20th Season of UDM Women’s Soccer Begins Fri
August 16, 2012
<p><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY ATHLETICS</strong></p>
<p><strong>Women’s Soccer Contact: Joel Walrath</strong></p>
<p><strong>313-993-1745 (o), 313-433-0084 (c)</strong></p>
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<p><strong>20<sup>th</sup> Season of UDM Women’s Soccer Begins Friday at Titan Field</strong></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nJTXc8wSJ8&feature=youtu.be">Video Season Preview</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/sports/2012/8/7/WSOC_0807121553.aspx">2012 Women's Soccer Game Day Central</a><br /> <br /> <strong>DETROIT (8/16/2012)</strong> -- The 2012 University of Detroit Mercy women's soccer team will begin its 20<sup>th</sup> season Friday afternoon as Central Michigan will journey to Titan Field for a 3:00 p.m. match.<br /> <br /> This year's crop of Titans features 12 newcomers but returns the team's top five scorers from an offense that led the Horizon League during the regular season with 44 goals. Seven starters return from that team that went 12-6-2 (5-2-1 Horizon League) and helped Detroit enter the conference tournament as the No. 2 seed. However, the Titans saw last season come to a close in the Horizon League Semifinals for the second consecutive season as Wright State took a 3-2 win in last year's match and Butler won a 2-1 decision back in 2010.<br /> <br /> The 2011 Titans were ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Regional Poll for the first time in its history. Detroit first appeared in the rankings on Sept. 20 as the No. 10 team In the Great Lakes Region. The Titans remained on the poll for the next five weeks moving up to the No. 9 position for three of the five weeks and staying at No. 10 the other two.<br /> <br /> Head Coach <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/coaches.aspx?rc=299">Mike Lupenec</a></dfn> remains the only coach in what will be the 20<sup>th</sup> season of women's soccer at the University of Detroit Mercy in 2012. His next win as a head coach will be the 175<sup>th</sup> of his head coaching career, all with the Titans.<br /> <br /> <strong>Game Day Central</strong><br /> Titan fans can follow every UDM game this season through <a href="http://www2.detroittitans.com/sports/2012/8/7/WSOC_0807121553.aspx">Soccer Game Day Central</a> located on the Titans Athletic Website that will keep fans one click away from all the action. This page will feature links for live stats (audio and video when applicable) as well as links for all the latest info while also making it easy to find the Titans on social media and to purchase photos and game tickets. Soccer Game Central also carries all the information on each opponent from who is leading the all-time series to who won the last game.<br /> <br /> <strong>2012 Season Preview</strong><br /> DetroitTitans.com will now take a closer look at the 2012 Titans on their pursuit towards a third conference championship (1995, 2004) and second one (2004) in the Horizon League.<br /> <br /> <strong>Offense</strong><br /> McCollum and Quarrell will headline the Titan front as both were named to the All-Conference first team a year ago. McCollum, Quarrell and <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1562">Alyssa Riley</a></dfn> finished in a three-way tie for the team lead in goals last year as each had six. McCollum's eight assists vaulted her to the top of the team in total points with 20 while Quarrell was right behind her with four assists and 16 points.<br /> <br /> “<dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1557">Abby McCollum</a></dfn> is our target player,” said Lupenec. “She had a good season last year and she is somebody who can hold the ball for us. She is a good finisher and gives us that presence up top to keep defenses honest.”<br /> <br /> Also playing up top will be newcomers <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1655">Ariel Katsimpalis</a></dfn> and <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1571">Jennifer Borawski</a></dfn> (Deedee). Senior <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1553">Nina Carter</a></dfn> and Quarrell will both be out wide for the Titans and will pressure opposing defenses with their speed.<br /> <br /> “They have a lot of speed, they can break people down and they are very dangerous at getting forward for us,” added Lupenec.