Box Score Photo Gallery
Postgame Interview with Coach Lupenec and Zawacki
DETROIT (10/22/2014) -- Junior
Sara Zawacki (Dearborn, Mich. / Marian) scored both goals for the University of Detroit Mercy women's soccer team on Wednesday, including the game-winner 1:21 into the second overtime period, to lift the Titans to a 2-1 victory over rival Oakland University. It was the first win for Detroit in the Metro Series rivalry between the two schools.
The Titans improved to 5-1 in the Horizon League with the comeback victory. With the win, Detroit clinched a spot in the upcoming Horizon League Championship. UDM also earned its fifth-straight victory, with three of them coming in overtime. Detroit remained undefeated at home this season (4-0-1), while the Titans haven't lost a match at Titan Field in their last 16 matches (15-0-1).
The game remained scoreless until the 68th minute when Oakland found the back of the net on a goal by Kyla Kellerman. Detroit tied the game 12 minutes later as Zawacki found a rebound in the box and fired a shot into the left side of the goal in the 80th minute.
Neither team could capitalize in the remaining minutes of regulation or in the first 10-minute overtime session. In the second overtime, it didn't take long for Detroit to find the back of the net. On a push down the field, junior
Jennifer Borawski (Northville, Mich. / Northville) found Zawacki, who took the pass, dribbled to the left side of the box and fired a shot past Oakland goalkeeper Alison Holland into the right side of the goal.
The goals for Zawacki were her second and third of the season. She has scored all three of her goals this year in the past two games. It was also her first career multi-goal game.
Freshman goalkeeper
Marina Manzo (Washington Township, Mich. / Romeo) made seven saves in net for Detroit. Senior
Alyssa Riley (Whitby, Ont. / Father Leo J. Austin) and Zawacki each had three shots to lead the Titans, while Oakland's Alice Palmer had a game-high seven shots.
The Golden Grizzlies (4-10-2, 2-3-1 HL) had the advantage in shots (17-10) and corner kicks (5-2) during the match.
Detroit and Oakland are now tied in the Metro Series standings 2-2 after two matchups. Oakland earned a men's soccer victory earlier in October in the first meeting of the rivalry.
Detroit (8-5-1 overall) returns to the field Saturday at first-place Valparaiso in a pivotal Horizon League matchup, set for 2 p.m. local time. The Titans control their own destiny for a regular season championship and a No. 1 seed in the conference tournament as wins in their final two HL games would give UDM its third regular season league title in school history.
