DETROIT (2/28/2024) -- Senior Cat Kopchia posted three goals and the Titans had an early lead, but Marquette went on a surge as the University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team dropped a 19-7 decision to its Jesuit rival in the home opener on Wednesday.

Kopchia also had a caused turnover and now has 11 goals on the year.

Junior Meredith Leavell stopped 12 shots. Junior Maddy Camm registered a goal and an assist, along with two ground balls, and junior Leah Bodnar scored a goal and picked up a team-high four GB's, tying her career high.  

The Titans (0-4) trailed 2-0 when Kopchia powered her first of the game just five minutes in. She would knot it at 2-2 a couple of minutes later, beating the defense and getting it past the keeper. After sophomore Alyssa Jarvis won the next draw, Kopchia went inside and somehow got the ball to spin by the goalie and in the net for a 3-2 lead with 6:47 left.

UDM would take another lead at 4-3 as Leavell made a save and that set up Camm's strike with 1:24 remaining in the opening period. The Titans advantage grew to 5-3 as senior Marina Butler took advantage of a Marquette (2-3) foul and fired in a free-position shot at the 13:06 mark.

The Golden Eagles would come back to make it a 5-5 contest when Leavell made another save off a free position attempt, and Camm found Jarvis, who tickled the twine with 5:47 to go before the half.

Marquette would come back to take an 8-6 lead at the break and a 13-0 run saw the Titans go down 18-6 when Bodnar found the back of the net with 3:07 left in the fourth.

Senior Katie Bilello tallied a career-high three caused turnovers, while Butler had two takeaways.

Detroit Mercy halved Marquette with 14 ground balls apiece, but did force the Golden Eagles with 17 turnovers, causing 10 of them.

The Titans will be back in action this Saturday as the red, white and blue travel to upstate New York to face another Jesuit foe Canisius. 

Game Notes: 

• The Titans are 0-9 all-time against Marquette
• UDM is 5-11 all-time in home openers and 2-4 in home openers played at Titan Field
• Detroit Mercy is 4-13 all-time against current members of the BIG EAST
• UDM has posted 38 caused turnovers through the first four games, with eight at New Hampshire and 10 in each of the last three games as the Titans registered double-digit caused turnovers just four times last season
• Kopchia now has 10 career hat tricks and two this season as she scored four goals at New Hampshire
• Kopchia now has 99 points on 72 goals and 27 assists, 10th in school history with those helpers
• Leavell has 13 games with double-digit saves in her career
• Butler has now scored a goal in two-straight games and has 82 career points on 41 goals and 41 assists - tied for fourth in school history
• Bilello had five games with two caused turnovers coming into the contest

  Read Full Article