DETROIT (2/4/2022) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team will open its 14th season on the road as the Titans will face Ohio State on Saturday.

Game time is set for Noon inside the Woody Hayes Center. The game will be broadcast live for a fee on the Big Ten Network Plus and will feature live stats. 

This will be the sixth time that Detroit Mercy will open its season against Ohio State, who is receiving votes in both lacrosse polls.

The Titans are 1-9 all-time versus the Buckeyes, which includes an 0-8 mark on the road. The lone win came in Pontiac, Michigan, at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in 2015, 9-8, while Ohio State was the first-ever opponent in program history back in 2009 when the red, white and blue fell, 21-1.

The contest will also be the first of four straight on the road to start the year as the Titans will be at Michigan, Notre Dame and Marquette.

OPENING DAY
Detroit Mercy is 4-9 all-time on opening day and 1-12 in road openers with the win coming in Jacksonville in 2020. 

IN THE ASUN NOW
The Titans are in their first year in the newly-formed Atlantic Sun Conference after spending the last seasons in the MAAC, where they made three championship games, winning it all in 2013 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. 

LEADING THE PROGRAM
Chris Kolon is in his 13th season on the sidelines – and seventh as a head coach - for Detroit Mercy. On June 2, 2014, he was tabbed the program's interim head coach and then was named the permanent head coach on July 14.

During his time with Detroit Mercy, Coach Kolon has overseen all aspects of the Titans' defense and served as the team's recruiting coordinator, while helping establish the program as one of the best in the MAAC registering Detroit Mercy's first three winning seasons and leading the team to a school record in overall and conference victories. His teams have also always been at the top of the MAAC in academic accolades in both Academic All-League selections and honor roll recipients. 

He has also tutored five players that have gone on to get drafted in the MLL and NLL and 10 that have played in both professional lacrosse leagues and in 2019, he was named an assistant coach with the Atlas Lacrosse Club in the brand new Premier Lacrosse League. 

In his six years as a head coach, Detroit Mercy has made the MAAC Championships four times, reaching the title game in 2018, and posted the first three winning seasons in school history, setting a school record for victories twice. His first-ever win was a memorable one as Detroit Mercy upended Ohio State, 9-8, on March 7, 2015. The win was the first by the Titans over Ohio State - who were receiving votes in both the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and the USILA Coaches Poll.

PRESEASON AWARDS
In the preseason Atlantic Sun coaches poll, the Titans were picked to finish fifth with 13 points, trailing Air Force's (3) and Utah's 31 (2), Robert Morris' 22 (1) and Bellarmine's 17 and ahead of Cleveland State's 11. 

Graduate seniors Brett Erskine and Paul Manuszak were also honored on the preseason All-Conference Team at attack and midfield, respectively.

ON OFFENSE
Detroit Mercy returns its top six point scorers from last season, including 57 of its 68 goals (83.8%) and 81 of its 103 points (83.4%).

Graduate senior Brett Erskine is back to lead the offense after leading the team in scoring (25), goals (17) and assists (8) last year.

Sophomore Will Edell was second on the team with 13 points on seven goals and six assists, while junior Ryan Birney was third on the team with 12 points on 10 goals and two assists. Junior Luke Majick recorded six goals and six assists and senior AJ Van Voorhis and junior Kyle Loken each scored five goals.

Senior Ryan Figueiras also returns after an injury-plagued 2021 campaign as he has notched 19 goals and seven helpers in his career. 

THE DEFENSE
The Titans lost two graduate senior defenseman in Alex Akins and Sam McClain as well as another starter in sophomore Justin Petouhoff, a graduate defensive midfielder in Ollie Nigh and senior goalie and four-year starter Logan Shamblin. Senior Kelson Connors and sophomore Owen Bruinius and Noah Martin return as the most experienced long pole defenseman.

Graduate senior Paul Manuszak is one of the top LSM in the country after leading the Titans with 36 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers to go with two goals and an assist in 2021. He was 16th in the nation with 1.86 caused turnovers per game, while ranking 33rd in the country with 5.14 ground balls per game. 

Meanwhile David Beacom and sophomore Ally Don Jean-Francois are two of the top defensive midfielders to the unit. 

AT THE FACEOFF
Detroit Mercy will look to replace a four-year starter and school record holder in every faceoff statistic in school history in Alex Jarzembowski. He ended his career playing in 56 games with a career-winning percentage of .575 and 632 victories and is second in school history with 217 ground balls and 3.88 ground balls per game. 

Rutgers transfer in sophomore Connor Baratta will get the first look at the starting spot. 

IN NET
The Titans have four goalies on their roster, but with departed four-year starter Logan Shamblin always answering the call the last few years, all four goalies have totaled 15 minutes at goal.

The lone person on the roster who has played is senior Tyler Hart who lodged those 15 minutes, while senior Peyton Bixby, redshirt freshman Jakob Hemme and freshman Lukas Nilsen will look to replace him. 

PAUL'S BACK AT LSM
Paul Manuszak is back at LSM for the Titans. He is a two-time MAAC LSM Of The Year as he led the team with 36 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers to go with two goals and an assist in 2021. He was 16th in the nation with 1.86 caused turnovers per game, while ranking 33rd in the country with 5.14 ground balls per game. He posted a career-best four caused turnovers and picked up seven ground balls against St. Bonaventure and ranks seventh in school history with 156 ground balls, third with 3.63 ground balls per game and ninth with 39 caused turnovers. He also has 11 goals and five assists in 43 career games.

ERSKINE READY TO LEAD THE OFFENSE
Brett Erskine was one of the top attackmen in the MAAC as he was First Team All-League last season after leading the team in scoring (25), goals (17) and assists (8), while picking up 15 ground balls and causing five turnovers. He tied his career-high twice last year with six points scoring three goals with three assists at Marist and tying his career-best with five goals and a helper at Canisius. He enters the year ranking fourth in school history with 110 points, fourth with 2.68 points per game, fifth with 71 goals, third at 1.73 goals per game and seventh with 39 assists, all in 42 career games.