the final round of the Firestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio on Tuesday to finish in sixth place with a team score of 896 (302-294-300).
UT Head Coach Gene Cross announced yesterday a trio of captains for the upcoming 2009-10 campaign. Freshman guard Jake Barnett, sophomore point guard Larry Bastfield and junior forward/center Justin Anyijong will lead the Rockets on the floor this season.
The Rockets trailed 20-0 in the opening five minutes and lost senior quarterback Aaron Opelt to a shoulder injury as Western Michigan cruised to a 58-26 victory on Homecoming night in the Glass Bowl on Saturday. "We came out kind of flat," said senior safety Barry Church, whose team dropped to 3-3 on the season (1-1 Mid-American Conference).
The Toledo women's soccer team spilt their weekend matches defeating Mid-American Conference foe Akron 1-0 on Friday before falling to Ohio 1-0 yesterday at Scott Park. Junior midfielder Sarah Blake scored in the 54th minute against Akron to lead UT to a shutout victory over the Zips (3-6-2, 1-3-1 MAC).
Toledo ended their three- game losing streak after rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Akron 3-2 (22-25, 19-25, 29-27, 25-16, 15-11) on Saturday at Savage Arena. "I think that just by fighting through that third game, I think that started the confidence that if we do fight and if we do compete then we are going to be okay," Toledo Head Coach Greg Smith said.
The top-three singles players for the UT women's tennis team finished a combined 6-0 in the Rocket Invitational on Saturday at the UT Varsity Tennis Courts. "We started off slow this morning with doubles but really picked it up in singles," said UT Head Coach Tracy Mauntler.
After a 37-30 comeback win in the final minute of play last week at Ball State, the Rockets will play the first of three consecutive home games on Saturday night at 7 p.m. when Western Michigan visits the Glass Bowl for UT's Homecoming game. "We're having a great year this year so far," senior quarterback Aaron Opelt said.
Western Michigan entered the 2009-10 season with uncertainties throughout the lineup after losing multiple key players from last season’s veteran team. While many talented players have returned from a 9-4 Broncos’ team that lost in the Texas Bowl last season, WMU still has severe question marks for this season’s run to a possible Mid-American Conference Championship.
The Toledo women’s golf team finished in second place at the annual Zippy Invitational on Tuesday, Oct. 6, after failing to hold off Grand Valley State (311-305-316=932) during the final round. The Rockets (312-302-321=935) entered the round with a two-shot lead over the Lakers after two rounds from junior Erica Rivard (77-76-76), who finished second overall individually with a three-day total of 229.
After picking up their first road victory of the season last weekend in Miami, Fla. at FIU, the Rockets will head to Muncie, Ind. on Saturday to open their Mid-American Conference schedule against Ball State at noon on ESPN-Plus. "The win did so much for us, our confidence level has skyrocketed," senior safety Barry Church said.
Last year was a memorable one for Ball State, as the Cardinals began the year winning their first 12 games and were in the discussion for a BCS game. The season turned disappointing, however, after an upset loss in the Mid-American Conference Championship to Buffalo and another later in the GMAC Bowl against Tulsa for a 12-2 overall record.
The Toledo swimming and diving team begins the 2009-10 season on Friday, Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. with the annual Blue-Gold scrimmage at the UT Student Recreation Center pool. "We are very excited to see where we are at this point in the season," Toledo Head Coach Lars Jorgensen said.
After being shutout last week against Ohio State, the Rockets' offense got back on track with a 41-31 victory at Florida International on Saturday night in Miami, Fla. "It was a great win for UT, the community and the university," Toledo Head Coach Tim Beckman said.
In a five-set match on Saturday night at Savage Arena, the Rockets defeated Mid-American Conference West Division rival Northern Illinois 3-2 (15-25, 25-16, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12) to split the weekend as they opened MAC play. “I think the biggest thing is they started believing, they started to understand they should be winning,” UT Head Coach Greg Smith said.
After a disappointing 38-0 loss to Ohio State in front of a pro-Bucks crowd of 71,727 at Cleveland Browns Stadium last weekend, the Rockets are looking for a return to form on Saturday when they travel to Miami, Fla. to face off against Florida International at 7 p.
Last season, Florida International came into the Glass Bowl winning just one of their last 27 games. They left embarrassing an overconfident UT team 35-16. FIU Head Coach Mario Cristobal, the first Cuban-American coach in Division 1-A football, is entering just his third year at the helm of the program which has only been in existence since 2002.
On Friday, the Rockets open their season on the road at the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing, Mich., the first of three fall tournaments slated for the women’s tennis team in the 2009-10 campaign. Returning to Toledo this year are seniors Maha Guirguis, Martina Wodzinski, and Nadia Zoubareva.
After starting the season undefeated at 9-0, the Rockets dropped all three matches against UC-Davis, St. Louis, and SIU Edwardsville last weekend at the Billiken Invitational in St. Louis, Mo. In their final match on Saturday, the Rockets lost 3-2 (25-18, 25-19, 21-25, 21-25, 15-13) to SIU Edwardsville, dropping to 9-3 overall, while the Cougars earned their first victory in 15 matches.
The University of Toledo women’s soccer team won one of two games over the weekend with a 3-0 win against Northern Colorado on Friday before a 2-0 loss at No. 25 Ohio State on Sunday. The Rockets are now 4-3-1 on the season. The Rockets were led by junior Brittany Hensler and freshmen Natalie Gaitan and Racheal Kravitz, who scored the only three goals of the weekend for UT.
Amongst a sea of red in Toledo's own temporary home field, Ohio State held the high-powered Rockets' offense scoreless as the Buckeyes rolled to a 38-0 victory in Cleveland Browns Stadium on Saturday. OSU's (2-1) offense racked up 522 total yards, most of which came from sophomore quarterback Terelle Pryor, who had a career day against UT.
