Men's Soccer

No. 3 Molloy and No. 4 Mercy Victorious in the ECC Men’s Soccer Championship First Round

No. 4 Mercy – 1 | No. 5 Queens – 0 (2OT)
Mercy Field | Dobbs Ferry, NY
Box Score
 
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – No. 4 Mercy (12-4-3, 4-3-1 ECC), ranked #18 nationally, needed two overtime periods to take down No. 5 Queens (10-6-3, 3-3-2 ECC) 1-0 on Thursday afternoon in the 2026 ECC Men's Soccer Championship First Round at Mercy Field in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
 
Battling for the second time in just over a week, the first half was a standoff, with neither side finding the back of the net. Queens had an early advantage, earning a pair corners within the first four minutes, but did not capitalize. The Knights had the better ball possession time over the first 25 minutes, holding the Mavericks to no shots or corners. The only scoring opportunity in the first 45 minutes came from Queens’ Tommy Wagner in the in 28th minute but his shot to the low right of the goal was saved by Mercy goalkeeper Sean Green keeping the match deadlocked at 0-0. Queens recorded a 5-2 shot edge, with the lone shot on goal, while taking five corners compared to none for Mercy.
 
The offensive tempo ratcheted up for both sides in the first third of the second half. Mercy had a golden opportunity, with a trio of shots in minute 49, with John Hollis’ shot saved by Queens keeper Thanasis Shehadeh; on the rebound 2026 ECC Offensive Player of the Year Jacob Lund-Iversen blasted a shot that hit the crossbar, before Mario De Roque Zazon’s shot missed high left. Queens responded with its own chance with Taro Aboubakary breaking away and letting off a shot that Green robbed in the 52nd minute. In the 84’ Mercy went a man up following a red card ejection by Queens’ Wagner. Playing a man up, Green made another impressive save, deflecting a header attempt by Queens’ Noah Gronvold Roe with a little under four minutes to play. Mercy would have two shot attempts in the final minutes but neither found the mark, with one missing right and the other getting block by a defender, sending the match into overtime.
 
During the first overtime period, Mercy was the aggressor, recording a pair of shots, with one on goal. The best chance occurred with just under two minutes on the clock when Lund-Iversen had a breakaway and in a one-on-one situation with Shehadeh, Lund-Iversen whiffed the goal, missing wide right.
 
In the second overtime period, the script flipped, with Queens attack taking control. In the 105th minute, the Knights let off back-to-back shots on goal, taken by Aboubakary and Keithland Cesar, but Green stopped both. With penalty kicks on the horizon, Hollis delivered a corner kick cross to Nicolai Lysoe (107’) who headed in the golden goal for Mercy.
 
Mercy will resume its postseason in the ECC Men’s Soccer Championship Semifinals on Sunday, November 1 at 12:00 PM in Sparkill, NY facing No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas.
 
Mercy Notes
  • The Mavericks were led by Lysoe who tallied his third goal and third game-winning goal of the season.
  • Hollis dished his 14th assist of the year, which set a new program record for assists in a single season.
  • Lund-Iversen was the team leader with five shots.
  • Joel Martinez had two with one on goal.
  • Green played the entire 106:33 picking up his eighth victory of the season, his fourth shutout and making a season-high seven saves – matching the same amount of stops he logged against Queens on October 21.
  • Mavs head coach Pedro Velazquez recorded his 107th career win, becoming the all-time winningest coach in program history through 10 seasons at the helm of his alma mater.
 
Queens Notes
  • Queens had a slim advantage in shots (17-14), shots on goal (7-4), and corners (8-3).
  • Pacing the Knights was Cesar, who had game-highs of seven shots and three shots on goal.
  • Aboubakary was one of three Knights with a pair of shots and just behind Cesar placing two shots on goal.
  • In a defeat, Shehadeh played the full 107 and made three saves in the net.
     
