DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Nov. 30, 2021) – The No. 6 seed Mercy College women's soccer team plays No. 1 seed The College of Saint Rose in an NCAA Tournament Third Round matchup on Thursday, December 2nd at 10 a.m. at the YMCA Paul Cline Complex in Beckley, West Virginia.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Thursday, December 2nd 10 a.m.
Records: No. 6 Mercy (12-4-4), No. 1 Saint Rose (15-1-4)
Location: YMCA Paul Cline Complex (Beckley, West Virginia)
Ticket Prices
Adults: $10
Kids: $5
Under 12: Free
All-Session Pass: $25
Last Meeting vs. Saint Rose
Mercy and Saint Rose played to a 1-1 tie in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on November 9, 2018. Saint Rose advanced after winning penalty kicks 4-3.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 1-0 win over No. 2 seed Molloy on November 20th. The Mavericks were led by senior Claudia McKail who scored the game-winning goal off an assist from graduate student Nikki Bermudez. Senior Melissa Torres made six saves to post a shutout win. Mercy is making their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history and fourth straight appearance. The Mavericks are making their third appearance in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament and first since 2017. Mercy has appeared in the Third Round in 2014, 2017 and 2021. The Mavericks have advanced past the Third Round once in 2017 when they made the program's lone appearance in the Final Four. Mercy is 0-6-2 all-time against Saint Rose and have dropped two prior NCAA Tournament meetings in 2014 and 2018. First Team All-ECC and Second Team D2CCA All-Region selection graduate student Nikki Bermudez has 13 points on five goals with three assists and has been named to the ECC Honor Roll four times. Senior Claudia McKail has a team-high 14 points by way of a team-high six goals and two assists. McKail was tabbed to the ECC Honor Roll on October 4th after scoring the game-winning goal against Bridgeport on September 29th. Junior Dominique Bono has eight points on four goals. She was named to the ECC Honor Roll once. Sophomore Madison Rosa is second in the ECC with six assists and has eight points on the year. Junior Carli LoNigro has six points on the year on three goals and was named to the ECC Honor Roll on October 25th. Sophomore Kayla Camacho has 10 points on four goals and two assists and was named to the ECC Honor Roll last Monday. Junior Alexa Billingham has five points on two goals and one assist and First Team All-ECC performer sophomore Skyler Schwenkler has two goals. ECC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team D2CCA All-Region selection senior Sydney Cooper and senior Jessica Hoyt both have a goal and two assists on the year. Cooper was named to the ECC Honor Roll on September 13th after scoring the game-tying goal against Adelphi on September 9th. Second Team All-ECC performer senior Melissa Torres is 11-3-4 in goal with 55 saves, nine shutouts and a .859 save percentage. Torres was a two-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week this season. She leads the ECC with a 0.48 goals against average and set a school record with her 25th career shutout against Bridgeport on September 29th. Senior Veronica Scruggs is 1-1 in goal with four saves and one shutout in two starts.
The Mavericks went 13-3-4 in 2019 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year. Mercy has made six NCAA Tournament appearances since 2013 and has made the ECC Tournament in eight straight seasons. The Mavericks were picked first in the ECC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Third-year Head Coach Danny Leon Jr. has 10 returners from the 2019 team and has 13 student-athletes who will see their first game action as Mavericks during the 2021 season. Leading the returners is Cooper who was named Third Team All-Region and First Team All-ECC in 2019 after recording four goals and two assists. Torres returns in goal after receiving Second Team All-Region and ECC Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2019. Senior Fernanda Castro also returns after taking home First Team All-Region and First Team All-ECC accolades in 2019. Also returning from the 2019 team are seniors Veronica Scruggs, Hoyt, McKail and Juliana Conforti and juniors Carli LoNigro, Tyra Anderson and Billingham. Seeing their first game action as Mavericks after practicing with the team last year are Rosa, Camacho, Marlene Avalos, Schwenkler, Jennifer Silva, Toni Valadez, Alisa Jensen and Genesis Vargas. Making up the freshmen class are Kayla Saavedra, Stacy Avendano and Elizabeth Bowles. Leon Jr. also adds two transfers in Bermudez and Bono from New York Tech. Bermudez was named Second Team All-ECC and First Team All-ECAC in 2019 at New York Tech.
Scouting the Golden Knights
Saint Rose is coming off a 1-1 tie against No. 5 seed Jefferson in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament on November 21st. The Golden Knights advanced to the Third Round after winning penalty kicks, 4-2. Saint Rose enters Thursday's game with their lone loss of the season coming on October 30th to Southern Connecticut State. The Golden Knights have won at least 15 matches in 13 of the past 19 years and won the NE10 Conference Championship to secure the automatic bid into the tournament. Saint Rose has advanced to their 12th regional championship game and have made seven national semifinal appearances, winning the 2011 National Championship. The Golden Knights are ranked #8 in the latest United Soccer Coaches National Poll and are led by NE10 Rookie of the Year freshman Mia Klammer who has a team-high 28 points on 12 goals and four assists. Senior Ciera Lundy and sophomore Sanna Rein were named First Team All-NE10. Lundy has a goal and two assists and Rein has four goals and two assists on the year. Fifth-year goalkeeper Marika Laurendeau was named NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year for the second straight year after going 15-1-4 with 59 saves, a .881 save percentage, 0.39 goals against average and 10 shutouts. Junior Janina Mueller and freshman Jada Brown were named Second Team All-NE10 and Kaelyn Britt was named Third Team All-NE10. Muller was second on the team with 18 points on five goals and a team-high eight assists. Britt enters Thursday's game with six goals and two assists on the year.
