Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. (11/1/2014) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team earned its seventh shutout of the season Saturday afternoon and clinched a first-round bye in the upcoming Horizon League Championships after defeating host Belmont, 1-0.
Detroit (9-5-3, 6-1 Horizon League) moved into first place in the Horizon League regular-season standings with the victory, moving past Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies (5-0-2 HL) tied Wright State on Saturday, giving Detroit a one-point lead, 18-17, heading into the final week of the regular season. The Titans will place no lower than second in the Horizon League regular season standings after the win at Belmont and have a shot at earning the regular season title in its regular-season finale at Milwaukee on Friday.
UDM's seven shutouts are the most for the program since the Titans recorded eight shutouts during the 2007 campaign.
"I'm proud of them. It's always hard winning on the road in the Horizon League," Detroit head coach
Nicholas Deren '99 said. "It was just one of those gritty games. But we got the result. And we were fortunate to score the goal. We have one more job to do at Milwaukee on Friday."
The Titans scored the lone goal of the game in the 38th minute as sophomore
Adam Clauss (Grand Haven, Mich. / Spring Lake) converted on his third penalty kick of the season. Detroit was awarded the PK after freshman
Spiro Pliakos (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester) was taken down on a foul in the box.
Detroit goalkeeper
Nathan Steinwascher (Sterling Heights, Mich. / Stevenson) was credited with two saves and faced five shots overall to earn his seventh shutout of the season.
The teams combined for just 12 shots total (Detroit 7, Belmont 5) on the windy day in Nashville. Clauss finished with a game-high three shots, two on goal. Clauss is 3-for-3 on penalty kicks this season. He's earned the game-winning goal on two of them (the other coming in the season opener at Western Michigan in overtime).
It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools after the Bruins (3-14, 1-6) joined the Horizon League for men's soccer prior to the 2014 season.
The Titans return to the pitch Tuesday for a non-conference contest at IUPUI. The game in Indianapolis, Ind. is set for 8 p.m. Detroit finishes the regular season Friday with an 8 p.m. road contest at Milwaukee.
