MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Men's Soccer will open the 2023 season at home this Thursday against Detroit Mercy and will continue the home stand on Sunday versus Utah Tech.
 
It will be the first time the Gaels will play Detroit Mercy since a 2-0 win over the Titans in 2018, and are 1-0-1 in their two match ups with Horizon League members. It will SMC's first time ever taking on Utah Tech under the name Utah Tech, but played them as "Dixie State" in September of 2021, winning 2-0 in Moraga. The Trailblazers moved up to the NCAA Division-I level in 2019.  
 
This season, all WCC broadcasts will be aired on ESPN plus. The upgrade in streaming platforms allows easier access for fans to watch via smart TV, an app on a streaming device, or via mobile applications. It will require an ESPN+ subscription to watch, but ESPN offers bundles of its platform and it includes access to ESPN's insider subscription.
 
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's (0-0) vs Detroit Mercy (0-0)
Thursday, August 24 at 5:00 pm
Saint Mary's Stadium – Moraga, Calif.
Watch Live | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Saint Mary's (0-0) vs Utah Tech (0-0)
Sunday, August 27 at 1:00 pm
Saint Mary's Stadium – Moraga, Calif.
Watch Live | Live Stats | Tickets
 
ABOUT DETROIT MERCY
The Titans are coming off a 4-7-6 season overall and went 3-2-4 in Horizon League play. They lost 1-0 in the first round of the Horizon League Championship, with a penalty being the difference against No. 3 seed IUPUI.
 
It will be a season full of new faces for Detroit Mercy. The program named Nate Kopunek Head Coach on March 6, 2023. During Kopunek's four-year tenure at Bowling Green, the Falcons compiled an overall record of 37-23-10 with a 13-10-5 mark in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play. BGSU advanced to the championship match of the MAC Tournament in his first year on staff in 2019, captured the program's first outright MAC regular-season title in 2020-21 and earned a berth in back-to-back NCAA Championship Tournaments in 2020-21 and 2021.
 
Under Kopunek's guidance, BGSU had four student-athletes earn All-MAC honors and the first MLS SuperDraft first-round pick in BGSU program history as he was selected by FC Cincinnati with the 22nd overall pick.
 
The Titans will have to replace their leading scorer, Samory Powder, who joined the WCC's top-ranked team in the Portland Pilots after scoring five goals and seven assists last season for Detroit Mercy. They will also have to replace second-leading scorer, Ryan Pierson, after completing four very productive years for the Titans.  
 
ABOUT UTAH TECH
The Trailblazers only had three players whose eligibility was up from last season's team that went 4-12-2. But they will have to replace 2022's top keeper Jacob Zimmerman and other transfers.
 
Utah Tech welcomed 14 new faces to the program this offseason, with nine true freshmen and five transfers joining the Trailblazers. Conner Watkins, Andre Saucedo, Jason Buezo, Miguel Regino, Sami Cuevas, Cameron MacDonald, Tanner Dutra, Denilson Velasquez and Austin Wallace are coming from the high school ranks while Bubu Medina (UNLV), Damian Arguello (Salt Lake Community College), Erwin Martinez (Utah Valley), Angel Saldana (Phoenix College) and Bladimir Cuevas (Western Texas College) joined from the college ranks.
 
After missing last season, Ethan Bell is back in uniform and set to begin play in his third season at the collegiate level. A 6-4 forward from Draper, Utah, Bell appeared in the second of Utah Tech's two preseason exhibitions.
 
CLICK HERE to purchase Saint Mary's Men's Soccer tickets for the 2023 season.
 
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