DETROIT (8-27-26) – The Detroit Mercy men's soccer team looks to rebound after a stunning setback to Adrian College in home opener action with a two-game road swing beginning at Dayton. The Titans and Flyers kick off on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m.

A look at the Flyers:
• Dayton is 1-1 on the season after a setback at No.12 Akron (3-0) and a win over Western Michigan (2-1).
• Last season, the Flyers finished 8-2-8 overall and 4-1-3 in league play, falling to St. Louis (5-4, PK) in the A-10 championship game.
• Dayton leads the all-time series 9-1-2.
• UDM's lone victory (2-1-OT) was in the school's very first meeting back on Oct. 16, 1988.
 
Dayton Rewind:
Monroe Shines with First Career Shutout as Titans Battle No. 12 Dayton to Scoreless Draw
Aug. 21, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 0 at No. 12 Dayton 0:
It was quite the homecoming for sophomore and Ohio native Colin Monroe, who was lights out, making a career-high eight saves to record his first-career shutout as Detroit Mercy played a solid match, battling No. 12 Dayton to a scoreless draw on Thursday night at Baujan Field. This marked the first time the Titans earned a draw against a ranked team on the road since a 2-2 result at No. 16 Ohio State on Sept. 26, 2017.

Senior Guershom Sylvain had the best chance for UDM (0-0-1) early in the game off a corner kick set piece in the sixth minute. Junior Drew Pierson sent in a cross that went directly to sophomore Evan Peleska just outside the top of the box. He sent in a pass to Sylvain, who took a shot and beat Dayton (0-0-1) goalkeeper Gavin Krenecki clean to the low right side, but it rang off the post.
 
UDM's defense was on point for the majority of the second half. However, Dayton had two one-on-one chances late in the game from Andrew Armstrong. In the 88th minute, he found space inside the box and ripped a shot, but Monroe challenged and cut off the angle to turn the ball away with a leg save. With just 14 seconds left, Armstrong broke free down the right side, moved into the box, and fired a low shot that Monroe stood tall making the save to preserve the shutout. Monroe's performance earned him Meijer Player of the Match honors.
 
Last Time Out:
Aug. 24, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 1 vs Adrian 2:
Graduate student Clayton Lafayette posted his first goal of the season with the equalizer late in the game, but it was not enough as Detroit Mercy was stunned by visiting Adrian, 2-1, in home-opening action on Monday night at Titan Field. 
UDM (1-1) dominated in corner kick opportunities 7-0, and outshot Adrian 15-4 overall.
 
In the 27th minute, the Bulldogs struck first with a long-range rocket volley into the upper 90 off a header clear attempt for a 1-0 lead.
 
After trailing at the half, the Titans pushed the pace and controlled possession for a majority of the second half. Detroit Mercy cashed in on a corner kick in the 82nd minute as Lafayette headed in a loose ball from a service into traffic inside the box for the equalizer.
 
However, the game would not stay square for long as Adrian picked the perfect time to hit on a counter, which led to a breakaway game-winning goal in the 84th minute.
 
Detroit Mercy Sweeps Under Armour® #HLMSOC Player of the Week Awards:
• It was a clean sweep for the Detroit Mercy men's soccer team as junior midfielder Johnny Strickler was named Under Armour® Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week and junior goalkeeper Colin Monroe was named Under Armour® Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week, announced by the league office on Monday.
 
• Strickler, a native of St. Joseph, Mich., recorded four points, scoring both goals in Detroit Mercy's 2-0 shutout win at St. Thomas, securing the Titans' first season-opening road win since 2020 and also handing the Tommies their first home loss after going undefeated (4-0-4) last season at South Field.
 
• Monroe, a native of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, posted his second consecutive season-opening shutout, making one save behind the backline that didn't allow a shot on goal until the final minute of the game.
 
Helping Hand:
• Sophomore Thero Mitchell III made the most of his UDM debut, assisting on both of Detroit Mercy's goals in their 2-0 shutout at St. Thomas to secure the Titans' first season-opening road win since 2020.

The Team:
• The 2026 season marks the 39th year of the men's soccer program.
 
Follow the Leader:
• Head Coach Nate Kopunek begins his fourth season at the helm of the program.
 
Home Grown Talent:
• Detroit Mercy has 21 student-athletes from the state of Michigan.
 
