Firebirds Fall to Mavericks; Lose out on bid to ECC Tournament in Season Finale

Washington, DC- The University of the District of Columbia's men's soccer team fell to ECC regular season champions Mercy, to miss out on a tournament bid to the Championships. The Firebirds also celebrated seniors Malik Thom, Jason Mayorga, Danillo Muniz Beserra and Gabriel Velluto.

UDC Men's Soccer Alum Brandon Rios was also celebrated as he was named to the first class of the ECC "Elite Scholar." This award is given to student-athletes who maintain a 3.25 GPA or higher during their collegiate career and made the ECC Commisioner's Honor Roll all four years.

UDC was led by Velluto who scored the Lone point for the Firebirds in the second half . Freshman Goalkeeper Javier Abadia who is currently ranked third in the ECC with 65 saves, made a total of six saves against the Mavericks.

The first goal of the game came from Mercy's Ignacio Mangada who scored in the 19th minute. Both teams were able to keep the other at bay for the rest of the half leaving the score 1-0 going into half time.

The second half saw the Mavericks scoring a second goal, when Manuel Achondo sent a penalty kick straight to the back of the net at the 57th minute to bring the score to 2-0. Velluto then responded with a goal of his own bringing the Firebirds back in contention, 2-1, with 28 minutes left to go in the game. With less than ten minutes left Mercy send another shot to the back of the net destroying the hopes the Firebirds had at continuing their season in post.

The Firebirds conclude their 2019 season with a 7-11, 4-4 ECC record.