2012 Men's Soccer Game Day Central
 
DETROIT (8/22/2012)--  The Detroit Titans men's soccer team will open its 2012 season on Friday, August 24 when it travels to Indianapolis to face-off with IUPUI at 7:00 p.m. at Michael A. Carroll Stadium. 

The Titans are led by head coach Nicholas Deren who is in his third full season at Detroit in 2012. This year he added two new names to the staff in goalkeeper coach Ben Davis and volunteer assistant Dave Demeter.

Game Day Central
Titan fans can follow every UDM game this season through Soccer Game Day Central located on the Titans Athletic Website that will keep fans one click away from all the action. This page will feature links for live stats, audio, and video when applicable, as well as links for all the latest info while also making it easy to find the Titans on social media and to purchase photos and game tickets. Soccer Game Central also carries all the information on each opponent from who is leading the all-time series to who won the last game. Live video is available to watch IUPUI and Detroit for a small fee of $4.95 for a single-game pass. 

2012 Titans Preview

Midfield
UDM is highlighted by its dynamic midfield that will return the two top scorers from last year in Pat Lepera (3g, 4a) and Adam Bedell (3g, 4a).  Lepera, a senior, and Bedell, a junior, will help anchor the field on both ends. 

“I am quite pleased how the guys came into camp this year,” said Deren, “We should be able to provide good service to the forwards and track and mark players on defense.” 

Forwards
Up front for the Titans will feature a mix of youth and experience.  Senior, Moustafa Bazzi (2g) is the lone returner on the frontline but will be aided by freshman Matt Harkema.  Sophomore Cameron Roberts (2g) and junior Kevin Pinkos will also assist on the attacking line.

“We have some dynamic players,” said Deren, “coupled with a target player who can hold the ball in the attacking
zone we can generate a lot of offense.  I expect big things from this group.”

Defense and Goaltending
Leading the back line will be a number of powerful backs including two seniors and a junior.  A 6-4 senior, Matt Nedwicki will be a key part of keeping the ball out of the net.  Jeremy Stoychoff and Kevin Gill will also be in the backfield.  Between the three of them, they played a total of 48 games last season.

“Our defense brings experience and size,” said Deren.  “We are organized and strong and have been difficult to break down; it has shown in our preseason matches.” 

The defense will be organized by sophomore goalkeeper Nathan Steinwascher.  “He is looking good, he is in form and I expect only good things from the goal keeping position,” added Deren.

The Titan Brand
UDM has a mixture of both young and old players on the roster this year.  A total of 17 letter winners return from last year and seven newcomers have been added to this year's roster.

“We have a nice blend of experience and youth,” said Deren. “This will make us tough and allow us to play the brand of soccer we want to play.”

Titans vs. IUPUI
The Jaguars were picked to finish fifth in the Summit League this year after a 6-10-2 overall finish last year. They return five starters and 10 letter winners from last year, including Sam Fuller (4 GWG, 9 pts) who was named to the All-Newcomer team and Kyle Hyland (1g, 4a), who was named to the All-Conference second team.

The Titans lead the all-time series 4-1 with IUPUI and defeated the Jaguars 1-0 (OT) in Indianapolis on September 1, 2009 the last time these two teams met.

There is No “I” in Team
“We have an exciting group of dynamic players this year,” said Deren. “This team is a unit; it is not about me it is about us.”