ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies return to the Oakland Soccer Field Thursday, Aug. 27, hosting Toledo at 2:30 p.m. in the Golden Grizzlies' second consecutive matchup against a Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent.
Â
Oakland (1-2) enters Thursday's contest looking to bounce back after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bowling Green on Aug. 23. The Golden Grizzlies battled the Falcons throughout the match but were unable to find the equalizer, dropping their second game of the 2026 season.
The Rockets enter the matchup with a 2-1 record after earning back-to-back victories over Detroit Mercy and Mercyhurst. Toledo opened its home slate with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Detroit Mercy, with Ella Zoerhoff scoring the game-winning goal with two seconds remaining. The Rockets followed that performance with a dominant 6-2 victory over Mercyhurst on Aug. 23, with Zoerhoff recording a hat trick and Sadie Walsh adding two goals.
Zoerhoff has been the focal point of Toledo's attack early in the season, scoring five of the Rockets' eight goals through three games. She has found the back of the net in each of Toledo's two victories, including all three of the team's first-half goals against Mercyhurst.
While Toledo has found success away from home early this season, the Rockets struggled on the road in 2025, going 0-6-3 away from Paul Hotmer Field. Toledo is already 1-1 on the road this season, making Thursday's matchup another opportunity for Oakland to defend its home turf.
The Golden Grizzlies were particularly strong at home in 2025, losing just one of nine matches at the Oakland Soccer Field. Oakland will look to carry that home-field success into Thursday's matchup and earn its first victory over the Rockets since 2023.
Oakland and Toledo have met every year since 2014, with Thursday marking the 18th all-time meeting between the programs. A Golden Grizzlies victory would be the program's 10th all-time against the Rockets.
With a strong home-field history and an opportunity to reach the next milestone in the all-time series, Oakland will look to make the most of its return to the Oakland Soccer Field Thursday afternoon.
