The Basics
Final Score: Detroit Mercy 3, San Diego State 2
Records: Detroit Mercy 2-2, SDSU 2-2
Location: San Diego, Calif. (SDSU Sports Deck)
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (9/8/2019) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team scored three goals in the final 15 minutes of the match Sunday evening to earn a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 road victory over host San Diego State. The Titans scored the go-ahead goal twice and the game-winning goal with five minutes left.
The Titans (2-2) trailed 1-0 after SDSU scored a goal in the 58th minute of the match, but Detroit Mercy scored a flurry of goals to end the match. The Aztecs received a red card with 20 minutes left in the contest -- and the red, white and blue took advantage of the man-up opportunity in a big way.
Senior forward
Jake Reitzloff opened the scoring for the Titans in the 76th minute. Sophomore forward
Kyle Bandyk controlled the ball at the top of the box and then found a wide-open Reitzloff at the left side of the box, who curled a shot that beat the keeper and went inside the near post to knot the game 1-1.
Just minutes later after a corner kick by freshman forward
Rocco Galati, junior midfielder
Collin Cavanaugh sent a cross into the box, which found the head of sophomore defender
Ryan Halloran, who sent the ball past the keeper and inside the far post. Halloran's goal -- the first of his collegiate career -- gave Detroit Mercy a 2-1 lead in the 83rd minute.
Barely over one minute later the Titans were called for a foul in the box that gave San Diego State a penalty kick opportunity. The Aztecs converted and once again the game was tied as the score stood 2-2 with just over six minutes left in the match.
The match was tied for a mere 53 seconds as Detroit Mercy again threatened and the ball found the foot of sophomore
Ben Al-Gharabally in some space. The midfielder ripped a shot from roughly 30 yards out that was placed perfectly inside the left post of the goal and a diving SDSU keeper. His first goal of the season in the 85th minute proved to be the game-winning goal.
The Aztecs (2-2) had four corner kicks and three shots in the final five minutes of the match with sophomore goalkeeper
Devin Mendez making a key diving save on a hard shot that was headed for the back of the net just following Al-Gharabally's goal. The Titan defense was up to the task as the red, white and blue earned its first road victory of the 2019 season.
SDSU held the shot advantage in the match, 16-9, but Detroit Mercy out-shot the Aztecs in the second half, 9-7. Detroit Mercy also had the edge in shots on goal, 6-5.
Mendez made three saves in net to earn his second win of the season. Bandyk had three shots, two of them on net, while Al-Gharabally also had three shots.
Game Notes
• Sophomore
Kyle Bandyk notched the first two assists in his Titan career in the victory; The last Titan with two assists in a game was Spiro Pliakos on Nov. 6, 2015.
• Sophomore
Ben Al-Gharabally and senior
Jake Reitzloff each led the Titans in goals a season ago; Al-Gharabally notched his first career game-winning goal.
• The Titans' last game with three or more goals was a 4-0 victory over Belmont on Sept. 23, 2017 at home.
• The last time the red, white and blue scored three or more goals on the road was in a 3-3 tie against Saint Mary's on Sept. 2, 2017.
• It was the first meeting between the two programs in men's soccer.
• Detroit Mercy was playing its second game in San Diego over the weekend and third-straight road match.
Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to the pitch next weekend, hosting Horizon League foe Milwaukee for a 7 p.m. ET match underneath the newly-installed lights at Titan Field. It'll be the first night game for men's soccer at Titan Field. Admission into the game is free. It's the conference opener for both teams.
