DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 19, 2021) – The Mercy College women's soccer team plays at St. Thomas Aquinas in an ECC matchup on Tuesday, September 21st at 2 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Tuesday, September 21st 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (2-1-2, 1-0 ECC), St. Thomas Aquinas (2-3, 1-0 ECC)
Location: Sparkill, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. St. Thomas Aquinas
Mercy earned a 3-0 win over the Spartans on October 16, 2019 in Dobbs Ferry.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 3-0 win over Staten Island on Saturday in their ECC opener. The Mavericks won their ECC opener for the eighth straight season and were led by sophomores Kayla Camacho and Skyler Schwenkler who both scored their first collegiate goals and by graduate student Nikki Bermudez who also scored. Sophomore Madison Rosa dished out her first two collegiate assists and senior Sydney Cooper had an assist. Cooper was named to the ECC Honor Roll last week after scoring the game-tying goal against Adelphi on September 9th. Graduate student Nikki Bermudez scored the game-winning goal in Mercy's win over Southern Connecticut to begin the season on September 3rd and has a team-high two goals on the year. Senior Melissa Torres is 2-1-2 in goal with 13 saves, two shutouts and a .813 save percentage. Bermudez and Torres were both named to the ECC Honor Roll two weeks ago. Junior Alexa Billingham has a goal and an assist on the year, recording her first collegiate goal against Wilmington last Wednesday.
Mercy is currently ranked fifth in the United Soccer Coaches East Region poll. The Mavericks went 13-3-4 in 2019 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year. Mercy has made five NCAA Tournament appearances since 2013 and has made the ECC Tournament in seven 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, Jessica Hoyt, Claudia 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 junior Dominique 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 Spartans
St. Thomas Aquinas has won two of their last three games and is coming off an 8-0 win over Lincoln on Saturday. The Spartans were picked in a tie for sixth in the ECC Coaches' Poll after going 2-13-2 in 2019. St. Thomas Aquinas last beat Mercy in 2007 with the Mavericks going 11-0-2 in 13 meetings since then. The Spartans are led by Amanda Fuchs-White and Caitlin Speranza who both have a team-high seven points on three goals and one assist. Colette Martucci has a team-high four assists on the year and is second on the team with six points. Colleen Stevens is 1-2 in goal with 22 saves in three starts. Alessan Santoriello is 1-1 in goal with nine saves in two starts in net.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on Saturday, September 25th when they play at Roberts Wesleyan at 1 p.m.
