Blue Demons Fall to Mercyhurst 3-2

Friday, September 13

Chicago, Ill.

2:00 P.M.

DePaul University

2-3-1, 0-0-0

Mercyhurst

3-3-0, 0-0-0

Mercyhurst

DePaul

9/13/2024 5:12:00 PM | MEN'S SOCCER

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Comeback bid falls short in non-conference matchup

CHICAGO – DePaul men's soccer dropped a 3-2 decision to Mercyhurst on Friday afternoon at Wish Field. The Blue Demons fought back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the match in the 60th minute, but couldn't calm the Lakers for good, falling to 2-3-1 on the season.

Sophomore midfielder Noeh Hernandez opened the scoring for the Blue Demons, converting from the penalty spot in the 56th minute for his second goal of the 2024 campaign.

Graduate student Logan Finnegan earned the PK opportunity and followed that up with a goal of his own in the 60th minute to even the match. The forward boasts a team-best three goals on the season. Fellow front line mate, Keagan Pace tallied his team-leading fourth assist on the season.

DePaul held a13-12 edge in shots on the match, with both teams firing seven on frame.

How it Happened
The Blue Demons saw an early penalty kick opportunity erased in the 11th minute of the game after VAR overturned the chance in favor of Mercyhurst resulting in a dropped ball.

Mercyhurst (3-3) created an opportunity for themselves in the 21st minute with a cross into the box finding the head of Felipe Santos who flipped it on, but was denied by keeper Davila to keep the score at zero.

With an open field in front of him and the Lakers goalkeeper drawn out, Finnegan looked to chip the ball through but was unsuccessful in the 27th minute. Six minutes later, Hernandez took a contested shot just outside the box but it was corralled by the Mercyhurst keeper.

After being subbed on in the 40th minute, Pace and Daniel Hickiewicz created great opportunities with a pair of shots at the mouth of the goal but couldn't convert.

The Lakers broke through late in the first half after a corner kick sent the ball into a scrum deep into the box, ending in a Mercyhurst goal from forward Jorge Tallada Torres.

DePaul came up empty after back-to-back corner kicks in the 50th minute with the best look coming on a header from George Wyatt, but denied by Mercyhurst with the score remaining 1-0.

Mercyhurst was not complacent, scoring their second of the day in the 53rd minute on punching the ball through in transition on the left side.

After a physical ball in the air inside the box, Finnegan earned a penalty kick for the Blue Demons in the 56th minute. Hernandez converted cleanly, trimming Mercyhurst's lead to one goal.

The Blue Demons found the equalizer in the 60th minute as Finnegan scored in open space on a ball in from Pace.

Finnegan continued to press, earning a clear chance in the 68th minute but the Lakers keeper cut off the angle preventing the brace from the Blue Demons forward.

Mercyhurst reclaimed the lead, 3-2, in the 76th minute after a successful cross from Phillip Strube bounced off the back of Tallada Torres boot landing in the back of the Blue Demons net.

Up Next
The Blue Demons return to Wish Field on Friday, Sept. 20, to host UConn for the BIG EAST opener. Kick-off is slated for 2 p.m., and the game will be live on FloFC.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
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TICKET INFORMATION
Join DePaul Men's Soccer at Wish Field this fall! Blue Demon Soccer Supporter Memberships are on sale now, which include access to all regular season men's and women's home matches at Wish Field! Fans can visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets for more information.