Toledo will hope to follow up last week's rout of Colorado with a victory over Big Ten powerhouse No. 11 Ohio State on Saturday at noon on ESPN-Plus. Despite being one of the biggest home games in UT history, the Rockets will play over 100 miles away from the Glass Bowl, hosting the Buckeyes (1-1) at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Ohio State has received as much criticism as just about every team in the nation over the past few years. Some say they’re too slow, while others yell “overrated” and point to a bad conference. While it’s hard to feel bad for a program as large and successful as The Ohio State University is, the nationwide criticism isn’t totally deserved.
Undefeated at 9-0 and just one of 15 remaining unbeaten teams in the country, the Rockets and first-year head coach Greg Smith have a chance to break the school-record of 10 consecutive victories when they finish up their non-conference schedule this weekend at the St.
Begin “New Era” at Glass Bowl with upset
Toledo senior quarterback Aaron Opelt scored six touchdowns Friday night, helping the Rockets throttle Colorado at the Glass Bowl, 54-38. "Right now I'm riding a pretty good high, Opelt said. "This is an incredible offense to run and it's exciting." Opelt finished the game with a career-high 428 all-purpose yards, completing 15-of-23 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns through the air.
The Toledo women's soccer team won one of two games this weekend, breaking a two-game losing streak at Scott Park. The Rockets (3-2-1) lost their first game on Thursday against Wright State, 2-0, before getting back on track with the 1-0 shutout victory against St.
The Rockets improved their season record to 9-0 after defeating Liberty, Louisville and Tennessee Tech to win the Cardinal Classic held in Louisville, Ky. this past weekend. The tournament victory is Toledo's third straight under first-year head coach Greg Smith.
To play in “Midnight Blue Out” on Friday
After a disappointing 52-31 loss at Purdue last Saturday, the Rockets will attempt to rebound as they host Big 12 conference foe Colorado (0-1) tomorrow at 9 p.m. in the Glass Bowl on ESPN. Toledo allowed a staggering 535 yards of offense at Purdue, including 325 yards rushing.
The University of Colorado football program enters the season on the hot seat as the former Big 12 North powerhouse has regressed in the new millennium. The Buffalos were a national power in the 1990s, but have failed to remain at that level, pairing just one Big 12 Championship with four losing years without a bowl appearance since the 2000 season.
The men’s tennis team opens the season this weekend at home in the Toledo Rocket Invitational, which begins at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at the UT Varsity Tennis Courts. The Rockets will host Denison, Dayton, Wright State and Kenyon in their first tournament of the 2009-10 campaign.
The women’s golf team opens their season this weekend at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West golf course for the Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing, Mich. on Saturday. The Rockets will play 36 holes on Saturday and 18 holes on Sunday. “I am really excited about our upcoming season,” UT Women’s Head Coach Nicole Hollingsworth said.
The IC’s 2009-10 football preview
The new era of Toledo Rockets football under first-year head coach Tim Beckman begins on Saturday, Sept. 5 as the Rockets travel across state lines to take on Purdue. "Now it's finally here." Beckman said. "We're excited about the opportunity to play the Purdue Boilermakers and travel to West Lafayette.
Purdue enters the 2009-10 season in a similar position as the Rockets. The Boilermakers are nine years removed from at least a share of the Big Ten Championship and will be coached by first-year head coach Danny Hope, who replaces Purdue legend Joe Tiller.
UT outside hitter Amber DeWeerdt was named the Mid-American Conference’s West Division Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. This is the second time the sophomore has been named Player of the Week in her career. DeWeerdt earned MVP honors following last weekend’s tournament at Savage Arena, where she averaged 0.
The Rockets’ cross country teams kick off their seasons on Friday night in a dual meet against arch-rival Bowling Green at Ottawa Park Golf Course. The women were picked to finish fourth and the men were picked to finish eighth in the 2009 Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll by the league’s coaches.
After three straight losing seasons under Tom Amstutz, the University of Toledo football program felt like they needed a change. Through an emphasis on hard work, academics and discipline, change is exactly what first-year head coach Tim Beckman has brought to the school.
The Rockets' volleyball team won the 2009 Staybridge Suites Rocket Classic at Savage Arena after wins over Bryant, Marist and Kennesaw State this weekend. Toledo is now 3-0 on the season under first-year head coach Greg Smith. "I told the team I was very proud of the weekend we had," Smith said.
The Toledo women’s soccer team remained unbeaten over their weekend with a 1-0 win at Loyola (IL) and a 0-0 double-overtime draw at DePaul. Toledo (2-0-1) picked up their second win of the season after a one-point victory over Loyola (IL) (0-4-0). UT junior Erin Flynn scored the lone goal for the Rockets in the third minute of action.
The University of Toledo women's volleyball team embarks on a new era on Friday when the Rockets begin the 2009-10 season under first-year head coach Greg Smith in the Staybridge Suites Rocket Classic at Savage Arena. Friday's opener will be the first time the UT volleyball team will get to play at Savage Arena.
The Toledo men's and women's basketball teams got a chance to see what they'll be up against this season as the 2009-10 schedules were released on Tuesday. Despite finishing with a disappointing 7-25 (5-11 Mid-American Conference) record last season, second-year Head Coach Gene Cross and the team have much to look forward to in the 2009-10 campaign.
How much is too much? It's a question that seems all but forgotten in the hustle and bustle culture we live in, not to mention in the wide world of sports. The Internet has played a monumental role in blurring the line between the informative and the unnecessary, the private and the public.
