The Basics
Final Score: Belmont 2, Detroit Mercy 1
Records: Detroit Mercy 3-10-4, Belmont 3-12-3
Location: Nashville, Tenn. (E.S. Rose Park)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (11/4/2016) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team dropped its 2016 season finale on the road, 2-1, at Belmont on Friday night.
Spiro Pliakos scored the lone goal for the Titans.
The Titans out-shot Belmont in the match, 20-11, and Detroit Mercy put nine shots on net to the Bruins' four during the game.
Belmont got on the scoreboard first, scoring twice in the game's first seven minutes. Detroit Mercy would add a goal just before the half after a penalty kick opportunity was awarded when sophomore forward Martin Lang, Jr. was fouled in the box.
Junior forward
Spiro Pliakos converted on the PK -- Detroit Mercy's fourth of the season -- to cut the deficit to 2-1 at the break. The goal was Pliakos team-leading fourth of the season and was his second PK marker of the year.
Neither team would score in the second half, even though Detroit Mercy put seven shots on goal in the period. Pliakos led the Titans with seven shots, five of them on goal. Senior
Matt Harkema and freshman defender
Garret Weaver each had three shots, while
Tyler Hughes was credited with two shots on goal.
Sophomore
Josh Flamme started the game in net and gave up both goals. Junior
Robbie Beckwell entered the game midway through the first half and didn't allow a goal the rest of the way, turning away two shots on goal.
Seven yellow cards were issued in the match, four of them to the Titans.
It was the final collegiate game for four Titan seniors --
Tommy Bowman,
Marcus Barnett,
John D'Agostino and
Matt Harkema -- with all of them playing integral roles for the team in 2016 and throughout their careers.
Two of them -- Bowman and Harkema -- were named to the Horizon League Men's Soccer All-Academic Team earlier on Friday as Detroit Mercy represented nearly half of the squad with five of the 11-member All-Academic Team. Also earning the academic honors were juniors
Adam Clauss,
Matt DeVries and Pliakos.
