The Basics
Final Score: Marshall 3, Detroit Mercy 1
Records: Detroit Mercy 0-1-1, Marshall 1-1-0
Location: Huntington, W.Va. (Hoops Family Field)
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (8/28/2016) -- Senior forward
Matt Harkema scored his eighth career goal for the University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team, but the Titans dropped a road contest to host Marshall University on Sunday. The match was Detroit Mercy's second in three days to open the season.
Harkema scored off a rebound in the box after a free kick bounced around in the box.
Jonathan Bohlman's attempt on goal was blocked and the ball ended up on the feet of Harkema, who found a seam and converted on the shot. It was Detroit Mercy's (0-1-1) first marker of the 2016 season and cut the Marshall lead to 2-1 in the 84th minute.
The Titans put pressure on Marshall in the offensive zone in the final 15 minutes of the game with redshirt-freshman
James Solomon nearly capitalizing on a goal, pushing a shot just wide left of the goal after a slip-in from freshman
Max Becker put him in the box and behind the defense.
Detroit Mercy, which opened the season with a 0-0 draw at Pittsburgh, didn't allow a goal in the first half as the game was scoreless at halftime.
Marshall got on the scoreboard first in the 60th minute and followed with another goal just three minutes later to lead 2-0. Harkema found the back of the net with six minutes remaining in the game, but the Herd closed out the scoring, tallying a final goal as the Titans pressured the net in the waining minutes of the contest.
The Titans finished with five shots in the game and two shots on goal. The Herd had a 17-5 shot advantage and 9-1 corner kick edge during the contest.
Tyler Moorman led the Titans with two shots.
Justin Murray added a header that went just over the goal in the game's opening minutes. Junior goalkeeper
Robbie Beckwell played all 90 minutes in net, recording five stops.
Up Next
The Titans return to the pitch next weekend, traveling to North Carolina for road contests against High Point and Elon. Detroit Mercy opens the weekend with a 7 p.m. game Friday against High Point before playing Elon on Sunday at 7 p.m.