UT seniors Barry Church, Stephen Williams, DaJuane Collins and Alex Steigerwald each were named to various preseason award watch lists for the upcoming 2009 football season. Church has been nominated as a candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award as well as the Bronco Nagurski Award.
According to head coach Cory Mee, the University of Toledo baseball program will hold a tryout for student- athletes to attempt to walk-on to the team at the beginning of September. A meeting will take place in the grandstands at Scott Park on Sept. 1 at 5:30 p.
Outlook seems bright as UT rolls in opener
The Toledo women's soccer team began their run at a fourth-straight league championship with a dominating 4-1 victory over Xavier in their season opener on Saturday at Scott Park. Toledo has high hopes for the upcoming 2009 season, as the Rockets were named preseason favorites for both the Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament titles last week, according to a poll of the league's head coaches.
Former college and professional softball standout Tarrah Beyster was named the new head softball coach of the Rockets by Toledo Athletic Director Mike O’Brien on July 15. “I’m very excited to be a part of the Rocket family,” Beyster said. “I’m looking forward to putting Toledo softball back on the map and building the program up to where it was in the 80s and 90s.
Life can change in an instant. Unfortunately, until it happens to you, you often don’t realize it or understand it. I’m speaking from experience and writing this column hoping that it doesn’t happen to you. Three years ago, I was a senior in high school with the whole world ahead of me.
Toledo baseball players Aaron Dudley, Chris Dudics, and Jared Hoying each were selected to play in their summer league All-Star games. For the second straight year, Toledo native Aaron Dudley earned All-Star honors as a member of the Winchester Royals in the Valley League, where he is currently batting .
Toledo senior kicker Alex Steigerwald was arrested earlier this month for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Steigerwald was pulled over at 2:55 a.m. on July 8, after running a red light at the intersection of Bancroft Street and University Hills Boulevard.
The remaining tickets for the upcoming Sept. 19 football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium between Toledo and Ohio State will go on sale to the general public today at the UT Athletic Ticket Office at 9 a.m. According to Athletic Ticket Manager Roseann Croop, only a limited number of tickets in the $45 and $55 sections remain.
A pair of freshmen, guard Clayton Sterling and center Zac Taylor, will not be returning to the Toledo Rockets men’s basketball team for the upcoming 2009-10 season. Sterling has decided to transfer, while Taylor has been medically disqualified from competition.
The UT women's soccer team will begin their quest for winning a fourth-consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship when they open their season at home against Xavier on Saturday, Aug. 22 at Scott Park. "In a quiet way I think our team wants to make history and win a fourth-straight MAC tourney title," Toledo Head Coach Brad Evans said.
It has been a busy offseason for UT Men’s Basketball Head Coach Gene Cross, as he signed seven incoming freshmen for the 2009-10 season. On Monday, the new Rockets began summer classes, as well as workouts with their strength and conditioning coach, Steve Murray.
Last week, three big-name trades went down in the NBA. First, Richard Jefferson was shipped to San Antonio, followed by Shaquille O’Neal being moved to Cleveland to join forces with LeBron James, and finally Orlando added Vince Carter. Oh, by the way, did I mention the NBA Draft was Thursday? With a draft that lacked the star power last year’s class had, it’s easy to see how guys like RJ, Shaq and Vinsanity getting traded took over the headlines.
A massively-hyped trade which brought four-time champion Shaquille O’Neal recently to the Cleveland Cavaliers should provide them with a new dimension for the 2009 season, but still doesn’t put the Cavs as frontrunners for the championship. O’Neal, 37, was injury-free last season with the Phoenix Suns, scoring nearly 18 points while pulling down just over eight rebounds per game.
Ties most players drafted in school history
A trio of Toledo baseball players will have the chance of one day making an MLB roster. Junior starting pitcher Justin Collop, senior reliever Jeff Cinadr and Rocket signee Mike Hamann each were selected in the 2009 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.
The Detroit Tigers have jumped out to an early three game lead in the American League Central, but not through the way you might have expected. Detroit, which possesses one of the most potent offenses in baseball, ranks just eighth out of 14 teams in the AL in runs scored, at 4.
On June 25, 60 young, talented, hopeful men will hear their names called as they fulfill lifelong dreams and get the opportunity to put on an NBA uniform. Unlike last year's draft, which was filled with many future all-star and franchise-caliber players like Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, and O.
UT sophomore Naama Shafir was recently chosen to represent her home country of Israel on the U20 National Team. Shafir, originally from Hoshaya, Israel, was named to the Mid American Conference All-Freshman team, while also earning honorable mention All-MAC honors.
Sophomore Jean-Hubert Trahan and junior Jerel Whiting of the UT men's golf team have began their summer tournament seasons by qualifying for state amateur tournaments. Trahan recently finished first out of 48 golfers with a two-under par 70 at the Red Hawk Run Golf Course in Findlay, Ohio.
It was an all too familiar scene for Tribe fans on Friday as the Cleveland Indians squandered a 7-0 lead and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in an 8-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The simple truth is this: the Cleveland bullpen is a joke, a sham and an embarrassment.
UT finishes second in quest for MAC crown
Toledo finished in second place in the Mid-American Conference’s West Division after two losses this weekend at Ball State. The Cardinals took sole possession of first place for the first time this season after Thursday’s 15-6 win and clinched the West Division title after a 8-6 win Friday, the seventh title in Ball State history.
Many great players have graced the NBA hardwood in the last five decades-- legends that have changed the game of basketball forever. Fans around the world have seen the likes of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson dominate the sport in their respective eras.
