DETROIT (9/30/2017) -- Senior
Suzie Redick tallied her first goal of the season and the Titans staged numerous offensive attacks but just came up short as the University of Detroit Mercy women's soccer team fell, 2-1, to visiting Northern Kentucky on homecoming Saturday.
NKU (7-4-0, 4-0-0 HL) – the defending Horizon League champions – took an early 1-0 lead not even 30 seconds into the game. Detroit Mercy (3-9-1, 0-4-0 HL) came back to knot it up at 1-1 as Redick was fed a short cross from senior
Phylisha Drayton and put it away at 33:12, but just a 1:22 later, NKU found the back of the net again.
The game featured 27 total shots with Detroit Mercy attempting 12 and junior goalie
Marina Manzo making three saves in net for the Titans.
Detroit Mercy will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 7, as the Titans host UIC at 4 p.m., in the second game of a soccer doubleheader with the men playing IUPUI at 1 p.m.
First Half
- NKU scored just 28 seconds into the contest off two quick passes and a shot from 10 yards out.
- The Norse fired three more shots – one that was saved by Manzo and another that was blocked – in the first seven minutes.
- Junior Molly Kane had a header that was saved in the eighth minute and senior Rachel DeLuca had a shot blocked at 13:01.
- Freshman Kelli Doyle got into the action with a shot that was turned away at 19:16.
- The Titans had two corner kick opportunities in the 27th minutes, but the one shot off the foot of Drayton was high.
- After two-straight NKU fouls, a ball got through to Drayton who attacked the box and she sent a short cross to Redick, who buried it past the keeper to tie the game at 1-1 at 33:12.
- NKU came right back just 1:22 later as a pass to the right side of the field led to a cross and a finish from the Norse.
- Doyle had a header that was saved in the 37th minute, while Manzo denied a NKU shot in the 42nd minute.
Second Half
- DeLuca sent a shot high at 58:31 and Drayton missed wide at 62:02.
- In the 68th minute, Redick's attempt was blocked and the Titans kept possession with Doyle firing one on net that was saved.
- DeLuca looked like she had a look at the net, but it was stopped in the 79th minute.
- Manzo kept the Norse at two goals with a save off a header at 80:42.
- Detroit Mercy had a corner at 83:01, but it did not produce a shot.
- Doyle then had a look at 85:11 that was high and the Titans had one final chance on a corner kick at 86:45, but did not get a shot off.
Game Notes
- The Titans are now 0-4-1 all-time against NKU.
- Titan head coach Mike Lupenec and NKU head coach Bob Sheehan are the only head coaches in each program's history, with Lupenec in his 25th season and Sheehan in his 21st.
- All four Titan losses in conference play have come by one goal.
- NKU scored the fastest goal this season at Titan Field at 28 seconds into the contest, besting Doyle's goal against Bowling Green that happened just 32 seconds in the match.
- It was the sixth career goal for Redick, who now has 13 points in her career.
- Drayton now has a career-high three assists on the year.
