HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (2/4/2021) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team scored two unanswered goals in its 2021 opener on Thursday to earn a come-from-behind road victory at Northern Kentucky. The contest was the season opener for both teams and it was the first day of men's soccer across the Horizon League.
The Titans (1-0) trailed midway through the first half after NKU scored the first goal of the game in the 25th minute. But just five minutes later, the Titans earned a penalty kick after a NKU hand-ball in the box. Last year's leading scorer Kyle Bandyk stepped in and scored on the PK attempt to tie the game, 1-1 in the 30th minute. That score stood until the halftime break as both teams had five shots in the first half.
The Titans took the lead 20 minutes into the second half with senior defender Jake Poorman scoring his first collegiate goal -- which also proved to be the game-winning score. Off a long Ryan Halloran throw-in, Poorman received the ball deep in the box and sent it far post and into the back of the net. His goal gave Detroit Mercy a 2-1 lead, which proved to be the difference-maker.
The Titan defense stood tall down the stretch. NKU had five shots after Detroit Mercy took the lead, however, only one was on net. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Devin Mendez made four saves in the contest - three after halftime to earn the victory in net. Head coach Nicholas Deren '99 credited junior midfielder Trevor Deon with a strong performance defensively, as well.
The Norse held the shot advantage in the game, 13-8, and also had the edge in corner kicks, 9-7. The Titans put four of their eight shots on frame. Senior Demetri Pliakos and freshman Samory Powder both had shots on goal for the Titans in addition to Bandyk and Poorman.
Bandyk, Pliakos and Poorman all had two shots, while sophomore forward
Matthew Andres added one shot.
It was the first match for the Titans in 451 days as the normal fall season was postponed to the spring due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Titans earned their second victory in as many seasons against Northern Kentucky after picking up a 2-0 home win during the 2019 season.
Titan News & Notes
• Poorman's goal was his first career goal and first career points.
• Bandyk scored his seventh career goal for the Titans.
• Mendez now has 130 career saves -- just six behind Robbie Beckwell for 10th in school history.
•
Samory Powder and
Isaac Shiner both made their collegiate debuts in the match.
• It was the 65th victory in the head coaching career of Nicholas Deren.
• The Titans' last game played was against Milwaukee in the HL Quarterfinals on Nov. 11, 2019.
• It was the seventh meeting between the two programs (series tied, 3-3-1), all coming in the past seven seasons.
Up Next
Detroit Mercy opens the home slate next week, hosting Wright State indoors on Wednesday, Feb. 10 from Total Sports Complex in Washington Township. No fans are permitted to attend the contest, per the Titan Athletics policy regarding attendance this spring. The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. ET and live statistics will be available for the match.
