Seniors Trina Kochanski (Royal Oak, MI/Kimball) and Gloria Soyad (Harper Woods, MI/Regina) as the University of Detroit(w) Mercy women’s soccer team celebrated senior day at Titan Field Sunday afternoon, but it was visiting Wright State that got to celebrate a win as the Raiders notched the game’s only goal with 90 seconds remaining in overtime to come out on top, 1-0.

Detroit was impressive in regulation against the Raiders (11-6-2, 6-2-0 HL), who entered the game in second place in the Horizon League.

In the first half, the Titans outshot Wright State 7-5 as each squad put three shots on goal. With time winding down before intermission UDM had a great opportunity to score, taking three shots in a 25-second span, but was unable to convert. Sophomore Rebecca Pidgeon (Ann Arbor, MI/Huron) started the flurry of action by putting a header on target that was deflected by WSU keeper Meghan Hackerson, allowing Pidgeon to take another shot which sailed just wide of the net. Following the ensuing goal kick the Titans regained control of the ball and sophomore Lauren Roffey (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) missed just wide.

The Titans continued to put the pressure in the second half and finished regulation with a 10-9 lead in shots. Pidgeon led Detroit with three shots, two of which were on goal. Roffey and freshman Sarah Dzuris (Rochester Hills, MI/Rochester) each had two shots and one on goal. Sophomore Alexandra Suschak (Brecksville, OH/Brecksville) also had a shot on goal, and junior Selena Stanski (Tecumseh, ON/St. Anne’s Secondary) and sophomore Alyssa Korson (Suttons Bay, MI/Lake Leelanau St. Mary’s) each recorded a shot.

Head coach Mike Lupenec was once again pleased with the way the Titans defense played. Over the last four games, all against top-five teams in the league, Detroit has yielded just four goals and forced two games into overtime.

“Our back line did a great job today and they’ve done a great job all season for us,” Lupenec said.

Midway through the second half Wright State’s Brittany Persaud took the ball on a breakaway up the middle, but sophomore keeper Joanna Hinde (Shelby Twp., MI/Eisenhower) came up from the goal line to challenge Persaud at the top of the box where she made a diving save to her left to keep the score even.

It was the third time this season, and the second in the last week, that Detroit has ended regulation with the score knotted at 0-0. In both previous occasions the match ended with the same score.

But today overtime belonged to the Raiders. Wright State took four shots in the extra period while the Titans took net. Hinde recorded a pair of saves to bring her total for the game to eight, but with 1:30 remaining Jazmine Galbreath found Bekah Bonny in traffic, where Bonny managed to sneak one into the net from five yards out for the game-winner.

Prior to kickoff Kochanski and Soyad were honored at midfield by UDM Athletics Director Keri Gaither, Assistant A.D. Teri Kromrei, Lupenec and assistant coach Jamie Huff.

“Gloria and Trina are the type of players that you’re happy to go to bat for,” said Lupenec. “Trina did a great job for us all season and Gloria came in today and gave us some valuable minutes.  Both of them have always been very supportive of their teammates and hard workers. We look forward to having them continue to be involved in the program beyond their playing days.”

Lupenec, who concluded his 18th season at the helm for the Titans on Sunday, is anxious to get back to work for next season with his squad.

“We were a very young squad this year,” he said. “We have some players who have grown a lot and some who still have a lot of growing left to do. We’ll be back at it soon and we’ll be getting ready to turn things around and get back to the league tournament next season.”