Fort Wayne, IN – A Detroit score early in the second half proved to be enough for the Titans, as they hung on in the defensive battle to down the Mastodons, 1-0.

Both teams struggled to find their offensive groove in the first half, as just two of the period’s twelve shots were on goal. Both of those came from Detroit’s Kevin Pinkos.

After the halftime break, the Titans upped their offensive pressure. Just seven minutes into the second frame, Detroit sophomore midfielder Otieno Victor broke the tie, as he slipped the game’s lone tally past a lunging Donovan Dowling.

While they did struggle to find the back of the net, the ‘Dons weren’t short on scoring opportunities. They took ten corners on the game to just three for the Titans.

It looked as though IPFW had tied the game on their ninth corner of the day, as Liridon Qafleshi’s kick in the 78th minute bent perfectly to the front of the cage. Three ‘Dons were tangled in the chaos and began to celebrate as they thought the ball had crossed the plane of the goal. The side judge ruled that Titans keeper Brandon Waterstradt’s save had in fact stayed in play and out of the net, preserving the Detroit lead that would hold to the final horn.

Junior Raphael Martinez and Senior Mitchell Haifley led the Mastodon offense with three shots a piece. Junior Donovan Dowling logged five saves on the day.

IPFW returns to action this Wednesday as they host the Huntington Foresters at 7 p.m. at the Hefner Soccer Complex.