SPARKILL, N.Y. (Oct. 7, 2023) – Powered by a goal from sophomore Johannes Hanken Tjostheim (Aalesund, Norway/Spring Hill College) and a season-high six saves from junior Eirik Elvestad (Oslo, Norway/Blindern VGS), the RV Mercy University men's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw at ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field.
The Mavericks (6-1-4, 3-0-2 ECC) remain unbeaten in ECC play and remain unbeaten in their last 10 games. The Spartans (6-1-3, 3-0-1 ECC) earn their first ECC draw of the season. The two teams play to a 1-1 draw for the second straight year.
Hanken Tjostheim recorded his ECC-leading ninth goal of the season and senior Daniel Rodriguez (Caracas, Venezuela/Erskine College) dished out his third assist of the season. Elvestad made a game-high six saves in 90 minutes of action.
St. Thomas Aquinas was led by Uhunoma Fredrick-Ilekhuoba who scored and by Calle Olle Petter Gunnarsson who made three saves in 90 minutes of action.
Elvestad made his first save in the 2nd minute of action and added another in the 12th minute before graduate student Phillimon Bédard-Khalid (Miami, Fla./Presbyterian College) recorded Mercy's first shot on goal in the 15th minute.
A Julian Holland (Tokyo, Japan/Iowa Western CC) shot hit the crossbar in the 32nd minute and a Hanken Tjostheim shot was stopped to keep the game scoreless. Elvestad made three saves in the final 10 minutes of the half to keep the game scoreless at halftime.
Hanken Tjostheim broke the scoreless tie in the 59th minute, following an assist from Rodriguez, to give Mercy a 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 until the 76th minute when Fredrick-Ilekhuoba scored following an assist from Kevon Evans to tie the game at 1-1. Neither team would record a shot on goal in the final 15 minutes and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
St. Thomas Aquinas held a 15-9 edge in shots and a 7-4 edge in shots on goal. St. Thomas Aquinas also held an 11-6 edge in corner kicks.
Head Coach Pedro Velazquez and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, October 11th when they host Wilmington at 2:30 p.m.
