ALTOONA, Pa. - The Mount Aloysius men's soccer team closed out the regular season in dominant fashion Tuesday night, shutting out Penn State Altoona 5-0 at Spring Run Stadium to secure the AMCC regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
The Mounties (8-5-4, 6-0-1 AMCC) capped an impressive conference campaign with an unbeaten record in league play, finishing atop the standings and earning home-field advantage throughout the AMCC Tournament. Head coach Matt Davis has his squad rolling in his second year back at the helm, as the Mounties have emerged as one of the conference's top teams heading into the postseason.
Mount Aloysius wasted little time establishing control Tuesday night, striking twice in a span of 50 seconds midway through the first half. Gonzalo Terricabris (Catalonia, Spain, Garbi Pere Verges) opened the scoring in the 26th minute, finishing a feed from freshman Rasmus Andersson (Orebro, Sweden, Virginska Gymnasiet) for his 10th goal of the season. Ethan Daley (Chislehurst, England, Farringtons School) followed just 50 seconds later, finding the back of the net for his third goal of the campaign to give the Mounties a 2-0 advantage.
The Mounties carried that momentum into the second half, adding three more goals to put the game away. Terricabris struck again in the 63rd minute, once more with Andersson providing the assist, to extend the lead to 3-0.
Freshman Axel Qvarnstroem (Uppsala, Sweden, Katedralskolan) added the fourth Mount Aloysius goal in the 79th minute, finishing a pass from junior Juan Guzman (Ibague, Colombia, Colegio san Bonifacio de las Lanzas). Just under four minutes later, Qvarnstroem turned provider, setting up Harry Ecobichon (St. Helier, Jersey, Hautlieu) for the Mounties' fifth and final goal of the night.
Terricabris finished with two goals, bringing his season total to 11, while Andersson recorded two assists in another standout performance for the freshman. Qvarnstroem contributed a goal and an assist, and Daley and Ecobichon each added a goal. The Mounties finished with 14 shots, including nine on target.
Defensively, Mount Aloysius delivered another strong performance, limiting Penn State Altoona to seven shots on goal while goalkeeper Sam Denchfield recorded seven saves to preserve the shutout.
The Mounties' defensive success has been a defining feature of their conference championship run. Mount Aloysius surrendered just three goals across seven AMCC regular-season matches, with two of those goals coming in a 3-2 victory over Hilbert. The unit's consistency has helped the Mounties finish conference play unbeaten and enter the postseason with plenty of momentum.
Individually, the Mounties also have several players positioned among the conference leaders heading into the playoffs. Freshmen Andersson andZack Marshfield (Stroud, England, Stroud High Sixth Form) are tied for second in the AMCC with seven assists apiece, highlighting the impact of Mount Aloysius' young talent. Terricabris ranks fourth in the conference with 11 goals and is also fourth with 24 points, giving the Mounties a dangerous scoring threat as they prepare for the postseason.
With the regular season complete, Mount Aloysius now turns its attention to the AMCC Tournament, where the Mounties have earned the No. 1 seed and will host every tournament game they play. The Mounties will host the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 4 Pitt-Greensburg and No. 5 Pitt-Bradford in the semifinals on Wednesday, November 4, at Kelly Field. The game time is to be announced.
The AMCC First Round begins Saturday, October 31, with No. 6 Hilbert traveling to No. 3 Penn State Behrend and No. 5 Pitt-Bradford visiting No. 4 Pitt-Greensburg. The semifinal winners will advance to the conference championship game on Saturday, November 7, at the highest remaining seed.
After an unbeaten run through conference play and a commanding regular-season finale, the Mounties will look to carry their momentum into the postseason as they pursue an AMCC tournament title on their home field.
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