DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 1, 2021) – The RV Mercy College men's soccer team opens up their 2021 season on Thursday, September 2nd when they play at American International College at 7 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Thursday, September 2nd 7 p.m.
Records (2019): RV Mercy (14-4-3), AIC (8-7-3)
Location: Springfield, Mass.
Last Meeting
The teams last met on October 22, 2019 in Dobbs Ferry and played to a 0-0 tie.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is playing their first game in 649 days after not playing during the 2020-21 academic year due to COVID-19. The Mavericks are looking to defend their ECC Championship from 2019 and look to make the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year. In 2019, Mercy went 14-4-3 and won their first ECC Tournament Championship since 2004. The Mavericks are currently receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and were picked first in the ECC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Leading the returners is ECC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year junior Matthias Kuhn who was named Third Team All-ECC as a freshman. Seniors Archie Jones, Saul Melendez and Kevin Aguilar and juniors Rainiero Salas, Vasco Baptista, Hamza Khan and David Sassano return from the team in 2019. Jones had four goals and five assists in 2019 and Salas had a goal and two assists. Head Coach Pedro Velazquez also welcomes nine transfers that have joined the team over the last two years. Seniors Tormod Simonsen, Javier Mangado and Abraham Lopez and juniors Benjamin Van Buren, Marco Passera, Jens Ovreseth, David Breitenbach and Isaí Carrillo all joined the team during the 2020-21 academic year and graduate student Felipe Baeza transferred in for this year. Simonsen transferred from Seton Hill University where he had a goal and an assist in 11 starts in 2019. Mangado transfers from Wheeling University where he had a goal and two assists in 2019 in 14 starts. Lopez joins the team from Harding University where he made five starts and played in 20 games in two years. Van Buren transfers in from Division I USC Upstate where he started 12 games in 2019. Passera played at Spring Hill College in 2019 where he had an assist in 13 games and Ovreseth comes from Davis & Elkins College where he had two goals and four assists in 2019. Breitenbach posted six goals and three assists in 2019 for Barton College prior to joining Mercy. Carrillo joins the team from Notre Dame de Namur University where he started 16 games in 2019 with one assist. Baeza joins the team in 2021 from Division I USC Upstate where he went 5-4-2 in goal with 35 saves in 2020-21.
Scouting the Yellow Jackets
AIC was picked sixth in the NE10 Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll and has made the NE10 Conference Tournament the last two years. The Yellow Jackets went 8-7-3 in 2019 and advanced to the NE10 Tournament Semifinals. AIC is led by graduate student Connor Hicks who has recorded 11 goals and 11 assists for 33 points in three full seasons. Graduate student David Harper leads the defense for the Yellow Jackets and has played in 31 games with 26 starts.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on Saturday, September 4th when they host Southern Connecticut State at 3 p.m.
