DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Sept. 21, 2022) – Powered by the game-winning goal and an assist from senior Vasco Baptista (Alges, Portugal/Escola Secudaria Miraflores), the No. 23 Mercy College men's soccer team earned a 3-1 win over ECC foe Queens College on Wednesday afternoon at Mercy Field.

The Mavericks (7-1-1, 3-0 ECC) have won five games in a row and are off to their best start since 2019. Mercy also starts 3-0 in ECC play for the first time since 2019 and are now in solo first place in the ECC standings. The Knights (6-3, 2-1 ECC) suffer their first ECC loss and have lost five straight meetings to the Mavericks.

Baptista recorded his second goal of the season and second game-winning goal of the season. He also added his third assist of the season. Sophomore Luís Silva (Esposende, Portugal/Knox College) netted his team-high-tying third goal of the season and senior David Breitenbach (Mannheim, Germany/Barton College) produced his second goal of the season. Freshman Mathias Schilbred-Eriksen (Bergen, Norway/Tertnes Videregaende Skole) recorded the assist on the game-winning goal for his team-leading fifth of the season and junior Daniel Dalmau (Madrid, Spain/College of International Studies-Endicott) picked up his first assist of the season. Sophomore Eirik Elvestad (Oslo, Norway/Blindern VGS) made two saves to earn the win.

Queens was led by Adolfo Martinez Paquet who scored and by Dario Cruz who had five saves.

Cruz made three saves in the first half to keep the game scoreless at halftime with Mercy holding a 5-1 edge in shots.

The game stayed scoreless until the 61st minute when Silva found the back of the net for the second straight game, off a shot from the top of the box to the lower right corner, after a Baptista pass to make it 1-0.

Mercy tacked on another goal in the 70th minute when Baptista headed home a Schilbred-Eriksen corner kick to make it 2-0.

Queens inched closer with a Paquet penalty kick goal in the 71st minute to make it 2-1. The Mavericks put the game away when Dalmau sent a long ball from beyond midfield, finding Breitenbach, who beat the goalkeeper 1v1 to give Mercy a 3-1 lead in the 84th minute.

Mercy would hold on for the win after surrendering just three shots on goal in the game.

Mercy held a 12-7 edge in shots and an 8-3 edge in shots on goal. Mercy held an 8-0 edge in corner kicks.

Head Coach Pedro Velazquez and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, September 24th when they play at Molloy at 12 p.m.