It was more cold and rain for the University of Detroit(w) Mercy women’s soccer squad Friday as it trekked to Indianapolis to face Butler University, but the Titans couldn’t enjoy the success they did in the same conditions their last time out, and were turned away, 3-1.

Last season the Bulldogs recorded two victories over Detroit, including a 3-2 win at Titan Field, and the Titans were looking to repay the favor. But the UDM offense stalled as the Butler offense was clicking on all cylinders in the early going.

Butler (6-8-0 overall, 2-1-0 Horizon League) outshot the Titans 6-2 in the opening half, and Detroit failed to record a shot on goal. After the Bulldogs took the lead at the 21:30 mark on Katie Griswold’s fourth goal of the season, they quickly doubled their lead as Griswold knocked season goal No. 5 just 1:26 later.

The Titans held Butler off the scoreboard the rest of the half and went into intermission trailing, 2-0, but it didn’t take long after for that lead to expand. This time it was Molly Kruger, who had already earned assists on each of Griswold’s goals, to place one into the net, her fifth of the year.

Action continued to stay on the Detroit side of the field as the home team kept the pressure on, recording nine more shots to the Titans’ two in the second half. But with time winding down the game began to look like the teams’ meeting in Detroit last year, when the Titans scored two goals in the final 10 minutes.

Detroit began pressuring the Butler defense and at the 77:59 mark senior Trina Kochanski (Royal Oak, MI/Kimball) flicked a ball just past the Butler keeper, and junior Selena Stanski (Tecumseh, ON/St. Anne’s Secondary) was unchallenged as she nudged the ball into the net for her first goal of the season.

“We made some mistakes today and we gave them three goals,” said UDM head coach Mike Lupenec. “But I saw some things out of some players that I haven’t seen in a while which was positive. We just can’t continue to make these mistakes at this point of the season.”

UDM was unable to score again, but looked to have several chances that were whistled offsides in the waning moments.

In addition to recording her second assist of the season Kochanski also took one shot in the game. Sophomores Alyssa Korson (Suttons Bay, MI/Lake Leelanau St. Mary’s) and Alexandra Suschak (Brecksville, OH/Brecksville) each took one shot as well.

The Titans drop to 3-9-1 on the season, and 1-2-0 in Horizon League play. They’ll spend Saturday in Indiana and look to even their league record on Sunday when they travel to Valparaiso.

Detroit is 4-1-0 all-time against the Crusaders, and won their meeting at Titan Field last season, 2-1. Valpo is 4-8-1 this season, including a 1-3-0 mark in HL play, after playing to a 3-3 tie double overtime against Indiana State Friday.