The Basics
Final Score: Detroit Mercy 2, Western Michigan 1
Records: Detroit Mercy 1-4-3, Western Michigan 7-2-0
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich. (WMU Soccer Complex)
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (9/24/2016) -- Behind a pair of first-half goals and a strong defensive effort in the second half Saturday, the University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team earned a 2-1 road victory at Western Michigan.
Detroit Mercy improved to 7-0-1 in its last eight matches against the Broncos, who were coming off a 1-0 win at Michigan and were 7-1 overall and No. 5 in the NSCAA Great Lakes Regional rankings entering the match.
The Titans (1-4-3) have had several good first halves this season and Saturday was no different. Detroit Mercy wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, scoring just one minute into the match. After a misplayed ball by the WMU goalkeeper glanced off the post,
Tommy Bowman found a wide-open
Spiro Pliakos, who easily found the back of the net.
It was nearly 44 minutes later in the same half when Detroit Mercy scored its second goal as Pliakos was set up with a corner kick opportunity after freshman
Jake Reitzloff's shot was blocked past the goal line. Pliakos hooked the corner kick off a Western Michigan defender and into the net giving the Titans a 2-0 lead. Pliakos' second goal of the game and third of the year came just 10 seconds before the halftime buzzer.
Detroit Mercy's defense then took over in the second half, spearheaded by junior goalkeeper
Robbie Beckwell, who made a career-high 10 saves in the contest. WMU had a good opportunity early in the second half in the 53rd minute after being awarded a penalty kick situation.
Beckwell was up to the challenge, however, making an acrobatic save with his foot on the PK by WMU's Edu Jimenez. Detroit Mercy's advantage was still 2-0 after Beckwell's stop.
WMU continued its offensive pressure in the second half, but Detroit Mercy was up to the challenge time and time again. WMU's goal came off another PK opportunity, this time Jay McIntosh converting in the 79th minute that was just off the fingertips of Beckwell.
Beckwell made three saves in the final 10 minutes of the match to help preserve the win.
Pliakos led the team with four shots, three on goal. Bowman added three shots, including two early in the second half that nearly gave the Titans a 3-0 lead. As a team, Detroit Mercy had eight shots total, five in the first half. WMU had 22 shots in the game and took eight corner kicks.
The Titans return to the pitch Wednesday night, facing the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. First kick is set for 7:30 p.m., and the game is set to be televised on the Big Ten Network Plus. Detroit Mercy earned a 2-1 win over the Wolverines last season.
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