DETROIT (9-18-26) – The Detroit Mercy welcomes Purdue Fort Wayne for the #HLWSOC opener on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 1 p.m. Due to rainy weather forecasts, the game will not be broadcast on ESPN+. The game is also the Club Day and Camp Reunion.
 
Scouting the Mastodons
• Purdue Fort Wayne is 1-5-1 on the season after posting their first win of the season against Saint Xavier (Ill.), 3-0.
• Last season, PFW went 2-15-1 and 1-9 in HL play.
• Detroit Mercy holds a 13-4-3 all-time series advantage over PFW. The Mastodons' lone conference win last season was a 2-1 decision that snapped a three-game skid against the Titans.
• PFW was picked to finish 12th in the 2026 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll with 24 points, one spot behind UDM.
 
PFW Rewind:
Oct. 25, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 1 at Purdue Fort Wayne 2:
Senior Abbey Lodato scored her fifth penalty kick goal of the season, cutting the second-half deficit in half, but it was not enough as Detroit Mercy came up short, 2-1, at Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday afternoon at the Hefner Soccer Complex.
 
Freshman Auden Stauffer led Detroit Mercy (2-13-2, 0-7-2 HL) with three shots on goal, while freshman Elicia Clarkson, sophomore Addison Ayris, and Lodato each had one. Junior Eva Hill recorded five saves in goal.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne (2-14-1, 1-8-0 HL) took the lead in the 14th minute and held the 1-0 advantage into halftime. After the Dons moved ahead 2-0 in the 60th minute, Lodato's penalty kick conversion pulled the Titans to 2-1 in the 83rd minute.
 
UDM pressed the attack down the stretch, but couldn't get the equalizer as PFW claimed their first #HLWSOC win of the season.
 
Last Time Out:
Sept. 10, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 0 at Bowling Green 2:
Graduate student Avery Mondoux and sophomore Emma Henry recorded two shots each, while sophomore Auden Stauffer posted the only shot on goal as Detroit Mercy dropped the final non-conference match of the season, 2-0, at Bowling Green on Thursday night at Cochrane Stadium.
 
Senior Eva Hill recorded five saves in the first half while sophomore Izzy Rener made three saves and held Bowling Green (4-1-1) scoreless in the second half.
 
The Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute. It looked like Detroit Mercy (2-4-1) was only going to trail by a goal at the half, but BGSU added another goal off a failed clearance with just 30 seconds left to lead 2-0 at the break. The Titans applied pressure in the second half, recording five shots along with two corner kick chances but couldn't get on the board.
 
On The Board:
• Junior Sam Sickinger delivered the game-winning tally in the 68th minute in UDM's 3-2 win at Valpo (8/23).
• Graduate student Avery Mondoux scored her first career goal in a Titan uniform in UDM's 3-2 win at Valpo (8/23).
• Sophomore Emma Henry connected on her first career game-winning goal late in the second half, giving UDM a 1-0 home-opening win over Eastern Michigan (8/16).
• Henry added her second goal off a penalty kick and assisted on the game-winning goal in UDM's 3-2 win at Valpo (8/23).
• Freshman Evangeline Lulgjuraj saw her first career action in goal, making three saves and not allowing a tally in the final 39:15 minutes against Wayne State (8/30).
 
Queen of the Hill:
• Senior Eva Hill leads the team in saves (29 – 4th HL) and saves per game (4.83 – 2nd HL) and shutouts (2 – 4th HL).
• Posted second clean sheet of the season, making three saves while facing 20 total shots in a scoreless draw against WMU (9/6).
• Hill was a brick wall in goal, posting her first career shutout win, making seven saves while facing 20 shots (10 in each half), helping UDM to a 1-0 home-opening win over Eastern Michigan (8/16).
• She was solid in goal, making five saves while facing 23 total shots and was seconds away from her second consecutive shutout before Toledo scored on a free kick with three seconds left in the game (8/20).
• Over the first two games, Hill faced 43 shots while making 12 saves.
 
Izzy Does It:
• Sophomore Izzy Rener picked up her first win in goal in a Titan uniform, making a save in UDM's 3-2 win at Valpo (8/23).
 
Senior Night Salute:
Before the game against Wayne State, the women's soccer team will honor seniors Eva Hill, Leila Lanier, Katy Layman, Avery Mondoux, and Jada Rivera for their hard work and dedication to the program.
 
Return of the MAC:
• Detroit Mercy competed against four schools from the Mid-American Conference (MAC): Eastern Michigan (W, 1-0 - 8/16), Toledo (L, 1-0 - 8/20), Western Michigan (T, 0-0 - 9/6), and Bowling Green (L, 2-0 - 9/10).
• The Titans finished 1-2-1 against MAC competition this season.
• Additionally, the Titans played an exhibition against Central Michigan (8/8).
 
2026 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll:
• Detroit Mercy was picked to finish 11th in the 2026 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll with 26 points.
• For the first time since the 2017 season, UDM was picked to finish third in the 2025 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll, receiving 98 points and one first-place vote after finishing third in 2024 at 7-1-2 in conference play. However, the team finished the 2025 season in last place with a 0-7-3 mark.
 
The Team:
The 2026 season marks the women's soccer program's 33rd year.
 
O' Captain, My Captain:
Seniors Leila Lanier and Eva Hill, graduate student Katy Layman, and junior Kayla Duane were named captains of the 2026 squad.

