Live Stats

DETROIT – The 2011 men's soccer season will get started this weekend with a road contest against Michigan State. Action is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 2:00 p.m.

ABOUT THE TITANS
Detroit recorded eight wins a year ago. It was their highest win total since the 2005 season when the team recorded an overall record of 12-6-2. Many familiar faces return to the program as last year's team only had three seniors. First Team All-Horizon League honoree Ya Ya Toure will join fellow senior Otieno Victor up front to get the offense going for UDM. Toure led the team with nine goals a year ago, while Sam Seppo, yet another senior, was second on the team with six.

The Titans have a talented group of defensive players to slow down the opposition. Senior Mike Chiandussi joins Adam Bedell, Patrick Soltys, and Schoolcraft College transfer Tevin Wynter to stabilize what should be a solid defensive unit. Detroit will also welcome back the services of Adam Philp who missed a majority of the 2010 season due to an injury.

ABOUT THE SPARTANS
Michigan State lost eight seniors from last year's team, including five starters. The 2011 team has nine seniors, including the return of Brent Rosendall and Rubin Bega. Rosendall recorded eight goals and 19 points a year ago, while Bega enters his senior season with 16 career goals.

Defensively, Michigan State relies on junior centerback Kevin Cope, and fifth-year senior Jeremy Clark to keep the opponents off the scoreboard. Cope was the 2009 Big Ten Defensive Player of the year and a Second Team All-Big Ten pick a year ago. He anchors the defensive effort in front of Clark who will once again play goalkeeper for MSU.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Michigan State leads the all-time series 7-4-1. These two teams have not met since the 1999 regular season when MSU came away with a 4-3 overtime win at Titan Field. The last time UDM defeated Michigan State was in 1997. The Titans won in East Lansing by the final score of 2-1.

SEASON OPENERS
Detroit will look to change recent history by winning their season opener against the Spartans. UDM has not won the first game of the season since 2006 when they defeated Eastern Illinois 1-0.

LOOKING AHEAD
Detroit will travel to Philadelphia, PA to face Saint Joseph's on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 7:00 p.m. The UDM home opener will be played on Sunday, Sept. 4 against Buffalo at 1:00 p.m.