DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 20, 2023) – The RV Mercy University men's soccer team hosts ECC foe University of the District of Columbia on Saturday, October 21st at 1 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, October 21st 1 p.m.
Records: RV Mercy (8-2-4, 4-0-2 ECC), Dist. Columbia (5-6-4, 3-1-3 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Dist. Columbia
Mercy earned a 4-2 win over UDC on October 1, 2022.
Scouting the Mavericks
The Mavericks earned a 5-1 win over Dominican in their last game on Tuesday. 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 23 points on an ECC-best 11 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 and junior Juan José Alvarez Acosta also have a goal. Silva has two goals this season and junior Julian Holland has three goals and two assists on the year and has been named ECC Defensive Co-Player of the Week twice. Graduate student Phillimon Bédard-Khalid has a team-high-tying four assists and Rodriguez and Penafiel both have three assists. Schilbred-Eriksen has two assists and sophomore Nicolás Cerda also has an assist. Elvestad is 8-2-4 in goal with 45 saves, a .763 save percentage and 1.01 goals-against average. The junior has been named the ECC Defensive Player of the Week three times and recorded his 100th career save at Queens. Elvestad also now has a school-record 17 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 last week. The Mavericks are ranked fourth in the latest United Soccer Coaches East Region poll and are receiving votes nationally in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. Mercy is 8-5-2 in their last 15 meetings against UDC and are 3-0-1 in their last four meetings against the Firebirds.
Scouting the Firebirds
UDC is coming off a 2-2 draw at Staten Island on Wednesday. The Firebirds were picked sixth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 7-7-2 last season. UDC is led by sophomore Axel Gamez who has a team-high 18 points on a team-high nine goals. Junior Santiago Gordillo Martinez is second on the team with eight points on three goals and two assists and freshman Isaiah Daniel and junior Ignacio Pericet both have three goals. Sophomore Vasco Irazola has a team-high four assists and junior Sergio Becerra has 41 saves, a .759 save percentage and 1.24 goals-against average.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on Tuesday, October 24th when they play at New Haven at 7 p.m.
