MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (3/17/2024) -- Senior Cat Kopchia and junior Maddy Camm each tallied three goals, but it just was not enough as the University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team fell, 9-8, at Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference opener for both team's on Sunday.

Camm's three goals were a career-high to go with a team-high three ground balls, two draw controls and a caused turnover, while Kopchia moved into 10th place in school history with 116 career points as she had her fifth straight, sixth of the season and 14th career hat trick.

Sophomore Libby Cuckler had a career-best three points on two goals and an assist. Sophomore Alyssa Jarvis pulled down a career-best 11 draw controls and junior Sophie Davis tied her career mark with a pair of caused turnovers. 

Detroit Mercy (0-8, 0-1 MAC) scored the first goal of the game as a caused turnover by Kopchia set up Camm's marker just a little more than a minute into the action. 

Central Michigan (1-9, 1-0 MAC) would take the lead on two straight goals when Cuckler tied it at 2-2 on a free-position attempt at the 11:17 mark, which sparked a 4-0 run. Back-to-back draw control wins by Jarvis led to two straight scores from Kopchia, and then Camm found the back of the net for a 5-2 advantage with 5:52 remaining in the first.

The Chippewas answered with two unanswered, but a save by junior Meredith Leavell led to an offensive possession and Cuckler found Camm, who fired in her third for a 6-4 lead with 6:26 left in the second. The Titans took a 7-4 lead at the break as Kopchia rang in her hat trick with 2:32 on the scoreboard.

From there, CMU started to chip away, but Detroit Mercy still led 7-6 after three. In the fourth, the Chippewas had an 8-7 lead when Davis caused a turnover, which eventually led to a goal from Cuckler to tie it at 8-8 with four minutes left. Central Michigan would jump ahead, 9-8, with just over two minutes remaining and the red, white and blue just could not find the equalizer.

Leavell made seven saves and senior Sarah Meek had a caused turnover and a draw control. 

The Titans outshot the Chippewas, 27-21, and were 16-of-17 on clears. UDM also dominated draw controls, 15-6, and forced 13 turnovers.

Detroit Mercy will now get ready for a home non-conference game against Kennesaw State on Tuesday, with the opening draw set for Noon. 

Game Notes:

• It has been a history of streaks between these two teams as the Titans won the first four, but Central Michigan has taken the last seven meetings
• The Titans are 2-4 all-time on the road, dropping the last four trips to Mount Pleasant
• The programs have always been conference rivals, first in the Atlantic Sun, then the Southern Conference before moving to the Mid-American Conference
• The Titans came into the game averaging 24.4 shots per game, second in the MAC
• Camm was coming off a career-best four points on a career-best three assists at Lindenwood
• Camm now has at least one caused turnover and two ground balls in every game this season and has 37 caused turnovers, 47 draw controls, 59 ground balls with 22 goals and 19 assists in her career
• Kopchia was coming off a career-high five goals and a season-best six points at Lindenwood
• Kopchia has scored at least two goals in every game this season and 10 straight dating back to last year
• Kopchia now has 116 points on 86 goals and 30 assists as she is six points shy of ninth in school history in points and is already ninth in school history in assists and seven goals away from 10th place
• Leavell came into the game second in the MAC and fourth in DI in saves, leading the league and fifth in the nation with 11.2 saves per game and first in the league and 53rd in the country with a .425 save percentage 
• Leavell is currently fourth in school history with 286 saves
• Cuckler also had two goals at Duquesne
• The 11 draw controls by Jarvis was the most since Elise Harder '22 had 11 against Kent State
• Jarvis now has 27 draw controls in the last four games

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