Where You From?:
• The Titans also have six student-athletes from outside the state of Michigan.
• Ohio (3): Junior Colin Monroe, senior Ryan Sanborn, junior Noah Sandahl
• Indiana (1): Freshman Sawyer Beachy
• Minnesota (1): Junior Evan Peleska
• Washington (1): Sophomore Thero Mitchell III
 
International Flavor:
• The squad also has two international student-athletes.
• France (1): Tom Nkassa
• Colombia (1): Sebastian Sanchez
 
Smart Cookies - Men's Soccer Earns United Soccer Coaches College Team Academic Award with Top-25 GPA National Ranking
• 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 2025-26 academic year. The men's team posted an impressive 3.57 overall GPA to qualify for the 12th time, tying at No. 22 among Division I men's soccer programs, which also ranked first among #HLMSOC teams.
• A total of 338 men's soccer programs (across three NCAA divisions) posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, earning the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2025-26 academic year.
 
2026 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll:
• Detroit Mercy was picked to finish ninth in the 2026 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll with 37 points.
• UDM 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 18 total returners.
 
• Graduate student Midfielder Clayton Lafayette is back after seeing action in 17 games with eight starts and tied for second on the team in assists (2) and third in points (6), and was also tied for third on the team in goals (2).
 
• Junior Mano Karijan saw action in all 18 games with 14 starts and tied for second on the team in assists (2) and also tied for fourth in points (4).
• Scored his first career goal at WMU (10/8).
 
• Senior Zander Crooks and junior John Palomino also return after each scoring a goal last season.
 
Captain Leadership Holding Down the Back Line:
• The defense will be anchored by senior captain and 2025 #HLMSOC All-League First-Team selection and 2025 Sportsmanship Award recipient Drew Pierson, who led the team in points (13, T-4th HL) and goals (5, T-4th HL), and assists (3) from his defensive position.
 
• Graduate student captain Spencer Powe also returns after appearing in all 18 games with five starts, helping anchor the backline to four shutouts and three draws last season.
 
• Senior captain Ryan Moody returns after seeing action in 10 games with one start last season.
 
Between the Pipes:
• Junior Colin Monroe is back after leading the team in wins (3) and saves (37), ranked second in goals-against-average (1.69) and save percentage (71.2).
• Posted three consecutive clean sheets, leading Detroit Mercy to a 2-0-1 record to start the season.
• Named #HLMSOC Under Armour® #HLMSOC Defensive Player of the Week (8/25)
• Also was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Men's Team of the Week (Aug. 18-24).
• Made 10 total saves, posting back-to-back shutouts to lead Detroit Mercy to a 1-0-1 record against solid competition.
• Had quite the homecoming as the Willoughby, Ohio native made a career-high eight saves to record his first-career shutout, leading UDM to a scoreless draw at No. 12 Dayton.
• This marked the first time the Titans earned a draw against a ranked team on the road since a 2-2 result at No. 16 Ohio State on Sept. 26, 2017.
• He followed that performance, making two saves to record his first career win and second consecutive shutout between the pipes in UDM's 2-0 win over 2024 Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season champion Mercyhurst, who was picked to repeat as champions in the 2025 NEC preseason poll.
 
• Junior Quinn Tews also returns after seeing action in nine games and leading the team in GAA (1.57) and ranked second in saves (35).
• Was solid in goal, making a career-high eight saves as Detroit Mercy battled arch-rival Oakland to a 1-1 draw in Metro Series action (10/11).
 
Newcomers:
• Detroit Mercy has a diverse group of 10 newcomers, which includes two transfers: sophomore Thero Mitchell III (Saint Francis) and graduate student Gio Vovelli (Niagara).
 
• UDM has eight incoming freshmen: Charlie Ahearn, Sawyer Beachy, Michael Berry, Kaiden Demopolis, Daniel Kadiu, Nick Kamugunga, Hayden Gaetino, and Sebastian Sanchez, who will look to make an immediate impact.
 
Big Shoes to Fill:
• The Titans will look to replace the offensive firepower of 2025 #HLMSOC All-League Second Team selection and 2025-26 UDM President's Award recipient Guershom Sylvain, who tied for the team in game-winning goals (2, T-2nd HL), tied for second in goals (3) and points (8), and tied for second on the team in assists (2).
 
Season Recap:
 
Strickler Scores Two Goals as Titans Blank St. Thomas to Secure First Season-Opening Road Win Since 2020
Aug. 20, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 2 at St. Thomas 0:
Junior Johnny Strickler connected on a pair of goals off feeds from sophomore Thero Mitchell III as Detroit Mercy shut out St. Thomas, 2-0, to secure the Titans' first season-opening road win since 2020 on Thursday afternoon. Junior Colin Monroe posted his second consecutive season-opening shutout, making one save behind the backline that didn't allow a shot on goal until the final minute of the game. UDM's victory also handed the Tommies their first home loss after going undefeated (4-0-4) last season at South Field.