Firebirds Earn 2-1 ECC Victory Over Mercy
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mercy (4-6, 2-2 ECC) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Dist. Columbia (3-6-1, 1-3 ECC) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
ARLINGTON, VA – Nelson Moreno's header goal in the 80th minute proved the gamewinner as the University of the District of Columbia men's soccer team earned a 2-1 victory vs. Mercy in East Coast Conference action on a wet and windy Saturday afternoon at Long Bridge Park.
With the score knotted at 1 for nearly 54 minutes, UDC veteran midfielder Elio Hernandez (Health Education – Germantown, MD/Northwest HS) lofted a corner kick into the box which was initially headed by a leaping, 6-foot-5 junior forward Mehdi Badache (Mechanical Engineering – Tunis, Tunisia/Santa Barbara City College), and then headed once more, forcefully, into the net by Moreno for the go-ahead goal.
The Mavericks had what would have been the game-tying goal waved off due to an offside penalty with under four minutes remaining in regulation, as UDC clung to its one-goal advantage for the victory.
Mercy (4-6), which entered the game 3rd in the ECC standings at 2-1 in league play, struck first in the 16th minute when Junior Sanguina scored on a breakaway opportunity created by a punt past midfield by goalkeeper Kwantarian Van der Lara.
Sophomore forward Maurice Schwab (Special Education – Vornholz Weg, Germany/Bielefeld University) answered for UDC ten minutes later, blasting a shot from inside the box off of another corner kick by Hernandez. Schwab is now tied for the team lead with three goals this season and Hernandez now has a team-high five assists.
The Mavericks out-shot UDC, 18-11 and were less penalized with 11 fouls to UDC's 19; however, the Firebirds had two more corner kicks (5-3), and both of their goals came off of corner kicks. Five of UDC's 17 goals this season have been scored off of corner kicks. Both goalkeepers, Louis Connor of UDC and Van der Lara of Mercy, finished with five saves.
UDC will attempt to win its 3rd straight game on Wednesday, October 7th when the Firebirds host ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas at Maryland Soccerplex at 2 p.m. Before the game, UDC will honor its five graduating seniors: Louis Connor, Juan Quintanilla, Moussa Traore, Elio Hernandez and Byron Brown.