DETROIT - For the second time on the young spring season, the IUPUI men's soccer team drew first blood on the road but was unable to sustain as the Jaguars dropped a 2-1 decision at Detroit Mercy on Friday (Mar. 12). Junior Anthony Saporito staked the Jaguars to a 1-0 lead, but the IUPUI defense yielded a pair of scores in a five-minute span during the second half to fall on the road. 

"It's frustrating to come up on the losing side of yet another game," head coach Brian Barnett said. "Credit Detroit Mercy for applying a good amount of offensive pressure in the second half from down 1-0 to take the lead, and as expected, remain defensively stout to close the game. 

"We quite frankly did not and do not generate enough dangerous goal scoring opportunities to win games right now and we need to be better."

Detroit Mercy (2-4 HL) outshot the Jaguars by an 18-7 margin and earned nine corner kicks while limiting IUPUI to five corners. 

UDM's Demitri Pliakos netted the equalizer on a header in the 62nd minute and Samory Powder blistered the game-winner in the 66th minute. Powder got free on the back side thanks to a long pass from Jake Poorman and drove a shot inside the far post past redshirt freshman goalkeeper Lucas Morefield for the winner. 

IUPUI (0-4 HL) went in front in the 31st minute when Saporito blazed a right-footed free kick inside the upper 90 for his first career tally. UDM goalkeeper Devin Mendez went sprawling to his right, but was unable to keep the drive out of the net. 

The second half had a more decidedly Detroit Mercy feel to it as the Titans operated with a wall of wind at its back. IUPUI struggled with connection and possession as Detroit Mercy opted to pound the ball down the field. The Titans drew even when Pliakos got on the business end of a Ryan Halloran throw-in and angled a shot into an open net in the 61st minute. 

Bad got worse for the guests in the 66th minute when Powder got loose behind the Jaguars' backs off a long lead from Poorman and drilled a brilliant strike for his second score of the year. 

IUPUI knocked on the door repeatedly in the second half through a combination of fouls drawn in the midfield and corners earned, but was only able to muster seven total shots. Freshman Mandela Cybahiro, who was awarded his first career start, had two attempts from a midfield position. Morefield made four stops in net in defeat. 

IUPUI had also built a 1-0 lead on the road at UIC on Feb. 28 before ultimately falling to the Flames, 2-1. 

IUPUI will return home to host Wright State on Thursday, Mar. 18 at the on-campus Michael A. Carroll Stadium. That contest is slated for 2:00 p.m. and will be seen on ESPN3.