DETROIT (9-17-25) – After completing non-conference play with a convincing win over Madonna on Senior Night, the Detroit Mercy Women's Soccer Team opens the #HLWSOC season with a home match against Cleveland State, followed by a road game at Wright State. The game will be broadcast live from Titan Field on ESPN+ with Steven MacDonald (pxp) and Matt Kibby (analyst) on the call and the battle at WSU will also be broadcast live from Alumni Field at Rinzler Student Sports Complex on ESPN+.

Scouting the Vikings:
• Cleveland State is 3-3-1 on the season with wins against Southern Indiana (2-0), St. Bonaventure (1-0), and Morehead State (3-0).
• UDM holds a 12-8-2 all-time record against CSU, winning the last two matchups.
• The Vikings were picked to finish last with 27 points in the 2025 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll.
 
A look at the Raiders:
• Wright State is 3-5 on the season with wins over Fairmont State (4-0), Chicago State (1-0), and Central Michigan (1-0).
• WSU holds a 17-15-5 all-time mark against the Titans
• The Raiders were picked to finish in a fifth-place tie with 64 points in the 2025 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll.
 
Symes Named Under Armour® #HLWSOC Defensive Player of the Week:
• Graduate student goalkeeper Chantelle Symes was named Under Armour® #HLWSOC Defensive Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Monday.
 • Symes, a Sydney, Australia native, posted her second career shutout, making four saves in Detroit Mercy's 8-0 win over Madonna on Senior Night, which snapped a five-game skid.
 
Proved Them Wrong in 2024 and Looking for More:
• The 2024 season was a special one for the Titans as they posted a 10-8-2 overall record, winning 10 games for the first time since the 2016 season.
• The Titans went 7-1-2 in #HLWSOC play, which ranks as the most league wins in program history.
• As the No. 3 seed in the #HLWSOC Tournament, UDM secured a quarterfinal victory over No.6 seed Purdue Fort Wayne for the program's first tournament win since 2018, before eventually falling in the semifinals to No. 2 seed Northern Kentucky.
• Went 4-0-2 on the road in league play and secured a second straight Metro Series victory over arch-rival Oakland.
• The Titans' epic 5-0 Metro Series beat down at arch-rival Oakland (10/30) was either team's biggest margin of victory since the Metro Series' inception in 2014.
• It was also UDM's largest margin of victory in HL play since the Titans defeated Green Bay 5-0 in 2015, largest league road win margin since defeating YSU 5-0 in 2002, and the largest road win margin since a 10-0 victory at Marygrove.
• Detroit Mercy's 3-2 come-from-behind win at IU Indy was the first #HLWSOC win for the Titans over the Jags.
• With the 1-1 tie at Milwaukee, UDM recorded its first #HLWSOC point against the Panthers since the 2007 season.
 
On the Board:
• Junior Jada Rivera had a breakout game, posting five points with two goals and an assist vs Madonna (9/11).
• Sophomore Camryn Pepper scored her first career goal vs Madonna (9/11).
• Sophomore Sam Sickinger added her first goal of the season vs Madonna (9/11).
• Sophomore Mya Mascaro recorded her fourth career assist from her defensive position vs Madonna (9/11).
• Freshman Emma Henry scored her first career goal off the first assist from Lodato at WMU (9/7).
• Rivera scored her first career goal in a Titan uniform in the setback at Toledo (9/4).
 
Solid Soraya:
• Senior Soraya Puerto-Khalil posted a career-best six points with a pair of goals and two assists on Senior Night vs Madonna (9/11).
• Tied for the team lead in assists (2).
 
All Day Abbey:
• Senior Abbey Lodato leads the team in goals (5), assists (2), and points (12).
• Posted five points in a game for the second time in her career with two goals and an assist on Senior Night vs Madonna (9/11).
• Recorded first assist of the season at WMU (9/7).
• Posted third goal off a free kick against BGSU (8/28).
• Scored a pair of goals off a free kick, followed by a penalty kick, propelling Detroit Mercy to a 2-1 win over former Horizon League foe Valparaiso (8/14) in the season-opener.
 
King of the Hill:
• Junior Eva Hill recorded a career-high nine saves in the 2-0 setback at Kentucky (8/28).
• Hill made her first career start in goal at Michigan (8/17), making six saves.
 
Last Time Out:
Sept. 11, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 8 vs Madonna 0:
Seniors Soraya Puerto-Khalil and Abbey Lodato put on a show on Senior Night, combining for 11 total points with four goals and three assists to lead Detroit Mercy to an 8-0 thumping over Madonna to snap a five-game skid on Thursday night at Titan Field. Puerto-Khalil posted six points with a pair of goals and two assists, while Lodato added five points with two goals and an assist. Senior Chantelle Symes also posted her second career shutout, making four saves. The win marked the first 8-0 win since the 2010 season when the Titans defeated Marygrove.
 
