Milwaukee City Wire

Alejandro Martinez scored his seventh goal of the season, but it was not enough for the Milwaukee men's soccer team as they fell 2-1 to Detroit Mercy at Titan Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers, with a record of 5-3-4 overall and 1-3-1 in the Horizon League, were trailing by two goals to the Titans (2-8-2 overall, 1-2-2 Horizon League) by the 59th minute. Martinez's goal reduced the deficit, but an equalizer remained elusive. The challenge increased when a second yellow card led to a red card for Milwaukee in the 72nd minute, leaving them with ten players for the remainder of the match.

Both teams struggled offensively, managing only 13 combined shots throughout the game. Milwaukee recorded five shots. Raul Medina had an early attempt in the seventh minute and another promising chance occurred in the 14th minute when UDM's goalkeeper made a crucial save against Martinez after receiving a through ball from Daiki Kumakawa.

Detroit Mercy capitalized on their defensive play by forcing a turnover and executing a counterattack that resulted in their first goal at 26:04. Another counterattack led to their second goal via a header at 58:04.

Milwaukee responded with determination as Medina initiated an attack from midfield before assisting Martinez who scored at 62:54. However, any momentum gained was diminished following a red card incident ten minutes later. One notable opportunity for Milwaukee came from a free kick about twenty yards out in the 83rd minute but missed high.

Overall, Detroit Mercy held slight advantages with eight shots compared to Milwaukee's five and secured four out of five corner kicks available during playtime. The game included thirty-three fouls (18 committed by UDM) along with ten cards issued throughout its duration. Daniel Ibarra contributed three saves while Martinez attempted two out of five total shots taken by his team.

The Panthers will have time off before returning on October 19th when they host Cleveland State at home starting at seven p.m.