<br /> <br /> Last season, UDM finished first overall in the Horizon League with 44 goals in the regular season including a team-best 10 goals in the win over Marygrove (Aug. 31) and added six more against Madonna (Sept. 8). If you take away the 16 goals against the two NAIA schools, the Titans have scored 28 goals altogether which would stand as the third best overall mark in the league behind Milwaukee (48) and Wright State (29). In conference play, Detroit scored nine goals, three came from Quarrell. The most goals (73) Detroit has scored in a single season came in the team's inaugural year of 1993.<br /> <br /> <strong>Midfield</strong><br /> The midfield will see a change as <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1555">Sarah Dzuris</a></dfn> will move to the defensive backline after playing in the midfield last year. Dzuris totaled five goals and four assists for 14 points last season which put her second in assists and goals and fourth in total points. Dzuris is one of five seniors on this year's team along with Carter, <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1559">Janae Paveglio</a></dfn>, <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1556">Mary Leone</a></dfn>, and<dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1554">Rebekah Dornbos</a></dfn>.<br /> <br /> <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1626">Haley Burtraw</a></dfn> is a new addition who transferred from Central Michigan and will be looked upon to fill an offensive role in the midfield in her first year with Detroit. Riley also returns for her sophomore season and will help patrol the middle of the field.<br /> <br /> “Different people will have to step up. We have moved Dzuris to the back line who was in the midfield last year. We're going to use Riley and Burtraw as our midfielders with Carter who was a forward last year,” said Lupenec. “Burtraw also gives us the opportunity to put Riley up top too as an offensive mid. I think this year we're going to use [Riley] as a defensive mid to anchor our midfield.”<br /> <br /> <strong>Defense</strong><br /> Dzuris' move to the backline will try and fill the void left from graduating senior <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1076">Alexandra Suschak</a></dfn> who took home All-Conference first team and Horizon League Co-Defender of the Year honors last season.<br /> <br /> “You never replace a girl like Alex Suschak. We will have Dzuris coming out of the midfield [and into the back], and we put her as a centerback with <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1554">Rebekah Dornbos</a></dfn>, and they have been working well together in practice. They did very well in the alumni game. I think Sarah is going to give us that stability we lost with Alex and then we have Leone on the right side who is a senior who is seasoned and she has been having a good camp," said Lupenec.<br /> <br /> Sophomore <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1563">Victoria Sollestre</a></dfn> and freshman Tatum Zurawksi will also help on the left side of the back end. Both are left-footed defenders and can defend and will help push the ball into the team's offensive third of the field.<br /> <br /> “We have a mixture of girls that we're going to experiment with this year but I think Dornbos and Dzuris will give us that stability in the middle,” said Lupenec.<br /> <br /> Last year, the defense held opponents to just 16 goals on the year in 20 games setting a new single-season best for Detroit. In conference play, Detroit allowed four goals in eight games including four shutouts. The Titans bettered its previous single-season low for goals allowed that was set in 2005 with 20.<br /> <br /> <strong>Goaltending</strong><br /> The goaltenders will feature junior Abolins who was an All-Conference second team honoree last year. She led the league with five shutouts in HL play and finished with eight overall, second best in the league. She recorded a shutout streak of 403:59 over a four-game stretch of conference games last year and now has 15 shutouts in 36 career games placing her third all-time at UDM. Her 17 career wins have her fifth all-time, just nine wins away from being in a tie for second place with Katie Fortenberry with 26 career victories. Abolins currently holds the best career Goals Against Average mark sitting at 1.06 as she enters her third year. Abolins and goalie counterpart <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1558">Emily Oberheim</a></dfn> helped establish a UDM women's soccer record of 11 team shutouts last year breaking the previous team record of nine set in 2005.<br /> <br /> “I think Nora proved that she is one of the better goaltenders in the conference. There is a reason why, because our back line is organized, but a lot of it is due to Nora,” said Lupenec.