DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 23, 2023) – The RV Mercy University men's soccer team plays at University of New Haven on Tuesday, October 24th at 7 p.m.

Who, When and Where

Date/Time: Tuesday, October 24th 7 p.m.

Records: RV Mercy (8-2-5), New Haven (5-6-2)

Location: West Haven, Conn.

Last Meeting vs. New Haven

Mercy earned a 1-0 win over New Haven on August 28, 2022.

Scouting the Mavericks

The Mavericks earned a 1-1 draw against UDC on Saturday. 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 24 points on an ECC-best 11 goals with two assists. Senior Carlos Fernandes has been named to the ECC Honor Roll three times and is second on the team with 11 points on three goals and a team-high five 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 and junior Juan José Alvarez Acosta also have a goal. Silva and sophomore Jorgen Krohn-Pettersen both have 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 8-2-5 in goal with 48 saves, a .762 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 on October 9th. 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 last week. Mercy has secured their fifth ECC Championship berth in six seasons. The Mavericks are 2-1-1 in their last four meetings against New Haven and have won the last two meetings.

Scouting the Chargers

New Haven is coming off a 6-3 loss at Bentley on Saturday. The Chargers were picked eighth in the NE10 Preseason Poll after going 1-10-4 last season. New Haven is led by Augustus Mcciff who has a team-high 15 points on a team-high seven goals with one assist. Adam Lindstrom is second on the team with nine points on four goals and an assist and Erik Cedeberg has a team-high two assists. Gianluca Cerosimo is 3-4-2 in goal with 38 saves, a .644 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average.

Next Game

Mercy resumes action on Saturday, October 28th when they host Daemen for Senior Day at 2 p.m.