DETROIT (2/8/2021) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's soccer team opens its 2021 campaign on Wednesday when the Titans host Horizon League foe Youngstown State for a 12 p.m. ET match from Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac. No fans are permitted at the contest, per the Detroit Mercy Athletic Department's protocols regarding home events this winter and spring.

There is no live stream for the contest, however, live stats are available for fans. The 2020 fall season was moved to February-April of 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Titans, which were supposed to open the season last week on the road at Purdue Fort Wayne, now begin their 2021 spring campaign at home. Detroit Mercy is scheduled to play three of its first four contests at home following the cancellation of the Purdue Fort Wayne contest last week. It's the first match for the Titans in 467 days from the 2019 season finale on Nov. 1 against Northern Kentucky.

Season Preview
The Titans enter their second season under head coach Steve Shelton and return the majority of their lineup from the 2019 season, while also welcoming in 11 new student-athletes to the Titans. All of the Titans' scoring from a season ago returns with juniors Julie Ann Piechocki (two goals, six points) and Hailey Wentzloff (two goals, six points) -- the two Titan leaders in goals and points in 2019 -- returning for the red, white and blue back in 2021. The pair combined for 50 shots and 27 shots on goal last season for the Titans. Piechocki is a two-year starter for Detroit Mercy with seven goals and 22 career points through two seasons.

Senior midfielder Kelli Doyle was one of three Titans to start all 17 games last season and has 14 career points for the Titans with six goals and two assists in her three-year career. Senior midfielder Rachel Russo also returns in the red, white and blue after starting 15 matches for the squad last season and in her Titan career has four goals, three assists for 11 points entering 2021.

Other key members returning are senior Olivia Parra and junior Hannah Alexis on the back line for the Titans. Alexis started all 17 games for the Titans a season ago and led the team in minutes played (1,398). Parra is a three-year start on defense for the red, white and blue and started 16 games a year ago, adding one goal and three points and ranking third on the team with nine shots on goal. Junior forward Nasreen Kobeissi has 28 starts for the Titans in her career and scored three goals as a freshman in 2018. Sophomore Alessandra Pontoni started 12 matches as a freshman in 2019.

In net, Cece Muskovac returns after playing in 12 matches and making 11 starts for the red, white and blue in 2019. She had 46 total saves in goal and recorded a 68.7 save percentage for the Titans.

Shelton's coaching staff this season include second-year assistant coaches Cliff Brandmier and Roberto Mazza as well first-year graduate assistant Annie Quiroga.

Scouting Youngstown State
The Penguins are coming off a 2-1 home loss to Oakland in their 2021 spring opener last Wednesday. YSU had four shots in the contest and goalkeeper Kate McEachern made three saves in net for the Penguins. All three goals in the match were scored in the opening 30 minutes of the first half with YSU's Marcella Sizer scoring in the 30th minute.

Youngstown State was 4-13-1 overall and 2-7 in Horizon League play last season. Sizer was the team's leading scorer a season ago with five goals, three assists and 13 total points. Regan LaVigna also returns for YSU, having totaled six points on one goal and four assists. Sizer (33 shots) and LaVigna (31 shots) were 1-2 in shot attempts on the Penguins last season.

McEachern started 11 matches and played in 15 games a year ago, recording 94 saves and shutouts. Head coach Brian Shrum is in his third season as leader of the Penguins.

Series History
The Titans are 20-2 all-time in 22 meetings with the Penguins in women's soccer. Detroit Mercy is 9-0 in home games with YSU, including earning a 1-0 victory over the Penguins in the last home game on Oct. 21, 2018. The Titans dropped a 1-0 matchup last season in Youngstown on Oct. 27, 2019.

Senior Seven
The Titans have a seven-member senior class in 2021 which includes Kelli Doyle, Olivia Elby, Ana Ginez, Sophie Mapes, Olivia Parra, Rachel Russo and Neteya Tavernier. Six of the seven members of the senior class are four-year Titans entering the 2020-21 academic school year with Ginez transferring in after her freshman season playing for Oakland.

#HLWSOC Preseason Poll
The Horizon League released the 2021 spring preseason poll with all 12 league head coaches voting on the teams. The Titans were picked to finish 12th by the league's coaches, receiving 30 points total. The defending Horizon League champions Milwaukee earned 10 first-place votes and led the poll with 132 points. IUPUI (118 points) was second in the poll, with UIC getting one first-place vote to finish third at 112 points. Rounding out the top-five were Northern Kentucky (108) and Oakland (105), with the Golden Grizzlies picking up the other first-place tally.

Up Next
The Titans hit the road next week, interrupting a stretch of three out of four games at home with a trip to Wright State on Wednesday, Feb. 17 to face the Raiders. The game is slated to be streamed live on ESPN3 or ESPN-Plus and is set to begin at 1 p.m. in Dayton, Ohio. Following the road game, the Titans are home for the next two, welcoming IUPUI (Feb. 24) and Oakland (March 3) to Titan Field.