Men’s Soccer Travels for Match at Detroit Mercy

Saturday, October 26

Detroit, MI

1 PM

Wright State University

Detroit Mercy

Photo by: Jordan Wommack

10/25/2024 2:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer

DAYTON — The Wright State men's soccer team will be on the road, traveling to Detroit Mercy for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday. Fans can keep up with the game through ESPN+ livestreaming or live stats.

MATCH INFORMATION
Saturday, October 26 – 1 p.m. – Live Stats – ESPN+

SCOUTING THE TITANS
Detroit Mercy is currently 2-9-3 on the season, going 1-2-3 in the Horizon League. The Titans recently fell to No. 9 Western Michigan 1-4 on Tuesday night, previously tying the Purdue Fort Wayne 1-1 on Saturday, October 19.

HISTORY VS. DETROIT MERCY
Wright State leads the all-time series against the Titans 19-15-2 despite falling in last October's meeting.

LAST TIME OUT
Wright State men's soccer team defeated Bellarmine 3-2 on Tuesday night with goals by Conner Osterholt, Cole Werthmuller, and Giorgos Petoussis. WSU ended the night with nine shots, bested by Bellarmine's 14 shots, but came out on top with six shots on target to the Knight's four. The Raiders had two corner kicks to Bellarmine's six, and two saves to the Knight's three.

Edwin Espinal-Elvir led the Raiders with two shots, putting one on target. Brian Burkett and Henry Hutchinson had one shot on goal, while Felix Ezekwuka and Jack Jenkins had one shot each. Goalkeeper Alessandro Malterer logged all 90 minutes, recording two saves. Joining him in the complete game were Brock Pickett and Samuel Rudjord.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: BROCK PICKETT
Wright State senior midfielder Brock Pickett was named the Horizon League Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, September 16. Pickett was the first Raider to receive HL weekly honors since the 2021 season. He earned the honor after logging a full 90 minutes of play against HL opponent IU Indianapolis. The Bay Village, Ohio native Played an integral part in allowing only two shots on goal, with four attempts total, from IUI.

BACK-TO-BACK PLAYER OF THE WEEK: COLE WERTHMULLER
Wright State forward Cole Werthmuller was named the Horizon league Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week on Monday, September 30.

Werthmuller logged 115 minutes over two games, helping lead the Raiders to a 2-0 week to earn the honor. Over the two games, Werthmuller recorded four shots, putting three on target. He started the week, adding the game-winning goal against Butler.

The Medina, Ohio native earned his first weekly honor on September 23. He earned the acknowledgment after logging all 180 minutes of play over two games, preventing shutout losses and leading the team to tie with Eastern Illinois and HL opponent Milwaukee. Over the two games, the senior recorded 15 shots, six on target, for three goals, all scored with headers.

IN THE LEAGUE
The Raiders are currently tied for fifth in the Horizon League. They sit alongside Northern Kentucky (1-1-4), IU Indy (2-3-1), and Milwaukee (2-3-1). Robert Morris (4-1-1) holds the top spot with 13 points, followed by Oakland (3-1-2) with 11 points. Green Bay and Purdue Fort Wayne are tied for third with ten points and a 3-2-1 conference record. Below the Raiders are Detroit Mercy (1-2-3) with six points, and Cleveland State with four points and a 1-4-1 conference record.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Raiders currently rank ninth in the nation for total goals (33). WSU ranks 16th in scoring offense (2.20), sixth in shot accuracy (.506), and 38th in shots on goal per game (6.07). With 33 goals and 29 assists, the Raiders rank 12th in the NCAA in total points (85), and 26th with 6.33 points per game.

Cole Werthuller is sitting 18th in the nation in total goals, scoring nine on the season, ranking 26th in goals per game (.64).

TAKING NOTICE
The United Soccer Coaches released its weekly rankings on Tuesday, October 1, ranking Wright State ninth in the NCAA DI North Region. The recognition came as the Raiders held a 5-3-2 record, previously defeating Purdue Fort Wayne in a 4-0 shutout and Butler, 3-2. The Raiders sat just below fellow Horizon League member Green Bay, who held a 7-3-0 overall record.

RETURNING ALL-LEAGUE TALENT
Wright State returns Horizon League All-Freshman Team honoree Henry Hutchinson. At the conclusion of his first season, Hutchinson started nine matches and played in 13 of the team's contests. He logged 720 minutes, tallying 25 or more minutes in 10 matches, with seven matches of 60-plus minutes.

MEET THE COACHES
The Raiders are led by second-year head coach Alex Van der Sluijs. Van der Sluijs joined Wright State as an assistant coach in April 2022, being named head coach just a year later. He put up a 4-9-5 overall record and 3-4-2 league record his first season, leading the program to the Horizon League Tournament quarterfinals. Joining Van der Sluijs on the sidelines is second-year assistant coach Chris Garcia and third-year assistant coach Adam Maloney.

MEET THE SQUAD
WSU welcomes many new faces with 18 newcomers – nine freshmen and nine transfers – to this season's 32-player roster. Of the nine transfers, there are three sophomores and six juniors. The Raiders return 14 players with one redshirt freshman, five sophomores, two juniors, five seniors, and one graduate student.

ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE
Wright State welcomes players from across the globe with 15 international student-athletes on the 2024 roster. Ten Raiders hail from Europe, representing six countries across the United Kingdom, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe. Additionally, four players represent North American countries, and one athlete comes all the way from Australia.

CURRENT CAREER LEADERS

Goals	13 - Cole Werthmuller
Assists	7 – Henry Hutchinson
Saves	63 - Alessandro Malterer
Shots	100 - Cole Werthmuller
Shots on Goal	49 - Cole Werthmuller

NEXT UP
The Raiders will be return home on Friday, November 1 hosting Cleveland State for their last regular season home game of the season. The 7 p.m. game will the team's Senior Night. Fans can keep up with the action in person with free admission or online through live stats.