DETROIT (8-23-24) – The Detroit Mercy men's soccer team continues their 2024 season-opening road swing at Eastern Illinois on Monday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast live from Lakeside Field on ESPN+.
A Look at the Panthers:
Eastern Illinois is 1-0 with a 3-0 season-opening win over Chicago. Last season, the Panthers finished 4-10-5 overall and 3-5-2 in Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) play. Last season, Detroit Mercy posted a 2-1 over EIU at Titan Field.
EIU Rewind:
Sept. 19, 2023 – Detroit Mercy 2 vs Eastern Illinois 1:
For the second consecutive game, sophomore captain
Casey McCarthy came up clutch scoring the game-winning goal as Detroit Mercy took out Eastern Illinois, 2-1, in non-conference action at Titan Field. Freshman
Josh Copeland posted his first career goal off the first career assist from junior
Alex Diac while sophomore
Tim Allos also recorded his first career assist on McCarthy's game-winner. Freshman
Drew Pierson added his second helper on the season.
Last Time Out:
Aug. 22 – Detroit Mercy 1 at Dayton 5:
Junior
John Nino posted his first goal of the season just before the end of the first half cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, that would be as close as Detroit Mercy would get as Dayton added three second-half goals en route to a 5-1 win on Thursday night at Baujan Field.
Redshirt sophomore
Viktor Sulc made two saves including a penalty kick save in his first career start between the pipes for the Titans (0-1). Sophomore
Quinn Tews made a save in second-half action.
Josh Copeland led the team with two total shots with one on frame.
Dayton (1-0) got on the board first in the 39th minute off an own goal. The Flyers had a chance to move ahead 2-0 in the 28th minute on a penalty kick but Sulc made a diving save, keeping the deficit at one goal.
Dayton would not be denied as they took a 2-0 lead in the 39th minute. UDM responded just before the half in the 43rd minute as sophomore
Drew Pierson sent in a corner kick cross that bounced around in traffic in front of the net. Nino was able to fire a shot that just went over the goal line for a split second before Dayton goalkeeper Dario Caetano knocked it away pulling the Titans within a goal at 2-1 heading to halftime.
The Team:
The 2023 season marks the 37th year of the men's soccer program.
Head Coach
Nate Kopunek begins his second season at the helm of the program.
Home Grown Talent:
Detroit Mercy has 25 student-athletes from the state of Michigan.
International Flavor:
The Titans have three international student-athletes in sophomore
Viktor Sulc (Czech Republic) and incoming freshmen
Louis Simon (France) and
Rafael Moro Galvez (Peru).
Around the Country:
Detroit Mercy has five players from outside the state of Michigan in senior
Fisher Hudak (New Jersey) along with four from the Buckeye State in graduate student
Jackson Towers (Ohio), transfer
Ryan Sanborn (Ohio), and freshmen
Noah Sandahl (Ohio) and
Colin Monroe (Ohio).
Titans picked sixth in 2023 Under Armour #HLMSOC Preseason Poll:
The Detroit Mercy men's soccer team was picked to finish sixth in the 2024 Under Armour Horizon League Men's Soccer (#HLMSOC) Preseason Poll announced by the league office and voted on by the league's head coaches.
Proved Them Wrong:
With the win over Robert Morris last season, Detroit Mercy secured a spot in the 2023 #HLMSOC Championships after being picked to finish last in the 2023 Under Armour Horizon League Men's Soccer Preseason Poll.
Returning Firepower:
• The Titans have 23 returners which include the top-8 point leaders in offensive production from last season led by junior forward
Tim Allos who saw action in all 18 games to lead the team in points (7) and tied for the team lead in goals (3) as a spark coming off the bench.
• Sophomore midfield captain and 2023 #HLMSOC All-Freshman Team selection
Drew Pierson ranked second on the team in points (6) while tying for the team lead in assists (2), and tied for second in goals (2).
• Junior forward
Guershom Sylvain tied for the team lead in goals (3) and tied for second in points (6) while leading the team in game-winning goals (2), shots (31) and shots on goal (14).
• Graduate student
Saeid Jannoun (1 goal, 2 assists) tied for third on the team in points (4) while sophomore midfielder
Josh Copeland (1 goal, 1 assist), and senior midfielder
Alex Diac (1 goal, 1 assist) ranked fourth in points (3).
Holding Down the Back Line:
• Junior defender, team captain and 2023 Horizon League All-Academic Honorable Mention
Casey McCarthy returns after tying for second on the team in goals (2) and tied for third in points (4) from his defensive position while anchoring the back to a shutout win over NKU (9/23) and scoreless draw vs BGSU (10/3) last season.
• Junior defender
John Nino (1 goal, 1 assist) also ranked fourth in points (3) and was named Under Armour® Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week (10/30) after scoring a goal and recording his first career assist on the game-winning goal to lead Detroit Mercy to a 3-1 come-from-behind win over RMU (10/28) to clinch a spot in the 2023 #HLMSOC Championships.
• Backline staple and graduate student
Luke Winters also returns after making 16 starts along with junior
Mateo Phillips who saw action in all 18 games and recorded his first career assist in the win over RMU.
Between the Pipes:
• Redshirt sophomore and 2023 #HLMSOC All-Freshman Team selection Quin Tews returns after a great first season making 15 starts in goal with a 5-7-3 record leading the team in saves (54, 3rd-HL), shutouts (2, T-4th-HL), goals against average (1.62, 8th-HL) and saves per game (3.60, 6th-HL). Tews was also a two-time Under Armour® #HLMSOC Defensive Player of the Week recipient
• Redshirt sophomore
Viktor Sulc will also look to compete for time for the starting role.
Newcomers:
Detroit Mercy has a diverse group of eight newcomers which includes one transfer in
Ryan Sanborn from Bowling Green along with seven freshmen in goalkeepers
Colin Monroe and
Carter McMahon; midfielders
Johnny Strickler,
Rafael Moro Galvez, and
Noah Sandahl and defenders
Samuel Speen and
Travis Zeleji who will look to make an immediate impact.
Smart Cookies:
The Detroit Mercy men's soccer team continues to demonstrate the program's commitment to academic and athletic success by earning the United Soccer Coaches College Team Academic Award for the 2023-24 academic year. The men's team posted a 3.42 overall GPA to qualify for the 10th time. The Titans were also one of 111 schools with both men's and women's programs recognized.
New Staff:
Assistant Coach
Zane Polack enters his first season with the Titans after serving as the Women's Soccer Head Coach at Owens Community College.
Polack was actively responsible for rebuilding the women's soccer program for the 2023 season by recruiting a 15-player roster and hiring two assistant coaches within a six-week time frame when Owens Community College, a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), reinstated the program for the first time since 2016.
Polack also serves as a Director and Head Coach at the Nationals Soccer Club of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) where he coaches and manages operations for the U13 – U19 boy's soccer teams.
Additionally, Polack spent time as a coach at the semi-professional level for Nationals and Detroit Union Soccer Club, members of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL).
A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, Polack played professional soccer for the Detroit Waza Flo of the Major Arena Soccer League where he made 100 appearances from 2011-2015.
