DETROIT (2/9/2023) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team will begin the 15th year of varsity lacrosse at home as the Titans meet the Golden Griffins of Canisius on Sunday.

Game time is set for 11:00 a.m. and will be played indoors at Country Day High School in Beverly Hills, Michigan. There will be no broadcast, but the game will feature live stats.

This will be the third-ever meeting between the two schools as Canisius claimed a 20-5 win at home in 2010 and a 17-6 decision in 2011. 

The Titans are 2-12 all-time in season openers and have dropped 12 in a row. Detroit Mercy is also 5-9 all-time in home openers, but has dropped its last three, with the Titans' last victory coming against Butler in 2019, 17-13, indoors at UWM Sports Complex.

Detroit Mercy returns 25 letter winners from last season, including eight starters, five of its top six-point scorers and three of its top six defenders.

Junior Cat Kopchia leads the offensive returners after leading the team with 39 points and 16 assists and placing second with 23 goals. Redshirt junior Charlotte Dale tallied 32 points on 20 goals and 12 assists, senior Marina Butler posted 26 points on 11 goals and 15 assists and senior Annie Gilbert recorded 25 points on the strength of 21 goals.

UDM will have to replace two of the best draw control specialist in the MAC in Taylor Cantelon and Elise Harder, who were second and third in the MAC, respectively, in draw controls, combining for 149 of the team's 228.

The Titans also graduated three main contributors on defense in Cantelon, Taryn McManus and All-MAC Second Team selection Claire Conway. 

Graduate senior Jess Turner and junior Kiah Nuessgen are back as main defenders. Turner had three caused turnovers and six ground balls and Nuessgen had five caused turnovers with 14 ground balls. Sophomore Katie Bilello also returns after tallying five caused turnovers and 12 GB's as a rookie. 

A plethora of versatile midfielders are also back in juniors Sarah Meek, Abby Schillinger and Cecelia Vergara and sophomores Leah Bodnar and Maddy Camm. Camm had 13 points on seven goals and six assists, seven caused turnovers and 10 GB's. Bodnar registered 10 points on six goals and four assists with eight ground balls. Meek had seven goals and 10 draw controls and Vergara posted four goals, three caused turnovers, 13 draw controls and 11 loose balls. 

In net, the Titans return two of three goals in senior Hannah Shrader and sophomore Meredith Leavell. Shrader made 28 saves in nine appearances in goal, while Leavell made 11 appearances with seven starts and had a team-high 56 saves. 

The MAC will feature seven teams this year as Eastern Michigan joins the Titans, Akron, Central Michigan, Kent State, Robert Morris and Youngstown State. The top four teams will make the conference tournament with the top seed hosting.