DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 12, 2023) – The No. 24 Mercy University men's soccer team hosts ECC foe Molloy University on Saturday, October 14th at 12 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, October 14th 12 p.m.
Records: #24 Mercy (6-2-4, 3-0-2 ECC), Molloy (2-8-3, 1-2-1 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Molloy
Mercy earned a 1-1 draw at Molloy on November 6th in the ECC Championship Final. The Mavericks won penalty kicks 5-3 to win the ECC Championship.
Scouting the Mavericks
The Mavericks dropped a 4-1 decision to regionally-ranked Wilmington on Wednesday. Mercy opens the 2023 season looking to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons and qualify for the ECC Championship for the fifth time in six seasons under eighth-year head coach Pedro Velazquez. The Mavericks went 12-3-5 last season winning their fifth ECC Championship and advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Mercy returns three of their top five goal scorers and eight student-athletes who started at least 10 matches in 2022. The Mavericks were picked first in the ECC Preseason Poll and return their leading goal scorer from last year in Third Team All-ECC selection junior Luis Silva who had six goals and two assists last season. Second Team All-ECC recipient senior Daniel Rodriguez also returns after starting 19 games last season with four goals and five assists. Sophomore Mateo Bacigalupo returns after scoring three goals in his freshman campaign. Third Team All-ECC honoree junior Martin Penafiel netted two goals and two assists last season and ECC Preseason Defensive Co-Player of the Year junior Eirik Elvestad returns in goal after going 11-2-5 last season with 64 saves, a .790 save percentage and 0.95 goals-against average. He was named ECC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year and All-Region last season. Returning on defense is reigning ECC Rookie of the Year sophomore Mathias Schilbred-Eriksen who had six assists last season. Sophomore Johannes Hanken Tjostheim has been named ECC Offensive Player of the Week three times and has a team-high 19 points on an ECC-best nine goals with one assist. Senior Carlos Fernandes has been named to the ECC Honor Roll three times and is second on the team with 10 points on three goals and a team-high four assists. Fernandes scored the game-winning goal in Mercy's win over Southern Connecticut State on September 9th. Bacigalupo has three goals and three assists on the year and freshman Diego Guzman, sophomore Jorgen Krohn-Pettersen, junior Juan José Alvarez Acosta and Silva also have a goal. Junior Julian Holland has three goals and an assist on the year and was named ECC Co-Defensive Player of the Week last week. Graduate student Phillimon Bédard-Khalid and Rodriguez both have three assists and Schilbred-Eriksen has two assists. Sophomore Nicolás Cerda and Penafiel each have an assist. Elvestad is 6-2-4 in goal with 38 saves, a .745 save percentage and 1.10 goals-against average. The junior has been named the ECC Defensive Player of the Week twice and recorded his 100th career save at Queens. Elvestad also now has a school-record 16 career shutouts. Silva was named to the ECC Honor Roll on September 25th after scoring the game-winning goal against Queens. Schilbred-Eriksen was tabbed to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. The Mavericks are ranked third in the latest United Soccer Coaches East Region poll and are ranked No. 24 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. Mercy is 9-7-3 in their last 19 meetings against Molloy but haven't lost to the Lions at home since 2011.
Scouting the Lions
Molloy is coming off a 4-3 loss to Southern New Hampshire on Wednesday. The Lions were picked third in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 8-4-8 last season. Molloy won the ECC regular-season championship last season. The Lions are led by senior Ryan Dobson who has a team-high six points on a goal and a team-high four assists. Freshmen Harvey Chahal and Steph Maurice and junior Diogo Ferreira all have a team-high two goals. One-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week senior Dennis Mejia is 2-7-2 in goal with 43 saves, a .683 save percentage and 1.89 goals-against average.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on Tuesday, October 17th when they host Dominican at 2:30 p.m.