No. 3 Molloy – 2 | No. 6 District of Columbia – 2 (Molloy 4-1 PK)
RVC Sports Complex | Rockville Centre, NY
Box Score
 
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – No. 3 Molloy (5-3-8, 3-1-4 ECC) topped No. 6 District of Columbia (8-5-5, 3-3-2 ECC) 4-1 in penalty kicks, following a 2-2 draw in the 2026 ECC Men's Soccer Championship First Round nightcap on Thursday at RVC Sports Complex in Rockville Centre, NY.
 
In a fast paced first half, District of Columbia got the scoring underway at the eight-minute mark when Joao De Souza De Aquino sent a cross to Christopher Ruiz who gave the Firebirds the early lead with a one timer to the back of the net. Molloy answered with a Matt Star equalizer in the 16th minute off the set piece from the left by Jack Veletanga, that landed in the near right corner of the net for the goal. UDC regained the lead in the 30th minute of action, occurring when Marius Elmose placed a corner kick with his left boot into the box, finding David Serra who turned in the goal to the back post. Both sides registered five shots in the first half, with all five on goal for the Firebirds, while the Lions had three on target.
 
Playing from behind, Molloy dominated the possessions in the second half, looking for the second equalizer. With 75:21 on the clock, Mael Pierre Paul started a break, handing off the ball to Veletanga, who returned it to Pierre Paul in the box for the game-tying tally, forcing overtime. It was all Lions in second half, as Molloy outshot UDC 12-2 in the final 45 minutes of regulation.
 
Both sides had a scoring chance in the first overtime but were unsuccessful. The best opportunity came by UDC in 96th minute when Marius Elmose’s free kick from just outside the 18 hit the crossbar.
 
With less than 30 seconds remaining in the second overtime period, a foul in the box by UDC would give Molloy a penalty kick. Charlie Morgan took the penalty kick but UDC goalkeeper Lorenzo Herrera made an incredible diving save to stop the golden goal attempt and send the match to PKs.
 
Molloy made four straight PKs, while UDC only made its first PK, before missing the next two, giving the Lions a 4-1 advantage and the win.
 
Molloy proceeds to the Semifinal Round of the ECC Men’s Soccer Championship with a date against No. 2 D’Youville on Sunday, November 1 at 7:00 PM in Buffalo, NY on Dobson Field.
 
Molloy Notes
  • The lions had a huge discrepancy in shots, posting a 20-8 margin, which included a dominating 15-3 advantage in the second half and two overtime periods combined.
  • Pierre Paul led Molloy with his fourth goal of the season and matched a team-high seven shots as a reserve.
  • Star’s goal was his second on the year.
  • Veletanga assisted on both goals for Molloy and also fired off seven shots to match the team lead.
  • The quartet of Veletanga, Yahel Caudillo Paramo, Star, and Brennan Murphy each converted on their PKs.
  • Anthony Martinez was the winning goalkeeper, playing the entire 110:00, making four saves in regulation, while also making the two crucial saves during the PKs to seal the victory.
 
District of Columbia Notes
  • Ruiz netted his seventh goal of the year and was the team leader in shots (3) and shots on goal (3).
  • Serra’s tally was number three on the season.
  • De Souza De Aquino gave out his second assist of the year.
  • Elmose handed out his first assist on the season.
  • The Firebirds starting goalkeeper, Herrera made six saves in the contest.
  • District of Columbia senior midfield David Serra was honored as the winner of 2026 ECC Men’s Soccer Elite Award. Modeled off of the NCAA's Elite 90 Award, this award is presented to a competing student-athlete with the highest grade point average in each of the conference's championships. Serra has compiled a perfect 4.0 GPA as a chemistry major.
 
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Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women’s bowling (3), men’s and women’s indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men’s lacrosse (1).

The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; women's bowling; men’s and women’s cross country; field hockey; men’s and women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; softball; and men's and women’s volleyball.
 
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.