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DETROIT - Immediately following his team's midweek Horizon League victory over UIC, head women's soccer coach Chris Johnson implored his team to enjoy the win 'for about 10 minutes' and be ready to 'step on the neck' of Detroit Mercy on Sunday (Oct. 6). His squad responded with a textbook 3-0 road victory over the Titans to improve to 9-3-1 on the season and 3-1 to start Horizon League play. The win was the Jaguars' fourth-in-a-row and sixth in the past seven contests. 

Senior Valentine Pursey netted the game-winner on a header in the 19th minute and freshman Maya Lacognato tallied a pair of goals in a 50 second span early in the second half, both coming on Renae Blevins assists. 

"It felt great for us to get this win. We came in on a three-game winning streak and coach wanted us to keep that streak alive. We know every game is going to be a battle, physically and mentally, so we were ready to go and leave it all out on the field," Lacognato said. "We started slow in the beginning, but then we picked it up, which was good. This team has grit and when things get tough, we just keep pushing through and the success will come. This winning streak and this win will give us confidence in the games to come.

"For me personally, it felt great to score. I've been on a scoring drought and I've had many chances to get one, but I haven't been able to execute. This has brought me more confidence and I feel it will help the team in the games to come."

Pursey opened the scoring, getting in free behind the Detroit Mercy (2-7-2, 0-2-1 HL) defense and on the scoring end of Jillian Steinbrink's feed. Things stayed 1-0 for the duration for the half until the Jags delivered the knockout punch at the start of the second half. 

Lacognato netted her first goal since Sept. 13 when she drove a shot just over UDM goalkeeper Amanda Emke after Blevins had played her open on the right side. Less than a minute later, it was Lacognato who got the finish from in close on the right side after Blevins emerged from a scrum with possession of the ball. 

The Jags continued to apply pressure and keep things clean in front of senior goalkeeper Sophia Lipka, who earned her 19th career shutout. 

Lipka's most tenuous moment of the match came at her own doing as she scuffed a goal kick, resulting in Olivia Parra taking possession deep in IUPUI territory and then firing a shot on frame. However, Lipka recovered and snagged the attempt to keep the hosts off the board. Lipka finished with two stops and the Jaguars recorded a third team save. 

For the match, IUPUI closed with a 10-8 margin on shot attempts and went deep into its bench as 23 different players saw minutes. Pursey played a team-high 66 minutes among the Jaguars' field players as Johnson tried to preserve legs for a forthcoming busy week. 

IUPUI will return home to host Illinois State in non-conference action on Tuesday (Oct. 8) at 4:00 p.m. at Carroll Stadium. That match will precede the Jaguars' men's team taking on Bowling Green State at 7:00 p.m. and a single ticket will provide admission to both contests.