DETROIT (9/15/22) - Freshman
Abbey Lodato scored her second goal of the season and posted her team-leading third assist on fellow freshman
Soraya Puerto-Khalil's first career goal as Detroit Mercy blanked Northern Kentucky 2-0 to open Horizon League play on Thursday night at Titan Field. Senior
Taylor Stanley also added a team-best third assist while junior
Jazmine Scott posted her first career shutout making two saves.
Detroit Mercy (3-4-1, 1-0 HL) posted a season-high 21 total shots with nine on goal. Conversely, the back line limited NKU (0-5-1, 0-1 HL) to just seven shots with two on goal.
In the 38th minute, Lodato won the ball from a defender and made a run down the middle of the field. She then slotted a pass over to a streaking Puerto-Khalil who got behind the last two defenders. Puerto-Khalil then turned on the jets for a break away and hit a beautiful curling shot over the out-streached arms of NKU goalkeeper Mickayla Kowalski that just tucked under the crossbar giving the Titans a 1-0 lead.
The Titans added an insurance goal just a minute into the second half at the 46:08 mark. Stanley won a loose ball deep on the right side and sent in a cross that connected with Lodato who made a run into the middle of the box to hit a volley to the low left side into the back of the net for a 2-0 advantage.
Scott and the defense took over from there keeping the Norse off the board for the rest of the half to secure the win.
Detroit Mercy continues Horizon League play at Cleveland State on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m.
