PONTIAC, MI—In a game of runs, the Bellarmine Knights found themselves on the wrong side of momentum as the host Detroit Mercy Titans closed on an 11-2 run to post a 20-13 victory on Tuesday afternoon at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas.
The Titans also had all the momentum to start the game, running out to a 9-3 advantage after the opening quarter. The Knights then took over, scoring eight straight to claim an 11-9 lead with 1:48 remaining in the third period.
However, Detroit Mercy responded with three goals in the final minute of the third stanza to re-take control of the game. The Titans went on to extend the run to 7-0 before the Knights scored two in a row to cut the lead to 16-13 with 6:08 left on the clock. Detroit Mercy notched the game's final four goals to make the final margin 20-13 and become just the sixth team to score 20 or more against the Knights in program history.
Bellarmine's
Morgan Macko led all scorers with seven points, registering five goals and handing out two assists. The Titan's Brett Erskine totaled six points (2 G, 4 A) while UDM's Ryan Figueiras matched Macko's five goals.
Bellarmine's defense caused nine turnovers, including five by
Jon Robbins, but the Knights had difficulty finding offensive opportunities as the Titans owned a 27-10 advantage in faceoffs. Alex Jarzembowski was particularly tough at the X, winning 24 of 31 for UDM.
Overall, the Knights managed to make the final statistics look close with Detroit Mercy owning modest advantages in shots (43-40) and shots on goal (28-25). The disparity in faceoffs resulted in a lopsided ground ball total where the Titans held a 46-28 advantage. Bellarmine won the turnover battle, committing just seven while forcing 15 from Detroit Mercy.
Seven different Knights tallied goals with
Brayden Brown,
Griffin Bowie and
Luke Legnard each scoring two while
Blake Roshkowski and
Benny O'Rourk each chalked up one.
Detroit Mercy improves to 2-1 on the season, and the Knights slip to 2-3.
Bellarmine returns to action on Saturday at home where the Knights will host Boston University at noon.
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BOX SCORE (HTM)
