PONTIAC, Mich. (2/6/2026) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's lacrosse team battled its way to a thrilling high-scoring contest, falling 17-13 to Butler on Friday afternoon at the UWM Sports Complex.
The game turned out to be one of the highest-scoring season openers in Titan history with the 30 combined goals, featuring a school record and a career offensive performance.
Senior
Alyssa Jarvis tallied a career-high six points on a career-tying five goals and an assist. Freshman
Alison Smiley became the first freshman to post a hat trick - ending with four goals - since 2013, and freshman
Lillie Peshek recorded a rookie record 13 draw controls, the third most in school history.
Senior
Libby Cuckler added two goals, and redshirt freshman
Ava Bandi posted a pair of caused turnovers.
The Titans started the offensive outburst as Cucker scored just a minute into the game. Smiley got her first off a pass from freshman
Chloe Sheader at the 8:25 mark in the first to knot it at 2-2.
Jarvis had a free position goal early in the second to cut the deficit to 6-3. She would score three more times in the period, with another coming from Sheader, her first collegiate goal, on the women-up off a great pass by freshman
Morgan Stamatakis, but the Bulldogs took a 10-7 lead into the break.
Jarvis fed Smiley for her second early in the third to make it 10-8 on the extra player advantage.
Butler then went ahead, 11-8, but Smiley beat the keeper, and then a win at the draw by Peshek set up another offensive possession, and redshirt freshman
Avary Sacdalan found the back of the net to make it an 11-10 affair with 8:28 remaining in the third.
Butler surged ahead again at 14-10 until Cucker tallied a goal with under a minute to go in the third.
Smiley netted her fourth in the fourth, and Cuckler found Jarvis in the zone, and she would tally her fifth with just over a minute remaining.
The Titans finished 10-of-11 on clears and registered 20 draw controls, tying for the 10th-most in school history.
Detroit Mercy will now hit the road for six straight games, starting with a trip to Canisius on Tuesday.
Game Notes:
- Butler now leads the all-time series, 5-4, while the series is 2-2 in Detroit
- Detroit Mercy is 2-16 all-time in season openers, as the Titans have dropped 16 straight after winning their first two against Howard (20-1) and Saint Francis (16-5) in 2009 and 2010
- The Titans are 5-16 all-time against current BIG EAST members, with a 1-1 mark against Xavier, a 4-5 record against Butler, and a 0-10 mark against Marquette
- The 20 draws are the most since pulling down 24 versus Kennesaw State in 2024
- Jarvis also had five goals against Akron and at Youngstown State last season
- The last Titan rookie to have a hat trick in her season debut was Michaela Schwartz at Robert Morris in 2013
- Smiley's four goals in her debut were the most since Anna Eidem had six and Emily Boissonneault had five against Howard in UDM's first-ever game in 2009
- The 13 draws are the third most in school history, behind the 19 Elise Harder had against St. Bonaventure in 2022, and the 16 Taylor Cantelon recorded against Youngstown State in 2021