Junior Jada Rivera also had a breakout game, posting five points with two goals and an assist, while sophomore Camryn Pepper scored her first career goal. Sophomore Sam Sickinger added her first goal of the season, with sophomore Mya Mascaro notching an assist from her defensive position.
 
Senior Night Salute:
Before the game against Madonna, the women's soccer team honored seniors Ashley Bates, Grace Brutto, Jen Mateyak, Abbey Lodato, Soraya Puerto-Khalil, and Chantelle Symes for their hard work and dedication to the program.
 
Brand New Locker Room:
• With a project spearheaded by head coach Steve Shelton and the tremendous support of donors, families, and friends of the program, the women's soccer team unveiled a brand-new locker room located in Calihan Hall on Aug. 27.
 
Return of the MAC:
• Detroit Mercy competed against three schools from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) beginning with BGSU (8/27), followed by Toledo (9/4), and Western Michigan (9/7). Additionally, the Titans played exhibition matches against Eastern Michigan (8/3) and Central Michigan (8/7).
 
Power Four Road Swing:
• Detroit Mercy completed a road swing against three consecutive Power Four conference opponents in Michigan, Louisville, and Kentucky.
 
The Team:
The 2025 season marks the 32nd year of the women's soccer program.
 
Movin' On Up:
• For the first time since the 2017 season, the Detroit Mercy women's soccer team was picked to finish third in the 2025 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll. The Titans received 98 points and one first-place vote.
• Last season, the Titans finished third in the league standings with 23 points, earning a No. 3 seed in the 2024 #HLWSOC Championships after being picked to finish eighth in the 2024 #HLWSOC Preseason Poll, receiving 54 points.
• With the Metro Series victory over arch-rival Oakland to conclude the 2023 regular season, Detroit Mercy qualified for the #HLWSOC Championship for the first time since the 2018 season as the No. 6 seed. Before the season, UDM was picked to finish ninth in the 2023 Preseason Poll, receiving 40 points and moving up one spot from being picked 10th before the 2022 season.
 
Our COY is Better Than Yours:
• Head Coach Steve Shelton is in his seventh season with the program.
• Shelton earned #HLWSOC Coach of the Year honors, becoming the first UDM head coach to garner this award since the 2012 season after
• Last season, he led the Titans to a third-place regular season finish in the league standings with 23 points, earning a No. 3 seed in the #HLWSOC Championships after being picked to finish eighth in the 2024 pre-season poll.
 
Returning Firepower:
• The Titans have 19 returners led by senior midfielder and two-time #HLWSOC All-League First Team selection Abbey Lodato, who tied for the team lead in goals (8 – T-3rd HL), ranked second in points (18 – 4th HL), and tied in game-winning goals (3 – T-3rd HL).
 
• Senior midfielder Soraya Puerto-Khalil also returns after ranking second on the team in assists (4 ) and tied for fourth in points (8).
 
• Sophomore sensation Sam Sickinger is back after tying for fourth on the team in points (8) with three goals and two assists, earning #HLWSOC All-Freshman Team honors.
 
Last Line of Defense:
• Junior and #HLWSOC All-League Second Team selection Leila Lanier returns after anchoring the back line to three shutouts last season while recording five points with two goals and an assist from her defensive position.
 
• Senior Jen Mateyak also returns after seeing action in 17 games with 15 starts while scoring her first career goal in UDM's 2-1 win over RMU (9/22).
 
Between the Pipes:
• Graduate student Chantelle Symes returns after making five appearances in goal with four starts, earning her first win with the Titans in a 2-0 shutout of Madonna (9/2).
 
• Juniors Eva Hill and Grace McCormick didn't see action last season and will look to compete in goal.
 
Newcomers:
• Detroit Mercy has a diverse group of nine newcomers, with two transfers in junior and Michigan native Jada Rivera from Milwaukee, and sophomore Teagan Ferrington from Toledo.
• UDM also added a total of seven freshmen in Elicia Clarkson, Gabby Garcia, Mary Garcia, Emma Henry, Brogan Hughes, Kiely Robinson, and Auden Stauffer, who will look to make an immediate impact.
 
Made in the Mitten:
Detroit Mercy has 19 student-athletes from the state of Michigan
 
Around the U.S.:
• The Titans also have five student-athletes from outside the state of Michigan, with four from Ohio and one from California.
 
O-H-I-O:
• Sophomore Natalie Dye is joined by sophomore transfer Teagan Ferrington and freshmen sisters Gabby and Mary Garcia from the Buckeye State.
 
