Firebirds Win Fourth Straight With 4-1 Victory at Holy Family

PHILADELPHIA – The University of the District of Columbia men's soccer team earned its 4^th straight win with a 4-1 road victory vs. regional non-conference foe Holy Family University on a hot afternoon Wednesday at Tiger Field.

The Firebirds improved to 5-2 overall with the victory – their best record through seven games in a season since 2001 – and they tied the program's longest win streak (four) since 2013.

Sophomore midfielder Gabriel Torres, who entered the game tied for 5^th in the nation for points, added five more points today on two goals and one assist.  The reigning East Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Week scored UDC's first two goals – both of which came within the first four minutes of action – and he assisted the 3^rd UDC goal scored by senior forward Raphael Pacano just before the 19-minute mark. The red-hot Firebirds, who last time out scored five goals in the first half of a 5-0 victory over Mercy, were now out to a 3-0 lead not even 20 minutes into the game.

Mike Smith later put HFU on the board with a goal just past the 30-minute mark, but with UDC's back line holding Holy Family to two shots on goal in the 1^st half and five total for the game, this was the only goal of the day the Tigers would score.

UDC's Marcus Mottley joined in on the scoring action in the 41^st minute with his first goal of the season off of the 2^nd assist of the year by junior forward Kevin Ortez. The Firebirds, who outscored their last two opponents, 9-1 in the first half, took a 4-1 lead into halftime.

The Firebirds continued to play sound defensively through the 2^nd half, though HFU did fire three shots on goal in the final eight minutes of regulation. The first of those three shots was a penalty kick taken by Joseph Stock in the 83^rd minute, which was denied by senior goalkeeper Ever Alvarez. UDC's third goalkeeper of the day - who played a total of 13:47 after starting goalkeeper Luis Aguirre (45:00) and backup goalkeeper Joao Brusamolin (31:13) – went on to make two more saves to preserve a 2^nd half shutout.

Aguirre, the reigning ECC Defensive Player of the Week, had one save and one goal allowed as he improved to 4-0 on the season. Brusamolin did not face any shots on goal in his 31 minutes of work, and Alvarez stopped all three shots he faced.

The Firebirds now seek their 5^th straight win and to go 2-0 in conference play as they host ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday, September 23^rd at 1 p.m. The Spartans, who last year edged UDC for the 4^th and final ECC playoff spot due to a tiebreaker, are currently 3-2-1 and 1-0 in league play. UDC and STAC tied, 2-2 when these two teams met last year in Sparkill, NY.