DETROIT (8/29/2021) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team was on the offensive all game long, but it came down to a penalty kick in the second overtime as senior
Kyle Bandyk was able to beat the Chicago State goalie for a 2-1 road win on Sunday afternoon. The Titans finished the opening weekend unbeaten (1-0-1) after Thursday's impressive 1-1 draw at Michigan.
The Titans out-shot the Cougars, 9-3, and had an 11-2 advantage on corner kicks during the match. Detroit Mercy allowed just two shots on goal and none in the overtime periods against a Cougars squad which defeated Northwestern in their opener on Thursday.
The match was knotted at 1-1 in the second overtime when a yellow card was assessed to the Cougars in the 104th minute, after freshman
Eddie Villagomez slipped in senior
Demetri Pliakos, who was taken down in the box. It set up Bandyk's heroics as he drilled a shot inside of the post for the golden-goal game-winner.
Detroit Mercy fell behind 1-0 in the seventh-minute as Chicago State was able to find the back of the net, but late in the period, the Titans were able to knot it at 1-1 as off a set piece, Pliakos fed senior
Ryan Halloran, who volleyed the ball to the bottom left corner of the net with just 30 seconds left on the clock before halftime.
Late in the game in the 79th minute, redshirt freshman
Jonathan Kliewer made his only save of the contest to keep it at 1-1. The Titans also had a couple of scoring opportunities with less than 20 minutes to go as senior
Daniel Iyok had a shot that was turned away in the 74th minute and senior
Bennett Brooks' attempt was saved in the 78th minute.
Pliakos and senior
Ryan Pierson each had two shots for the Titans, with seniors
Daniel Iyok and Brooks also posting shots on goal for the red, white and blue.
Titan News & Notes
• The three shots allowed by the Titans were the fewest since the 2019 opener against Niagara, when the Titans also allowed just three.
• Villagomez made his collegiate debut in the match.
• It was Bandyk's second career game-winning goal and third career PK tally.
• It was the first-ever meeting with Chicago State in men's soccer for the Titans.
Up Next
The Titans will return to the pitch this week as they play in the Dayton Classic in Ohio facing Incarnate Word on Thursday, Sept. 2 and the host Flyers on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.