Former Notre Dame assistant coach Greg Smith was announced as the new head coach of the women’s volleyball team at Savage Arena on Monday. “Greg’s background as far as being a head coach in the Big East and ACC, as well as having extensive Midwest ties, particularly in Ohio, clearly made him the ideal choice to be our next volleyball coach,” said UT Athletic Director Mike O’Brien.
University of Toledo Athletic Director Mike O’Brien announced on Wednesday that Jo Ann Gordon was released as head coach of the softball team, ending a seven-year stint for Gordon at Toledo. Gordon was 105-235 (35-115 MAC) in her seven seasons at UT.
Last weekend, the Detroit Pistons exited the NBA Playoffs before reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2001-02 season. After getting swept by King James and Co., it’s likely that the series officially marked the end of a remarkable era in Pistons’ basketball.
The term bittersweet has come up all too often lately. The season finale of “Chuck” was on Monday (bitter), but it hinted toward coming back for a third season (sweet). I recently shaved, thus ending my attempt to grow a playoff beard (bitter). However, I no longer have to scratch my face every 10 seconds or shampoo it in the shower, and I get to avoid looking like a hobo at the IC’s banquet tomorrow night (sweet).
After destroying Oakland 24-4 three weeks ago, the Rockets were swept on the road by the Grizzlies in a doubleheader on Wednesday. The Rockets are now 18-22 on the season, with an 11-7 record in the Mid-American Conference. Oakland's (16-23) pitching staff held Toledo to a .
Toledo wide receiver Nick Moore and safety Tyrrell Herbert signed free agent contracts with NFL teams following the last round of the NFL draft on Sunday. Moore will be joining former Toledo running back Chester Taylor as a Minnesota Viking, while Herbert will be reporting to the Buffalo Bills.
The Toledo men's basketball team added the seventh player to their recruiting class with the addition of Josh Freelove on Tuesday. Freelove, a 6-1, 175-pound guard from North Lauderdale, Fla., will be a welcome addition to a backcourt that lost four co-captains last season, including leading scorers Tyrone Kent and Jonathan Amos, along with Anthony Byrd and Ridley Johnson.
According to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Detroit this week, former Toledo running back Adam Cuomo admitted to his involvement in an alleged point-shaving scheme involving both the UT football and basketball teams. The criminal complaint, which was filed last August, says, “Cuomo stated that he was the University of Toledo player who started the point-shaving scheme with ‘Gary.
Toledo won two of three games this weekend against Central Michigan, extending their lead in the Mid-American Conference's West Division to 2.5 games over Ball State. The Rockets (18-20,11-7 MAC) were led by junior Aaron Dudley, who went 8-14 in the series with two runs and three RBI.
Senior Brie Ford hit a three-RBI home run yesterday to give the Rockets a 3-1 victory over Buffalo on Senior Day. UT went 2-2 at home over the weekend, losing to the Bulls on Saturday and splitting a doubleheader on Friday against Kent State. Dana Carter hit her second home run of the weekend yesterday to give Buffalo (23-23, 6-12 Mid-American Conference) a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning.
With the Mid-American Conference title on the line Saturday in Buffalo, the Rockets came up just short in a 4-3 loss to Western Michigan. The Broncos defeated Toledo for their fourth-consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship as the Rockets finished with an 18-11 record on the season.
Every April, so-called experts such as Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay try to predict what player each team will select in the NFL draft. The attempts are pointless. With all of the smokescreens put out by NFL teams, and the unpredictibility of trades, it is impossible to predict the Top 10 picks correctly, let alone the entire first round.
The UT baseball team remains in first place in the Mid-American Conference West division despite a 15-9 loss yesterday at home against Bowling Green. UT (16-19, 9-7 MAC) has a worse overall record than Ball State (16-17, 6-7 MAC) but has three more conference wins.
There are no groups of athletes more superstitious than hockey players, especially during the playoffs. A minority of players might not believe in the superstitions, but during the Stanley Cup playoffs, every player abides by them. The players’ superstitions reach a point of near-obsessive compulsive behavior.
Blue team wins 20-14 against Gold team Friday night at the Glass Bowl
The Rockets football team took the field for the first time in the 2009 season for their spring game in front of nearly 2,500 fans at the Glass Bowl on Friday. Toledo's Blue team defeated the Gold team 20-14. "It was a beautiful night for the people of Toledo to come out and watch some football," said Head Coach Tim Beckman.
The Rockets held their spot atop the Mid-American Conference's West Division after winning two of three games this week at Northern Illinois. With the wins, UT improved their record to 16-18 overall, including a 9-6 advantage over the MAC. Sophomore Jared Hoying (6-14, 5 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI) and freshman Ben Hammer (6-11, 4 R, 6 RBI) led a UT offense which scored 29 runs in the three-game series.
The UT softball team fell to 6-31 overall in 4-9 in the Mid-American Conference with a 1-3 record over the weekend in two doubleheaders. The Rockets were scheduled to host Akron yesterday and on Saturday, but the schedule was changed to a doubleheader on Saturday due to yesterday's rain.
The UT women's tennis team finished the regular season on Friday with a 6-1 win at home against Northern Illinois. The Rockets will finish the season with the Mid-American Conference Tournament, which starts on Thursday and will be hosted by Bowling Green.
In every sport, there’s always one underdog, one team that just “has no shot.” While Goliath usually trumps David in the end, every so often the David pops Goliath in the mouth on their way to a spectacular upset. We’ve been fortunate enough to see examples of this recently with teams like the 2007 New York Giants defeating the 18-0 New England Patriots, the 2007 Appalachian State University football team upending the University of Michigan, and the 2005 George Mason University basketball team advancing to the Final Four.
In honor of the Toledo Mud Hens opening the season today, I compiled a list of my favorite baseball movies. Honorable Mentions BASEketball I couldn't bring myself to put it into the top 10 since it technically is not a baseball movie, but I couldn't write this article without mentioning it.
