WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Oct. 24, 2023) – Despite a game-high-tying five saves from junior Eirik Elvestad (Oslo, Norway/Blindern VGS), the No. 25 Mercy University men's soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision to University of New Haven on Tuesday night at Kathy Zolad Stadium.

The Mavericks (8-3-5) see their three-game unbeaten streak come to an end and fall to the Chargers (6-6-2) for the first time since 2005.

Elvestad allowed just one goal and made five saves to take the loss. Sophomore Johannes Hanken Tjostheim (Aalesund, Norway/Spring Hill College) had a game-high three shots on goal.

New Haven was led by Sean Lane-Turnbull who scored and by Augustus McCiff who had an assist. Gianluca Cersosimo made five saves in the first half and Kyle Mather stopped four shots in the second half.

Elvestad made three saves and Cersosimo made four saves in the first 34 minutes of action to keep the game scoreless. A sophomore Mateo Bacigalupo (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Colegio Cardenal Newman) shot hit the left post in the 36th minute and Cersosimo stopped a shot in the final seconds of the first half to send the teams into halftime tied at 0-0.

Elvestad stopped another shot early in the second half before Lane-Turnbull scored in the 49th minute, following a McCiff assist, to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead.

Mercy forced Mather to make four saves in the second half and a Daniel Rodriguez (Caracas, Venezuela/Erskine College) shot went high late in the game, but the Mavericks were unable to find the equalizer and New Haven earned the 1-0 win.

Mercy held a 16-10 edge in shots and a 9-6 edge in shots on goal. New Haven held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.

Head Coach Pedro Velazquez and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, October 28th when they host Daemen for Senior Day at 2 p.m.