DETROIT (9-23-26) – The Detroit Mercy women's soccer team heads to the Badger State for a massive #HLWSOC road swing, with two matches at Green Bay followed by eight-time defending champion Milwaukee. The Titans and Phoenix kick off on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 5 p.m. ET, with the match being broadcast live from Festival Foods Field at Aldo Santaga Stadium on YouTube. UDM and the Panthers kick off on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. ET.

A look at the Phoenix:
• Green Bay is undefeated on the season at 6-0-2 on the season and 1-0 in HL play after a 1-0 win at NIU (9/19).
• Last season, GB went 8-9-4 and 4-3-3 in HL play. The Phoenix advanced to the #HLWSOC championship game before falling to arch-rival Milwaukee.
• Detroit Mercy holds a 25-5-6 all-time series advantage over GB.
• Green Bay was picked to finish fourth in the 2026 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll with 24 points, one spot behind UDM.
 
GB Rewind:
Oct. 12, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 0 vs Green Bay 0:
Junior Eva Hill recorded her first career shutout, making a save while the backline starters of seniors Jen Mateyak and Ashley Bates, junior Leila Lanier, and freshman Mary Garcia, along with sophomore subs Teagan Ferrington and Natalie Dye held Green Bay to just one shot on frame as the Titans and Phoenix played to a scoreless draw on Sunday afternoon at Titan Field.
 
Freshman Brogan Hughes led Detroit Mercy (2-11-2, 0-5-2 HL) with two shots on goal, while sophomore Sam Sickinger added one. Senior Abbey Lodato and Sickinger each recorded three shots, accounting for six of UDM's nine total shots. The Titans also couldn't capitalize on six corner kick opportunities compared to four for Green Bay (3-7-4, 1-2-3 HL).
 
Scouting the Panthers:
• Milwaukee is 3-4-2 on the season after and 1-0 in HL play after a 3-2 win at IU Indy (9/19).
• The Panthers played a challenging non-conference schedule consisting of playing three nationally ranked teams in No. 16 Tennessee, No. 25 Georgia, and No. 16 Wisconsin.
• Last season, MKE went 13-5-3 overall and undefeated in HL play at 8-0-2 to win the regular season crown and 3-0 to win their eighth consecutive #HLWSOC championship. The Panthers fell 4-1 to No. 9 Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament first round.
• Milwaukee leads the all-time series 29-7-3 against UDM.
• During the 2024 season, UDM posted a 1-1 tie at Milwaukee, recording their first HL point against the Panthers since the 2007 season.
• Milwaukee was picked to repeat as champions in the 2026 Under Armour #HLWSOC Preseason Poll with 142 points.
 
MKE Rewind:
Oct. 9, 2025 – Detroit Mercy 1 vs Milwaukee 2:
Freshman Kiely Robinson scored her first career goal off a corner kick feed from senior Abbey Lodato, while junior Eva Hill matched a career-best nine saves in goal as Detroit Mercy pushed #HLWSOC leader Milwaukee to the limit. However, it was not enough, as the Titans fell 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion, with the Panthers scoring the game-winning tally with just 24 seconds left in the match on Thursday night at Titan Field.
 
Milwaukee (9-4-1, 6-0 HL) and Detroit Mercy (2-11-1, 0-5-1 HL) played even during the first half, with both teams taking 10 shots and Hill making six saves. UDM got on the board in the 74th minute as Lodato sent in a corner kick cross into the box, where Robinson was able to navigate through traffic and connect on a header past Panther goalkeeper Bella Hollenbach, which was only her third goal surrendered in league play.
 
The Titans' lead was short-lived as UDM was called for a penalty inside the box just two minutes later. Milwaukee was able to score on the ensuing penalty kick for the equalizer, tying the game at 1-1.
 
Last Time Out:
Sept. 19, 2026 – Detroit Mercy 3 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne 0:
Junior Camryn Pepper scored the game-winner for her first goal of the season off the first career assist from sophomore Auden Stauffer, while graduate student Avery Mondoux added her second, followed by the first career tally from freshman Ellera Jakubowski as Detroit Mercy rolled past Purdue Fort Wayne, 3-0, to open #HLWSOC play on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Titan Field. Senior Eva Hill recorded three saves to secure her third shutout of the season.
 
Detroit Mercy (3-4-1, 1-0 HL) wasted little time to get on the board as Pepper took a feed from Stauffer into the box and put home a shot just 1:28 into the game. In the 13th minute, Mondoux went into the box, eluded a tackle from a defender, and fired a shot into the upper 90, giving the Titans a 2-0 lead.
 
 Just 2:54 seconds into the second half, Jakubowski got the ball in space just outside the right side of the box and launched a long-range strike into the net for the icing on the cake. Hill made two saves down the stretch to keep the Mastodons (1-6-1, 0-1 HL) at bay and preserve the blank sheet.
 
Queen of the Hill:
• Senior Eva Hill leads the team in saves (32 – 4th HL) and saves per game (4.57 – 3rd HL) and shutouts (3 – 4th HL).
• Posted her third clean sheet of the season, making three saves while facing 13 total shots in UDM's 3-0 #HLWSOC opening win over Purdue Fort Wayne (9/19).
• 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.
 