UT offense held to two runs in doubleheader
The UT softball team was swept in a doubleheader at Wright State yesterday. The Rockets have now lost seven straight games, dropping their overall record to 5-29. UT holds a 3-7 Mid-American Conference record. UT tallied only three hits in each contest and has now been held to three hits or fewer in four of their past six games.
Two golfers tie for first place yesterday as the Rockets win the 2009 Falcon Invitational
The UT women's golf team won a tournament for the second time this week with a victory yesterday in the 2009 Falcon Invitational. It was also the second-straight tournament with a UT golfer earning medalist honors. Sophomore Michelle Hui and freshman Georgina Hunt each finished the tournament at 13-over par for a three-way tie for first place with Megan Weaver from Ohio University.
The UT baseball team took full advantage of home-field advantage yesterday with a 24-4 win over Oakland. UT's home game against Dayton on Tuesday was cancelled due to inclement weather, and yesterday's game was moved from Rochester, Mich. to Scott Park for the same reason.
The UT women's softball team split a doubleheader yesterday at Youngstown State. The Rockets (5-23, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) started the season 1-22 but have won four of the last five games. UT had nine hits in a 12-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader.
The UT men's tennis team dropped a close match Sunday in a 4-3 loss at home against Mid-American Conference foe Ball State. "For the third meeting in a row, it's a 4-3 showdown and again, it's a one-match-left on mega drama," Head Coach Al Wermer said.
After suffering through disappointing seasons last year, the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers are looking to compete for AL Central supremacy once again as the 2009 season is underway. Both teams return talented offenses that will keep them in contention throughout the year.
Softball team goes 3-1 in a pair of Mid-American Conference doubleheaders
After starting the season with a 1-21 overall record, the UT softball team quadrupled its win total with a 3-1 record over the weekend in Mid-American Conference play. The Rockets (4-22, 3-3 MAC) split a doubleheader with Western Michigan on Saturday.
The UT baseball team avoided being swept over the weekend with a 7-5 win yesterday over Ohio after losing both games of a doubleheader on Saturday. The game was only the second Mid-American Conference loss of the season for the Bobcats (13-13, 7-2 MAC), who are in first place in the East Division.
Women’s tennis team sweeps doubles matches
The UT women’s tennis team swept the doubles matches and held a 4-2 edge in singles for a 5-2 win at Eastern Michigan on Saturday. Junior Maha Guirguis and senior Jenny Belsky won 8-4 in No. 1 doubles over Miriam Westerink and Joanna Woo. Junior Nadia Zoubareva and sophomore Ashley Frey shut out Karina Ahuja and Xu Chang 8-0 in No.
Baseball team loses 11-7 against Irish after losing at home Tuesday
The UT baseball team lost 11-7 last night at Notre Dame. The Rockets (11-13, 5-1 Mid-American Conference) were tied after four innings, but the Irish (16-10) outscored UT 5-1 in the final five innings for the win. Freshman Joe Corfman led off for UT and started the game on a high note, hitting a homerun over the left field wall.
Rockets move up two places in the final round of the UALR Golf Classic to tie for 11th
The UT women's golf team played through the rain and finished the UALR Golf Classic on Tuesday tied for 11th place in the 21-team tournament. The Rockets shot a 960 (328-316-316) team score to tie with McNeese State. Arkansas-Little Rock, the tournament host, and Florida International tied for first place with a 927 team score.
UT Athletic Director Mike O'Brien announced yesterday the extension of women's basketball Head Coach Tricia Cullop's contract. Cullop was hired last April and signed a five-year contract running through the 2012-13 season. The new agreement runs through the 2014-15 season.
We see it happen every year. Through all of the insanely in-depth analysis, coverage, and hoopla that is March Madness, there is one constant that seemingly everybody involved always forgets when they fill out their bracket. That constant is heart Yes, I know it sounds cliché.
The UT women's volleyball team opened the 2009 spring season with a 7-1 record in Eastern Michigan's annual Spring Bash on Saturday. "The training regimen that we've had this spring really showed itself this weekend," Associate Head Coach Greg Reitz said.
Baseball team wins on Friday and Sunday to improve to 5-1 in the MAC and 11-11 overall
Senior co-captain Josh Colliver returned from a hamstring injury to help the Rockets win two out of three against the Zips in Akron, Ohio this weekend at Lee Jackson Field. Colliver, who had missed the past 10 games, returned to the lineup with a team high .
The UT softball team was swept by Bowling Green and Morehead State over the weekend in a pair of doubleheaders. The doubleheader against BG on Saturday was the conference opener, dropping the Rockets to 0-2 in the Mid-American Conference. UT (1-21, 0-2 MAC) lost 6-4 in the first game of the doubleheader against BG (7-14, 2-0 MAC).
The UT women's track and field team tied for second place on Saturday as they hosted the Toledo Collegiate Challenge. UT and Central Michigan each finished just two points off champion Bowling Green. "We had a great meet," Head Coach Kevin Hadsell said.
The most significant change Head Coach Tim Beckman has brought to the UT football team is the spirit of competition. The Rockets opened spring practice on March 18 and will finish with the spring game on April 17. Long before the team ever hit the field, Beckman instilled the philosophy of competition into the team.
The UT men's golf team finished 11th in the three-round Mobile Bay Intercollegiate on Tuesday after finishing the first round tied for first place. The Rockets shot a 59-over par 923 (299-320-304) in the 16-team tournament. Mississippi State won with a 24-over par 888 (300-289-299) and South Alabama took second with a 33-over par 897 (306-294-297).
