Box Score vs. Youngstown State 10-4-09

Led by a pair of goals from sophomore Rebecca Pidgeon (Ann Arbor, MI/Huron), the University of Detroit Mercy women's soccer team poured it on offensively in cold, wet weather against Youngstown State, and earned a 3-1 victory at Titan Field Sunday afternoon.

Pidgeon knocked in what would be the game-winner at the 66:39 mark as the Titans capitalized on one of their four corner kicks. Sophomore Alexandra Suschak (Brecksville, OH/Brecksville) lofted the ball across to the far side of the box and Pidgeon flew above the crowd and headed the ball past the Penguins' keeper for her first career goal.

The Titans (3-8-1, 1-1-0 HL) kept the pressure on throughout the second half, outshooting YSU 14-2 in the final 45 minutes, and Pidgeon found the net again, directing a crossing pass from sophomore Alyssa Korson (Suttons Bay, MI/Lake Leelanau St. Mary's) in the lower left-hand corner of the net.

“It was great to come out and score a couple of goals today,” said Pidgeon. “There's been a lot of frustration lately because we haven't been able to score and we've been losing games we shouldn't. Hopefully we can get a streak going with this win and keep winning.”

Detroit initially grabbed the lead in the 28th minute when Alexandra Suschak dribbled into the Youngstown defense and ripped an arcing shot from 20 yards out that cleared the goalie's outstretched hand for her first goal of the season and the second of her career. But, only three minutes the later, the Penguins pulled even as Kara Cooper punched a rebound off a UDM defender in for her seventh of the year.

Sophomore keeper Joanna Hinde (Shelby Twp., MI/Eisenhower) made three saves in the game, but none was more important than on a Cooper break away early in the second half that kept the contest tied. Cooper received a pass behind the Detroit defense near midfield for the Penguins and had a one-on-one as Hinde came out of the net and near edge of the goal box, where she made a diving stop to her right as Cooper tried to sneak one in.

The Titans' 20 shots was a season high, and Pidgeon became the first Detroit player to score multiple goals in a game this season. Junior Selena Stanski (Tecumseh, ON/St. Anne's Secondary), sophomore Lauren Roffey (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) and freshman Sarah Dzuris (Rochester Hills, MI/Rochester) led Detroit with four shots apiece. Alexandra Suschak, Korson and Pidgeon each took two, and senior Trina Kochanski (Royal Oak, Kimball) took one shot.

“It's been frustrating at times this year to not capitalize on the opportunities we've had, but Rebecca (Pidgeon) did a great job of coming into the game today to score a couple of goals,” said head coach Mike Lupenec. “We've been working hard all year on our fitness and I think we were able to wear them down a little bit in the second half.”

With the victory Detroit remains undefeated against Youngstown State (3-6-2, 0-2-0 HL), having won 12 games in as many chances.

More importantly, it gives the Titans an even record, and three points, in HL play, where only the top six teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the league tournament, unlike years past when all nine teams made the post-season.

“Every point in conference is going to count,” Lupenec said. “This was an important game for us to win. You have to win your home games.”

UDM will return to action on Friday as it makes its second trip to Indianapolis this year to take on Butler, and then travels to Valparaiso Sunday. The Titans faced Butler twice last year, falling 3-2 in the regular season at home before succumbing to the Bulldogs 6-1 in the first round of the HL tournament on the road. In their meeting with Valparaiso in 2008 the Titans topped the Crusaders 2-1 at Titan Field.