Season Review:
Sept. 6, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 0 vs Western Michigan 0:
Senior Eva Hill posts her second clean sheet of the season, making three saves while facing 20 total shots as Detroit Mercy played Western Michigan to a scoreless draw in a defensive battle on Sunday afternoon at Titan Field. WMU (2-1-3) outshot UDM (2-3-1) 11-5 in the first half, with Hill making two saves.
 
In the second half, freshman Samantha Sackfield fired a shot, but WMU backup goalkeeper Kate Sheridan saved it in the 65th minute.
In the 68th minute, WMU's Taryn DeShane was assessed a yellow card and a second one, resulting in a red card just two minutes later, leaving the Broncos to play a man down the rest of the game. The Titans had two free kicks off both cards just outside the box but couldn't connect on the crosses into the box.
 
The Titans got their best chance to get on the board in the 85th minute as freshman Ellera Jakubowski got in on a breakaway, but Sheridan came off her line and was able to stop Jakubowski's shot at point-blank range.
 
Freshman Auden Stauffer had a good look but was not able to find the back of the net as her shot to the bottom left corner was saved in the 88th minute.
 
Aug. 30, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 0 vs Wayne State 1:
Juniors Teagan Ferrington, Kyleen Bradow, and Camryn Pepper each recorded a shot on goal as Detroit Mercy battled but couldn't overcome playing a man down for a majority of the game, coming up short, 1-0, to cross-town rival Wayne State on Senior Night at Titan Field.
 
Hill made two saves before freshman Evangeline Lulgjuraj came in and recorded three second-half saves in relief in her first career action in goal. UDM and WSU (2-0) played to a scoreless draw in the first half, despite the Titans playing a man down after a second yellow card in the 28th minute.
 
The Warriors took advantage, taking a 1-0 lead with the eventual game-winning goal just 2:21 into the second half. The Titans pressed the attack the rest of the way and posted five shots, three on goal, but couldn't find the equalizer.
 
Detroit Mercy Outlasts Valparaiso to Notch First Road Win of the Season
Aug. 23, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 3 at Valparaiso 2:
Sophomore Emma Henry posted her second goal of the season and assisted on junior Sam Sickinger's game-winning tally while graduate student Avery Mondoux scored her first career goal in a Detroit Mercy uniform as the Titans outlasted Valparaiso 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Brown Field/Warren G. Hoger Track.
 
Sophomore Izzy Rener picked up her first win in goal in a Detroit Mercy (2-2) uniform, making a save. Mondoux got UDM on the board first in the 24th minute with a long-range strike from 15 yards out into the upper 90 for a 1-0 lead.
 
After a disallowed goal, the Titans wouldn't be denied as Henry converted a penalty kick, giving UDM a 2-0 lead in the 28th minute.
Valpo got on the board in the 43rd minute to trail 2-1 at the half. In the 68th minute, Henry broke down the right side and slotted a pass over to Sickinger, who hit a shot into the upper 90, moving the Titans ahead 3-1.
 
Valpo would not go away, pulling within a goal just two minutes later at 3-2.
UDM's defense stood tall over the final 20 minutes to secure their first road win of the season.
 
Titans Lose Heartbreaker in Final Seconds Against Toledo
Aug. 20, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 0 vs Toledo 1:
Sophomore Emma Henry connected on her first career game-winning goal late in the second half, while senior Eva Hill was a brick wall in goal, posting her first career shutout win, making seven saves while facing 20 shots as Detroit Mercy bounced back with a 1-0 home opening win over Eastern Michigan on Sunday afternoon at Titan Field.
 
Hill kept the Titans (1-1) in the game, facing 10 shots with four saves, keeping the game scoreless at the half.
 
In the 79th minute, the ball fell on Henry's foot after a deflection. She then sprinted into the box and ripped a shot from the right side that hit an EMU defender and the goalkeeper at the same time, trickling past both into the back of the net, giving UDM a 1-0 lead.
 
Hill faced another 10 shots in the second half, making three more saves as she and the back line stood tall the rest of the way, holding off EMU and snapping a two-game skid against the Eagles.
 
Henry's Late Tally Gives Titans Home Opening Win Over Eastern Michigan
Aug. 16, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 1 vs Eastern Michigan 0:
Sophomore Emma Henry connected on her first career game-winning goal late in the second half, while senior Eva Hill was a brick wall in goal, posting her first career shutout win, making seven saves while facing 20 shots as Detroit Mercy bounced back with a 1-0 home opening win over Eastern Michigan on Sunday afternoon at Titan Field.
 
Hill kept the Titans (1-1) in the game, facing 10 shots with four saves, keeping the game scoreless at the half.
 
In the 79th minute, the ball fell on Henry's foot after a deflection. She then sprinted into the box and ripped a shot from the right side that hit an EMU defender and the goalkeeper at the same time, trickling past both into the back of the net, giving UDM a 1-0 lead.
 
Hill faced another 10 shots in the second half, making three more saves as she and the back line stood tall the rest of the way, holding off EMU and snapping a two-game skid against the Eagles.
 
Aug. 12, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 0 at Kentucky 6:
Freshmen Lydia Smucker and Samantha Sackfield and graduate student Avery Mondoux each recorded a shot as Detroit Mercy dropped the 2026 season opener at Kentucky, 6-0.
 
After a 35-minute rain delay, Kentucky (1-0) wasted little time scoring just 1:10 into the game for a quick 1-0 lead. The Wildcats then added back-to-back penalty-kick goals in the 12th and 17th minutes, followed by another tally in the 20th minute, for a commanding 4-0 halftime lead and never looked back.