With a disappointing 4-12 year after narrowly missing the playoffs in 2007, Cleveland Browns' fans expected big changes, but this may be more than they bargained for. Newly appointed head coach Eric Mangini and general manager George Kokinis are looking at every possible avenue for reinventing the franchise, even if it means trading their biggest stars.
After allowing just nine total runs in a three-game series sweep against Miami last weekend, the UT baseball team lost 18-8 on the road to Dayton on Tuesday. Freshman Joe Corfman led the Rockets (9-10) at the plate, batting 3-of-5 with a homerun and three RBI.
The UT baseball team defended their home field with a three-game sweep of Mid-American conference rival Miami this weekend at Scott Park. The Rockets (9-9, 3-0 MAC) were paced offensively by the first four hitters in their lineup, including juniors Tim Krofcheck and Aaron Dudley, sophomore Jared Hoying and freshman Joe Corfman.
The UT softball team lost all five games of the Radford Highlander Classic over the weekend. The Rockets (1-17) lost 5-1 to Eastern Michigan (10-13) yesterday in the final game of the tournament. The Eagles took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
UT senior swimmer Kylie Gamelier finished her career at UT on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament. "I don't think it's really hit," Gamelier said. "I'll be training for world trials in the summer, so I'll be with everyone. I haven't really thought about it, but I probably will once I'm officially done in the summer.
The UT women's tennis team won one of two matches this weekend at home to open up play in the Mid-American Conference. The Rockets (11-6, 1-1 MAC) began the weekend with a 5-2 victory over Akron on Friday. "This was a great start to the MAC season for us," Head Coach Tracy Mauntler said.
The UT women's softball team lost both games of a double-header yesterday in Notre Dame's home opener. The Irish managed 24 runs in just eight innings as both games were called after five innings of play. ND (10-10) shut out the Rockets (2-12) 15-0 in the first game of the double-header to win the home opener for the 12th-straight year.
Jon Steinbrecher will replace Rick Chryst as the commissioner of the MAC beginning July 1
The Mid-American Conference announced Tuesday the hiring of Jon Steinbrecher as the new commissioner of the conference. Steinbrecher will begin his role when current commissioner Rick Chryst's contract expires on June 30. A national search for his replacement began on Jan.
The UT baseball team split two games this week, including a 20-3 rout over Wayne State in their home opener on Tuesday. UT's 20 runs were the eighth time in 15 games this season the team has amassed over six runs. All nine starters recorded at least one hit in the matchup, including five multi-hit performances.
The UT men's golf team opened the 2009 season with an 18th place finish out of 20 teams on Tuesday in the Pinehurst Intercollegiate. Sophomore Jean-Hubert Trahan led UT with a 12-over par 228 (78-77-73) to tie for 60th as the Rockets shot a team score of 911 (300-308-303).
The Madness is here. Today the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins, and if it lives up to its name, which it usually does, we will have another exciting year of March Madness. As the tournament approaches, millions fill out their brackets. Many look for any help they can find on who to choose, but the simple truth is that no one knows.
UT out-scored by 18 points in second half of MAC Tournament semifinal loss to Bowling Green
The UT women's basketball team lost 79-66 to Bowling Green in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Saturday. "We really believed every second of today's game that we could win," Head Coach Tricia Cullop said. "It was good to see the confidence.
Four UT men's basketball players finished their careers Tuesday in the opening round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Seniors Jonathan Amos, Tyrone Kent and Anthony Byrd did everything they could to prolong their careers, but UT's season ended with a 93-92 loss in overtime Tuesday night.
The UT baseball team lost three of five games over spring break in the RussMatt Invitational. The Rockets (5-8) struggled to keep their opponents off of the scoreboard, giving up 52 runs, or 10.4 runs per game, in the tournament. On Saturday, the Rockets lost 10-5 to Eastern Kentucky.
The UT men's basketball team fought out of a large deficit to take the lead in the second half last night before losing 59-44 at Central Michigan. "We aren't great at clawing back and staying with the clawing," Head Coach Gene Cross said. The loss snaps a 12-game winning streak against the Chippewas.
The UT women's basketball team fell out of contention for the division crown with an 80-70 loss at Central Michigan on Tuesday. The Rockets already secured the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. UT (17-11, 11-4 MAC) host West Division leader Ball State (21-8, 13-2 MAC) at 2 p.
UT hires former Hoosier Eli Rasheed as defensive line coach
UT football Head Coach Tim Beckman announced the completion of his coaching staff yesterday with the hiring of Eli Rasheed to coach the defensive line. Rasheed heads to UT from Florida Atlantic University, where he was the defensive line coach from 2004-08.
UT football Head Coach Tim Beckman and members of the football team participated in charitable events in the community on each Friday in February. Last Friday, some members of the team went to Trilby Elementary to read and play math games with the students.
I might be bordering incompetence in the pool, but I am on par with Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps when it comes to eating. I might even surpass him. During the 2008 Olympics, the 12,000 calorie diet of Phelps was widely reported. While writing a story on the Olympian, I decided to push my limits and see if I could eat the diet for a day.
In front of a record crowd of 5,701 fans, the defensive-minded Rockets (17-10, 11-3 Mid-American Conference) battled to a 73-61 victory over the visiting Eastern Michigan Eagles (7-19, 3-11 MAC) for their ninth-straight win at Savage Arena. "It's pretty outstanding to have that many people for a women's basketball game.
The UT men's basketball team avenged a 70-52 loss at Western Michigan earlier in the season with a 63-62 victory over the Broncos at home on Saturday. In the loss on Jan. 14, WMU (9-19, 6-8 Mid-American Conference) jumped out to an early 25-2 lead. The Rockets learned their lesson, taking an early 10-1 lead on Saturday.