<br /> <br /> “She came in super fit this year, she has the right attitude, she is very vocal she is good with her feet and she is your complete goaltender. We added <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1573">Martha Dunbar</a></dfn> and <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1558">Emily Oberheim</a></dfn> who is coming back from knee surgery last year who are going to be great back-ups for her.”<br /> <br /> Freshman Dunbar (at 5-11) will add height, depth, and youth to the goalkeeper core as new goalkeeper coach, <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/coaches.aspx?rc=324">Mike Sheehy</a></dfn>, was also brought on board by Lupenec for the upcoming season.<br /> <br /> <strong>Newcomers</strong><br /> This year's team will feature 12 newcomers including nine freshmen. Three transfers, Katsimpalis (Stonybrook), <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1568">Ashley Welch</a></dfn> (Schoolcraft), and Burtraw (Central Michigan) all arrive at UDM with previous collegiate experience.<br /> <br /> “You always rely on your upperclassmen and I think we have a great senior class. Paveglio can also play up top for us also or in the middle of the back line,” said Lupenec.<br /> <br /> “A freshman rarely comes in the first year and contributes right away. We have [Borawski] and <dfn><a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1569">Heather Brown</a></dfn> who are going to see a lot of minutes along with Zurawski. They are all very athletic, aggressive girls. I see improvement on the freshmen already and they are going to have to step in and give us some quality minutes and possibly start for us and be full time players for us if people go down.”<br /> <br /> “There is going to be a group of 16-17 players and the majority of the freshmen are going to be learning our system and learning what being fit and what it takes to be a good Division I player as a freshman. I think it's a process for a lot of the freshmen but I think down the road they are going to contribute especially in the latter half of the season in October when conference play starts.”<br /> <br /> <strong>Preseason Recognition</strong><br /> The Titans earned early preseason accolades being chosen to tie for first in the <a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/news/2012/8/8/WSOC_0808123149.aspx">Preseason Poll conducted by the Horizon League</a> coaches. The team also was recognized by<a href="http://www.detroittitans.com/news/2012/8/13/WSOC_0813122336.aspx">TopDrawerSoccer.com with an early No. 55 national ranking and College Sports Madness </a>crowning six different Titans on preseason All-Conference teams and Lupenec being tabbed as the early favorite for Coach of the Year.<br /> <br /> <strong>Should I Stay or Should I Go</strong><br /> UDM will start the year with three straight home contests before five games away from Titan Field. Three of those games will be local with games at Michigan (Aug. 26), Oakland (Aug. 31), and at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 13). The remaining two in that five-game stretch will be in Hawaii on Sept 8 and 9. Conference play starts on Sept. 22 at Green Bay with seven of Detroit's last eight contests against Horizon League opponents.<br /> <br /> <strong>Chips on the Table</strong><br /> Detroit will face a Central Michigan team that went 15-3-3 overall and 8-1-2 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 2011. The Chippewas entered the MAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed and were defeated by the No. 3 seed, Western Michigan, 1-0.<br /> <br /> The Chippewas will start the season with eight of its first nine games away from Mount Pleasant, MI. The CMU home schedule begins on Sunday against Evansville but the next seven contests will be played outside of Michigan.<br /> <br /> Central Michigan and Detroit faced each other to start the 2011 season as well with that game at Central Michigan. The Chippewas came away with a 1-0 victory scoring at the 27:35 mark and holding a 12-5 overall shooting advantage. Abolins made five saves for the Titans in that contest with UDM looking to come back in the series that CMU leads 7-2-2 overall.<br /> <br /> <strong>What's Next for the Titans?</strong><br /> The Titans will start 2012 with three home games beginning with Friday's contest against CMU. Detroit will then host Canisius out of Buffalo, NY on Monday at 3:00 p.m. before welcoming Marygrove on Friday (8/24) to Titan Field for a 3:00 p.m. match.</p>
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<p align="center"><strong>-Detroit Titans-</strong></p>
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