DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Oct. 26, 2023) – The #25 Mercy University men's soccer team hosts ECC foe Daemen University for Senior Day and a Breast Cancer Awareness Game on Saturday, October 28th at 2:30 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, October 28th 2:30 p.m.
Records: #25 Mercy (8-3-5, 4-0-3 ECC), Daemen (3-10-1, 2-5 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Daemen
Mercy earned a 1-0 win at Daemen on September 10, 2022.
Scouting the Mavericks
The Mavericks dropped a 1-0 decision to New Haven 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 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 8-3-5 in goal with 53 saves, a .768 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 third in the latest United Soccer Coaches East Region poll and are ranked No. 25 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll released last week. The Mavericks are also one of 12 teams under consideration for an NCAA Tournament berth in the first NCAA Super-Region 1 regional rankings released on Wednesday. Mercy has secured their fifth ECC Championship berth in six seasons. The Mavericks are 9-0 all-time against Daemen. Seniors Eduardo Costa, Daniel Dalmau, Daniel Rodriguez, Carlos Fernandes, Saul Melendez, Luís Silva, Phillimon Bédard-Khalid, and Edgar Tellez Jr. will be recognized in a ceremony prior to the game.
Scouting the Wildcats
Daemen is coming off a 3-2 win at D'Youville on Wednesday. The Wildcats were picked fifth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 7-7-3 last season. Daemen is led by Elijah Douglas who has a team-high 12 points on a team-high five goals with two assists. Rayane Baitiche is second on the team with seven points on three goals and an assist and Sujan Rajamohan has a team-high three assists. Harry Firth is 1-6-1 in goal with 36 saves, a .600 save percentage and 2.76 goals-against average.
Next Game
Mercy resumes action on either November 1st or 4th in the ECC Tournament.
