CHICAGO – The Horizon League leader in points and goals came through once again, as Adam Bedell converted on a penalty kick in the 85th minute to lift the Detroit men's soccer team to a Horizon League Regular Season Championship with a 2-1 defeat of UIC at Flames Field.
Detroit (10-8-0, 6-1-0 Horizon) was picked to finish last in the Horizon League preseason poll, but turned the tables in clinching the conference tournament’s No. 1 seed in its regular-season finale. The Titans will serve as the host for the semifinals and championship round of the tournament, Nov. 9 and 11.
The regular season title is the third in school history as the Titans claimed regular season crowns in 1995 and 2005. Detroit won its lone conference tournament championship in 1996, advancing to its only NCAA Tournament.
Nathan Steinwascher made seven saves for his 10th win of the season as UIC outshot Detroit, 20-12, and held a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks.
With six minutes left in regulation, Matt Harkema was able to draw a penalty kick for UDM after he split two defenders inside the box. Bedell then converted the penalty kick for his 11th goal of the season to give the Titans their first regular-season title since 2005.
Detroit got on the board first in the 73rd minute as Jeremy Stoychoff served a ball into the Flames' box, where a UIC defender mishandled the ball and passed it by the keeper to give UDM a 1-0 lead. The lead was short-lived as four minutes later, UIC (7-7, 3-3-1 HL) converted on an Ivan Stainisavljevic penalty kick to tie the game at a goal a piece with 14 minutes remaining.
The Titan defense stood strong, denying passes through the box and blocking shots, while Steinwascher stood his line and kept the Flames off the board. He stopped UIC's Jesus Torres as he got behind UDM's defense and was able to get a shot on net with 23 minutes left in regulation.
The Flames threatened in the final 10 minutes of the first half as they were able to get a shot off in the 38th minute and again in the 43rd, but Steinwascher stood strong and grabbed both shots to keep the game scoreless going into halftime.