The UT swim and dive team placed third in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and broke several school records over the weekend at Bowling Green. The Rockets finished with 568.5 points. Miami won the tournament with 639.5 points, and Ohio placed second with 611.
The UT women's basketball team took a stranglehold on second place in the Mid-American Conference West Division with a 72-68 road victory against Northern Illinois on Tuesday. The Rockets now hold a two-game lead over the Huskies for a first-round bye in next month's MAC tournament, needing only a win or a NIU loss to clinch the No.
Men’s basketball team falls after overcoming a 30-15 halftime deficit against Eastern Michigan
The UT men's basketball team's slim hope of a division title ended last night with a 58-49 loss at Eastern Michigan. The Rockets trailed by 15 points at halftime and rebounded for a one-point lead in the second half before falling in the end. UT is winless on the road this season at 0-15 with one road game remaining against Central Michigan.
It finally happened. I have officially lost my mind. Why else would I volunteer to eat 12,000 calories in a single day? The only real reasons I have are my own personal amusement and to have an interesting feature story for the sports section. While writing an entry on my IC blog, "All Sports Considered," about Michael Phelps, I researched the diet Phelps claimed to eat while training for the Olympics.
The UT women's golf team finished just three strokes away from a top 10 performance on Tuesday, placing 16th out of 43 schools with a team score of 927 (319-300-308) at this week's Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic on Kiawah Island, S.C. "I'm extremely happy with the way we played, and we were really able to work on our games and gain some confidence this week," Head Coach Nicole Hollingsworth said.
Rockets win on Saturday to remain one game behind the MAC West division leader WMU
The UT women's basketball team moved into second place in the Mid-American Conference's West Division with a 64-49 victory over Western Michigan on Saturday at Savage Arena. The Rockets (15-10, 9-3 MAC) win brought UT's record to 10-1 at home this season.
The UT men's basketball team travels to Eastern Michigan on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game in the first of four conference games to close out the regular season. The Rockets are currently three games behind Mid-American Conference West Division co-leaders Ball State and Western Michigan.
UT women's soccer Head Coach Brad Evans has agreed to a new contract with the school which runs through the 2014 season. His current contract is scheduled to expire at the end of the 2009 season. "My wife, Kristen, and I are thrilled with the generosity of this extension," Evans said.
The UT men's tennis team went 2-0 in its first two games over the weekend to improve to 10-5 overall for the season. Scores from yesterday's match against IUPUI, the second of a doubleheader, were unavailable. Look to IndependentCollegian.com today for results.
The UT women's tennis team defeated Wright State 7-0 on Friday at UT in their home opener on Saturday. UT (5-5) was led by junior Martina Wodzinski, who collected wins in No. 1 singles and doubles. Wodzinski defeated Karina Presti in singles, 6-1, 6-3 and teamed up with junior Maha Guirguis for an 8-4 win over Masha Peresetsky and Kenisha Webb.
UT ended a seven-game losing streak with a last-minute 71-67 win at home last night over Ball State. The Cardinals fell into a tie with Western Michigan for first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division at 6-6 in the conference after losing their seventh consecutive game at Savage Arena.
The UT baseball team opens the 2009 season this weekend on the road with a four-game series against Western Kentucky. The Rockets play their first 15 games on the road before the home opener on March 17 against Wayne State. Last season, UT finished with an 18-31 overall record, just one game away from qualifying for the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
For UT men's basketball head coach Gene Cross, February is about more than leading the Rockets in a late-season push for the division title. It is Black History Month and a time to reflect on people he still looks up to today. "I've been very fortunate to be in places where I've been afforded many opportunities," Cross said.
Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers made the biggest splash on the day of the NBA's trade deadline as a 10-player trade laid the groundwork for this year's 40-11 start to the season. This year we might see more of the same. The Cavaliers have been involved in multiple trade rumors over the past few weeks, including Phoenix forward Amar'e Stoudamire, LA Clippers center Marcus Camby, New Jersey forward Vince Carter and Washington forwards Antwan Jamison and Caron Butler.
The UT women's basketball team escaped with a narrow 54-51 victory over Kent State on Sunday at Savage Arena, thanks in part to the heroics of freshman guard Naama Shafir. Shafir hit a tough shot with 8.3 seconds left in the game and two seconds showing on the shot clock to seal the victory for the UT women.
Senior Jonathon Amos scored a career-high 32 points off the bench
The UT men's basketball team suffered their biggest loss of the season in a 91-58 loss at Ohio University on Saturday. The Rockets (4-21, 2-9 Mid-American Conference) have lost all 13 road games this season and have one win in their last 28 games away from home.
The UT men's tennis team swept both matches over the weekend with 7-0 victories. The Rockets won 7-0 yesterday at home over Cleveland State. Senior Jared Miller and sophomore Nutthavit Likitkumchorn won 8-6 in No. 1 doubles. Sophomore Sven Burus and freshman Robbie McCallum won 8-4 in No.
Junior Maha Guirguis remained undefeated in No. 3 singles over the weekend, but the UT women's tennis team lost both matches to fall to 4-5 in the spring season. Guirguis is now 7-0 in singles matches in the spring season. She has a 4-3 record in No. 1 doubles matches when paired with junior Martina Wodzinski.
Jonathon Amos scores 21 points off bench in 59-54 loss
Senior guard Jonathon Amos excelled in his second game back from suspension last night, but Bowling Green held off a late rally by the UT men's basketball team and won the rivalry game 59-54 at Savage Arena. "It was a classic MAC battle tonight where two teams were fighting and clawing, trying to figure out how to win a basketball game," Head Coach Gene Cross said.