Henry On a Heater:
• Sophomore Emma Henry leads the squad in points (5) and goals (2).
• 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).
• 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).
 
Mighty Mondoux:
• Graduate student Avery Mondoux also leads the team in goals (2) while ranking second in points (4).
• Added her second goal of the season in UDM's 3-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne (9/19).
• Scored her first career goal in a Titan uniform in UDM's 3-2 win at Valpo (8/23).
 
On The Board:
• Junior Camryn Pepper scored the game-winner for her first goal of the season in UDM's 3-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne (9/19).
• Sophomore Auden Stauffer added her first career assist on Camryn Pepper's game-winning goal in UDM's 3-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne (9/19).
• Junior Sam Sickinger delivered the game-winning tally in the 68th minute in UDM's 3-2 win at Valpo (8/23).
 
Freshman Firsts:
• Ellera Jakubowski posted her first career goal in UDM's 3-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne (9/19).
• 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).
 
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 33rd year of the women's soccer program.
 
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.
 
Follow the Leader:
• Head Coach Steve Shelton is in his eighth season and looks to get the program back on track after a disappointing 2025 campaign.
• During the 2024 season, Shelton led the Titans to a 10-8-2 overall record, winning 10 games for the first time since the 2016 season, while going 7-1-2 in #HLWSOC play, which ranks as the most league wins in program history. The Titans finished third in the league standings after being picked to finish eighth in the preseason.
• As the No. 3 seed in the #HLWSOC Tournament, Shelton led Detroit Mercy to 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.
• For his efforts, he earned #HLWSOC Coach of the Year honors, becoming the first UDM head coach to garner this award since the 2012 season. Shelton also led the Titans to an undefeated 4-0-2 mark on the road, and a second straight Metro Series victory over arch-rival Oakland.
 
Returning Firepower:
• The Titans have 14 returners led by senior Jada Rivera, who tied for second on the team in goals (3) and ranked third in points (7).
 
• Sophomore Emma Henry will look to add to the offense after a solid freshman campaign where she started in all 18 games and ranked fourth on the team in goals (2) and tied for fourth in points (4).
 
• Juniors Sam Sickinger, Kyleen Bradow, Camryn Pepper (2025 Valeo #HLWSOC All-Academic Team selection) and sophomore Kiely Robinson will also be called upon to increase offensive production after each player scored a goal last season.
 
Last Line of Defense:
• Senior and 2024 #HLWSOC All-League Second Team and 2025 Valeo All-Academic Team selection Leila Lanier returns after anchoring the back line to two shutouts last season while recording four points with two goals from her defensive position.
 
Between the Pipes:
• Senior Eva Hill returns after recording 14 starts while leading the team in saves (66) and goals-against-average (2.20).
• Hill recorded her first career shutout, with one save, in a 0-0 draw against Green Bay (10/12).
• Matched a career-best nine saves in goal against #HLWSOC leader Milwaukee (10/9).
• Recorded a career-high nine saves in the 2-0 setback at Kentucky (8/28).
• Sophomore and Saint Francis transfer Izzy Rener and freshman Evangeline Lulgjuraj will also look to compete in goal.
 
Big Boots to Fill:
• The Titans will look to fill the huge offensive void left by Abbey Lodato, who led the team in points (22 – T-2nd HL), goals (8 – T-2nd HL), assists (6 – T-3rd HL), and game-winning goals (2 – T-3rd HL) finishing her career as a Three-time #HLWSOC All-League First Team selection (2023, 2024, 2025), Horizon League Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman Team selection (2022).
• For her career, Lodato started in 70 of 71 games played, recording 24 goals (6 game-winners), 14 assists for 62 points, going a perfect 8-for-8 in penalty kicks.
 
Newcomers:
• Detroit Mercy has a diverse group of 14 newcomers, with five transfers in Izzy Rener (Saint Francis), sister tandem of sophomore Jojo Mondoux (Kent State) and graduate student Avery Mondoux (Nicholls State), junior Kayla Duane (Franklin Pierce), and graduate student Katy Layman (Virginia Military Institute).
 
• UDM also added a total of nine freshmen in Adey Avery, Scarlet Enskat, Gabriella Gojcaj, Ellera Jakubowski, Evangeline Lulgjuraj, Ciana Robillard, Samantha Sackfield, Lydia Smucker, and Elisa Veal, who will look to make an immediate impact.
 
Made in the Mitten:
Detroit Mercy has 15 student-athletes from the state of Michigan
 
Where You From?:
• The Titans also have eight student-athletes from outside the state of Michigan.
• Ohio (3): Junior Teagan Ferrington, junior Natalie Dye, Lydia Smucker
• New York (2): Jojo and Avery Mondoux
• Indiana (1): Adey Avey
• Wisconsin (1): Kayla Duane
• Virginia (1): Katy Layman
 
International Flavor:
• The squad also has five international student-athletes.
 
Across the Pond:
• Sophomores Brogan Hughes and Elicia Clarkson come to the squad from England.
 
O' Canada:
• Junior Mya Mascaro, Robillard, and Veale are the three student-athletes from Canada.
 
Season Review:
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.
 
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.

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