International Flavor
• The squad also has four international student-athletes
 
Across the Pond:
• Freshmen Brogan Hughes and Elicia Clarkson come to the squad from England.
 
O' Canada:
• Sophomore Mya Mascaro is the lone student-athlete from Canada.
 
The Land Down Under:
Graduate student Chantelle Symes is the lone student-athlete from Australia.
 
Season Rewind:
Sept. 7, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 1 at Western Michigan 4:
Senior Abbey Lodato posted her third goal of the season, but it was not enough as Detroit Mercy could not hold on in the second half, surrendering four goals in a 4-1 setback to visiting Bowling Green on Thursday night at Titan Field.
 
During the 30th minute, Lodato got the ball in space and fired a shot past BGSU (3-1) goalkeeper Payton O'Malley, giving the Titans (1-4) a 1-0 lead going into halftime.
 
Sept. 9, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 1 at Toledo 2:
Junior Jada Rivera scored her first career goal in a Titan uniform as Detroit Mercy battled but couldn't get the equalizer in the second half, falling 2-1 at Toledo on Thursday night at Paul Homer Field.
 
Toledo took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. Senior Soraya Puerto-Khalil had a great look at the equalizer in the 26th minute as she took a pass from senior Abbey Lodato at the top of the box and fired a shot to the left side. Toledo goalkeeper Agnes Stenlund made a diving save, redirecting the ball off the left post that went right to Rivera, who missed the putback high over the crossbar.
 
After the Rockets moved ahead 2-0 to open the second half, Rivera cashed in on her second scoring opportunity in the 71st minute. After Puerto-Khalil sent a cross into traffic in front of the goal, the ball was tapped out by Stenlund right to Rivera, who fired it into the empty net, pulling the Titans within a goal at 2-1.
 
Aug. 28, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 1 vs Bowling Green 2:
Senior Abbey Lodato posted her third goal of the season, but it was not enough as Detroit Mercy could not hold on in the second half, surrendering four goals in a 4-1 setback to visiting Bowling Green on Thursday night at Titan Field.
 
During the 30th minute, Lodato got the ball in space and fired a shot past BGSU (3-1) goalkeeper Payton O'Malley, giving the Titans (1-4) a 1-0 lead going into halftime.
 
Aug. 24, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 0 at Kentucky 2:
Junior Eva Hill was solid in goal, recording a career-high nine saves as Detroit Mercy battled but concluded their three-game road swing with a 2-0 setback at Kentucky on Sunday afternoon at Bell Soccer Complex.
 
Hill posted three saves in the first half, allowing a goal early in the match, but regrouped, making six saves in the second half to hold Kentucky (4-0) at bay. U-K added their second goal off a penalty kick in the 52nd minute.
 
Aug. 21, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 0 at Louisville 8:
Senior Abbey Lodato, sophomore Kyleen Bradow, and freshman Gabby Garcia each recorded a shot as Detroit Mercy fell 8-0 at Louisville on Thursday night at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium.
 
Things didn't go right for the Titans (1-2) from the start as Louisville (2-1) scored three goals over the first 17 minutes of the game. After the Cardinals added a fourth goal in the 25th minute, UDM had an own goal, which proved to be the back-breaker. U-L then scored again to lead 6-0 at the half and never looked back.
 
Aug. 17, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 0 at Michigan 4:
Junior Eva Hill made her first career start in goal, making six saves as Detroit Mercy suffered a 4-0 setback at Michigan on Sunday afternoon at the U-M Soccer Stadium. Sophomore Camryn Pepper recorded UDM's (1-1) lone shot on goal in the first half, while freshmen Emma Henry and Addison Ayris had a shot each late in the second half.
 
Lodato's Two Goals Power Detroit Mercy to Season-Opening Win Over Valparaiso
Aug. 14, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 2 vs Valparaiso 0:
It was the Abbey Lodato show as the senior scored a pair of goals, propelling Detroit Mercy to a 2-1 win over former Horizon League foe Valparaiso in season-opening action on Thursday night at Titan Field. Graduate student Chantelle Symes picked up the win in goal, making a Titan career-high five saves.
 
Just four minutes into the game, Lodato fired a rocket off a free kick into the upper right side 90 just outside the penalty box, giving the Titans (1-0) a 1-0 lead. Valpo (0-1) didn't waste any time getting the equalizer just six minutes later as both teams entered halftime all square at 1-1.
 
In the 85th minute, Lodato made an aggressive move inside the box and was tripped up by a defender, drawing a penalty kick. She stepped up and delivered another strike to the low left side past Valpo goalkeeper Kate Sheridan for the game-winner.