DETROIT (3/24/2021) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's soccer team scored the first and last goals of Wednesday's home match with visiting Robert Morris, as junior
Julie Ann Piechocki ended the contest with 2:54 left on the clock in double overtime, scoring the golden goal as the Titans won 2-1 from Titan Field.
The Titans (2-4-1, 2-4-1 Horizon League) had several chances in double overtime and finally capitalized with freshman
Karsen Murray sending a free kick into the box and junior defender
Hailey Wentzloff's initial shot attempt in the box saved by the keeper. The ball deflected in the box to Piechocki, who buried the rebound into the back of the net and sent the Titans into a frenzy.
Detroit Mercy's first goal was scored early on in the match as freshman forward
Tia Jokic scored at the 14:01 mark, as she dribbled down the left side of the field and lofted a shot from just inside the box that went over the keepers head and inside the far post. It was Jokic's first collegiate goal for the Titans and gave Detroit Mercy a 1-0 advantage early.
The Titans had a series of offensive chances in the first half, connecting on the post on two different occasions in the opening 45 minutes with both Piechocki and Murray hitting the post with shots. The red, white and blue had 12 shots in the first half and six corner kicks and held a 1-0 halftime lead.
The Colonials (1-6, 1-6 HL) scored in the 62nd minute of the match off a free kick from 30 yards away as Kaoru Hayashi hit a shot that deflected off the crossbar and into the back of the net, tying the match up. Senior
Sophie Mapes sent a shot on frame in the 81st minute, but an RMU defender deflected the ball away as one of the better Titan chances in the second half.
Titan freshman goalkeeper
Marisa Silver was key in the second half with the wind at the Colonials back. Silver made several saves, including two in the final five minutes of regulation, one on a rising, hard shot that was destined for the back of the net from inside the box in the 85th minute.
RMU had two shots in the first minute of overtime, with Silver making her sixth save of the match, but neither team had a serious threat offensively in the first 10 minutes of overtime. The Titans had all five shots in double overtime, including three on net, with Piechocki scoring her second game-winning goal of the 2021 season in the 108th minute.
The Titans held the shot advantage in the match overall, 27-14, and had the edge in corner kicks, 10-6. There were 22 fouls called in the match, 18 of those against Detroit Mercy. Jokic and Piechocki both had five shots to lead the squad, but seven Titans overall had multiple shots in the contest. Jokic, Piechocki and senior
Kelli Doyle each had two shots on goal.
Titan News & Notes
• Detroit Mercy improved to 2-1-1 at home this season.
• It was the first meeting between the Titans and Robert Morris in women's soccer, with the Colonials joining the HL prior to the 2020-21 school year.
• Murray and Jokic both tallied their first collegiate points in the match.
• The Titans have out-shot their opponents in five of seven matches this season.
• Four of Piechocki's nine career goals in a Titan uniform have been of the game-winning variety.
Up Next
The Titans return to the pitch next week, hosting UIC from Titan Field on Tuesday, March 30 for Senior Day. Detroit Mercy closes out the regular season the following Monday on April 5, when the Titans travel to Cleveland State to play the Vikings.
