MILWAUKEE, Wis. (11/3/16) – The University of Detroit Mercy women's soccer team suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Northern Kentucky in a wild semifinal of the Horizon League Tournament on a windy Thursday night from Milwaukee.
The Titans struck early as junior
Rachel DeLuca took a free kick from midfield and served a ball into the box, where senior
Anna Mindling flicked a header over the keeper to open the scoring and give Detroit Mercy a 1-0 lead in the 12
th minute.
The score remained until halftime as the Titan defense thwarted several scoring chances by NKU and despite the Norse leading in shots, 8-4.
Detroit Mercy put the pressure on early in the second half, recording the first five shots of the frame. The Titans pushed the lead to two in the 55
th minute as junior
Suzie Redick collected a feed from Mindling and slotted the shot into the lower left corner of the goal.
NKU would answer just moments later, however, after Jessica Frey chased a through ball and beat the Titan defense in the 60
th minute.
The Norse capitalized on the momentum shift just 1:33 later, scoring the equalizer on a rebound scrum off a corner kick in the 62
nd minute.
The Titans did not shy away and ripped off seven shots to NKU's two over the following 20 minutes, but the Norse capitalized in the 83
rd minute with what would end up as the game-winning score off the foot of Ally Perkins.
Detroit Mercy brought all 11 players into the box for a corner kick in the closing moments of the game, but the shot was blocked and NKU would hold on for the hard-fought victory.
Mindling led the offense with a goal and an assist, while Redick scored a goal and DeLuca added an assist. Redick tallied a career-high six shots in the defeat.
Junior
Marina Manzo was tagged with the loss after allowing three goals and making three saves, on 15 shots faced.
Despite the loss, the Titans out-shot NKU 17-15, including 13-7 in the second half, and earned an 8-4 advantage in corner kicks.
Detroit Mercy finishes the season at 10-7-2 with the loss, while NKU will go on to the HL Championship against either No. 1 Milwaukee or No. 4 Oakland.
The loss will sting for the Titans, but it was a season worth remembering after the team defied the Horizon League Preseason Coaches poll, which predicted Detroit Mercy to finish seventh in the league. The Titans finished second after going 6-1-2 in league play and winning eight of their last 12 matches, with only two losses in the last two months and an 8-2-2 record.
