Soccer team shuts out MAC leader

Thomas Gallick

Toledo’s soccer team came to Kent after its game in Buffalo was postponed due to snow. But the Flashes defense left the Rockets out in the cold and got the 1-0 victory.

Junior forward/midfielder Kimberly Dimitroff scored the lone goal for Kent State (8-7-1, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) by drilling a long shot off of the right goal post and into the net 36 minutes into the first half.

Dimitroff said the team wanted a win on senior day after pregame festivities celebrated their achievements.

“It felt good because we wanted to come out hard and with a lot of emotion to do what we needed to do to get a win for our seniors,” Dimitroff said.

Senior goalkeeper Alicia Fernandez led the shutout effort, making 12 saves, including two big denials with less than one minute remaining in the game.

Fernadez said the shutout came from a team effort.

“All of the credit goes to the team, they deserve the credit for the shutout,” Fernandez said.

Toledo (5-7-3, 4-2-1 MAC) came to Kent State leading the MAC. The Rockets left with zero points on the board after controlling possession for most of the second half.

Fernadez said Toledo’s standing in the MAC did not affect the team’s preparation for the game.

“We prepare the same for every game. We want to get a win.” Fernadez said.

The defense stood tall for Kent State in a game where Toledo took 11 more shots on net. The team even stepped up when Fernandez left the goal, gaining credit for two saves in the second half on an otherwise empty net.

Both teams failed to convert on set pieces throughout the game, with Toledo putting some pressure on Kent with corner kicks coming late in the second period.

Contact sports reporter Thomas Gallick at