After being cut by the Cleveland Browns on Monday, former UT quarterback Bruce Gradkowski was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday. The San Francisco 49ers also attempted to claim Gradkowski, but the 49ers finished last season 7-9, so the Raiders had a higher waiver priority after finishing with a 5-11 record.
Patrick Graham resigned Monday from his position as the defensive line coach for the UT football team to accept a position as a coaching assistant for the New England Patriots. The hiring was announced by the Patriots on Tuesday. New England's vice president of media communications, Stacey James, confirmed the hiring.
It's official baseball, your savior is dirty. Alex Rodriguez has used performance-enhancing drugs. On Saturday, Sports Illustrated reported Rodriguez tested positive in 2003, the same year he won the American League Home Run Title and the Most Valuable Player Award.
Junior Tanika Mays scores team highs with 18 points and eight rebounds on her 22nd birthday
The UT women's basketball team remained atop the Mid-American Conference West Division with a 60-51 win over Ohio at Savage Arena on Sunday. Junior Tanika Mays celebrated her 22nd birthday by leading the Rockets with a game-high 18 points and five steals along with a team-high eight rebounds.
The offense struggled on Saturday as the UT men's basketball team lost 53-40 at home against Miami. The loss to the RedHawks was the fewest points scored by a UT team since a 57-34 loss to Ball State on Feb. 5, 1992. The Rockets had won five of the last six home games against Miami heading into Saturday, but Miami has now won six of the past seven games and leads the overall series 66-49.
Junior Meghan Reissig starred on Saturday with four first-place finishes, while seniors Kylie Gamelier and Amanda Breen competed in the last regular season match of their careers for the Rockets. Gamelier had two first-place finishes. UT won 189-103 at home over Buffalo.
The UT men's and women's tennis teams each lost a match at Michigan State over the weekend. The men's team lost 5-2 on Saturday. Jared Miller and Nutthavit Likitkumchorn won 8-7 with a 7-2 tiebreak win in the first doubles match. Robbie McCallum and Sven Burus lost 8-2 in the second doubles match.
Women's track and field team competes in CMU Quad-Meet
The UT women's track and field team took second place in the CMU Quad-Meet. Host Central Michigan won with 170 points. The Rockets earned 130 total points in the 15-event tournament. Julie Snyder took fourth place in the long jump with a 5.44 meter jump.
Head Coach Tim Beckman finalizes his first recruiting class for UT football with 19 players
The UT football program received commitments from 19 student-athletes on Wednesday to join the Rocket football team next season. After being introduced as the new head coach of UT, Tim Beckman and his staff had only 37 days to recruit for the 2009 season.
The UT women's basketball team moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division with a win last night. The Rockets beat Buffalo 67-59 at Savage Arena, Ball State lost to Bowling Green and Northern Illinois beat Akron as the trio all moved to 6-2 in the MAC.
The UT men's basketball team suffered their largest defeat of the season with an 81-53 loss at Kent State on Tuesday night. With the loss, the Rockets (4-18, 2-6 Mid-American Conference) have lost all 12 road games this year. They are also 1-26 over the past two seasons on the road, with their lone win on March 9, 2008 in a 90-83 overtime win at Central Michigan.
Head Coach Brad Evans announced yesterday the signing of five recruits to the UT women's soccer team for the 2009 season. All five recruits come from Ohio. The Rockets signed Megan Blake, Rachel Kravitz, Danielle Leblang, Kristen Mattei and Megan Sauers.
UT holds Buffalo to season-low 30 percent shooting in first game after suspending Jonathon Amos
In a tough, defensive battle, the UT men's basketball team lost its third straight Mid-American Conference game 56-43 on the road against the Buffalo Bulls. The game, being broadcast on ESPN2, was UT's first match playing without second leading scorer Jonathan Amos.
Rockets tied with Cardinals and Huskies for the MAC West lead
The UT women's basketball team fell to second place in the Mid-American Conference West division after a 64-62 loss Saturday on the road against Akron. The Rockets (11-9, 5-2 MAC) are tied with Northern Illinois for second place. The Huskies are 10-10 overall.
The UT swim and dive team earned its second-straight victory on the road Friday with a 163-134 win over Akron. The Rockets evened their overall record at 5-5 with the win and improved to 4-2 in the Mid-American Conference. Akron is now 5-6 overall and 1-5 in the MAC.
UT dominates sprint events in non-scoring meet
The UT track and field team excelled in short distance races in a non-scoring meet at the Tom Wright Classic on Saturday hosted by Bowling Green. Senior LaShawn Vaughns and sophomore Amanda Kaverman finished first and second, respectively, in both the 60 and 200 meter dash.
The UT men's basketball team lost a second-straight Mid-American Conference game last night in a 70-61 loss to visiting Akron. "We got out-toughed," Head Coach Gene Cross said. "We got manhandled. They were a physical bunch. If you can't match their physicality and toughness, then you're not going to give yourself a chance to win.
With national signing day approaching rapidly, UT football Head Coach Tim Beckman is keeping busy with recruiting, hiring coaches, getting to know his current players and adjusting to life in Toledo. "It's home," Beckman said. "Anytime you come home it feels great.
The field of athletics used to be a place that fostered a healthy environment, both mentally and physically. Be it a team or individual sport, one could participate in spirited competition against an opponent and take away from it not only good exercise, but also a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship that would prove valuable in life's later challenges.
Rockets remain winless on the road this season and have won just one of the past 25 road games
The UT men's basketball team fell to 0-10 on the road this season with a 66-53 loss yesterday at Ball State. Dating back to last season, the Rockets have won just one out of the past 25 road games. UT is now 35-39 all-time against the Cardinals. The Rockets had a season-low 11 turnovers in the loss.
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