Box Score DETROIT (10/15/2014) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team earned its second-straight shutout in Horizon League play on Wednesday night with a 1-0 victory at Valparaiso University. The Titans (7-4-2 overall) won their third consecutive league match and improved to 4-1 in the conference overall.
It was the first win for Detroit over Valparaiso since 2005 and first league victory over the Crusaders. VU joined the Horizon League in 2008 for men's soccer.
The Crusaders (7-3-3, 2-2 HL) entered the game ranked in the top 25 in two men's soccer polls and had a No. 15 RPI ranking in the country, but Detroit took control of the game early after scoring in the 17th minute.
Detroit scored the lone goal of the game as freshman
Spiro Pliakos (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester) won a ball on the left side and advanced into the box. Pliakos served the ball across the box and found junior
Matt Harkema (Hudsonville, Mich. / Unity Christian), who beat the goalkeeper to the right. The goal was Harkema's team-leading fourth of the season.
The Crusaders picked up the offensive pace in the second half, yet Detroit out-shot VU in the second frame, 6-4. Valparaiso had its best chance to score in the final 10 minutes after receiving a penalty kick in the 81st minute. Crusader leading scorer Jordan Aidoud took the PK, but his shot sailed wide of the goal.
Junior goalkeeper
Nathan Steinwascher (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) was impressive again in net for the Titans and earned his fourth shutout of the season and second in as many games turning away four shots on goal. Steinwascher hasn't allowed a goal in 242 minutes.
Detroit had the edge in shots for the contest, 12-11. The Titans also had seven shots on goal, while Valparaiso had five. Each team had two corner kicks, while Valparaiso was called for 20 fouls in the match. Pliakos finished with five shots, including three on goal for the game. Sophomores
Adam Clauss (Grand Haven, Mich. / Spring Lake) and
Tyler Moorman (Caledonia, Mich. / East Kentwood) also each had two shots for the Titans.
The red, white and blue have just three league games remaining and sit in sole possession of second place, one point behind conference leader Oakland in the Horizon League standings. The top six teams in the conference advance to the Horizon League Championship, with the top two teams receiving first-round byes.
The Titans return to the pitch on Tuesday for a non-conference matchup at the University of Michigan. The match is set to start at 7:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor. Detroit's next home match is Saturday, Oct. 25, against Cleveland State, which will also be Senior Day.
