DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Powered by a hat trick from freshman Astrid Borglund (Stockholm, Sweden/Hersby Gymnasium) and two goals and an assist from freshman Connor Leahy (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point), the RV Mercy University Women's Soccer Team earned a 7-0 win over St. Thomas Aquinas College in their ECC opener on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (4-2-2, 1-0 ECC) bounce back from their loss earlier in the week and win their ECC opener for the first time since 2024. Mercy defeats the Spartans (0-2, 0-1 ECC) for the third straight year.
Borglund gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when she finished off a rebound of a sophomore Camila Salvador (Santiago, Chile/Santiago College) shot that was initially stopped by STAC goalkeeper Catalena Robson.
Leahy later gave Mercy a 2-0 lead in the 35th minute when she finished off a rebound of a sophomore Casey Szczotka (Mattituck, N.Y./Mattituck) shot that was stopped by Robson. The Mavericks headed into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Mercy took a 3-0 lead in the 50th minute when junior Ana Polychroniades (Smithtown, N.Y./St. John's Preparatory) scored following a Salvador through ball. Borglund made it 4-0 with her second goal of the game in the 62nd minute when she followed her own rebound and beat Robson.
Borglund recorded her first career hat trick when she scored in the 71st minute to make it 5-0. Junior Blake Goldstein (Oceanside, N.Y./Long Island University) had her shot stopped by Robson and Borglund put home the rebound. Senior Ella Gallino (Middlebury, Conn./Pomperaug) made it 6-0 in the 78th minute following an assist from Leahy and Leahy capped off the scoring in the 87th minute, giving Mercy the convincing 7-0 win in their ECC opener.
Mercy was led by Borglund who recorded her first career hat trick and now has a team-high four goals and eight points on the year. Leahy scored her first two collegiate goals and now has a team-high-tying three assists on the year. Gallino netted her second goal of the year and Polychroniades added her first goal of the year. Salvador dished out two assists in her first game of the season and Goldstein contributed her third assist of the year. Szczotka dished out her second assist of the year and junior Heiddis Sigurdardottir (Garðabær, Iceland/University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) faced no shots in the first half to earn the win. Sophomore Peighton McKenna (Islip, N.Y./Islip) played the first 23:41 minutes of the second half in goal in her season debut and sophomore Christie Clark (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) played the final 21:19 minutes in goal in her collegiate debut to preserve the shutout.
STAC was led by Robson who had a game-high 19 saves.
Mercy held a 41-0 edge in shots, a 26-0 edge in shots on goal and a 12-0 edge in corner kicks.
Head Coach Jack Nicholson and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, September 23rd when they play at Southern New Hampshire at 3 p.m.
