NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Fifth seeded Mount Ida College will return to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) semifinal round after a 2-1 road victory over #4 Albertus Magnus in Saturday's quarterfinal round, also the first road win at the Falcons in Mount Ida program history.
Senior Nick Rivas-Vasquez (Hamden, Conn.), playing just minutes from where he grew up, scored both of Mount Ida's goals as the Mustangs answered an early deficit with two first half tallies of their own.
Each team scored in the third minute, with Rivas-Vasquez quickly tying the game up at one apiece only 27 seconds after senior Richard Mitchell (Naugatuck, Conn.) had given the hosts the lead as the game started off at a frantic pace.
Rivas-Vasquez took a pass from freshman Jeremy Sayers (Portsmouth, N.H.), and finished off his third goal of the year, giving Sayer his first collegiate assist.
Albertus had gotten their noses in front when GNAC leading scorer Alexis Garcia (West Haven, Conn.) sent a cross in the air into the box which met the head of Mitchell, who scored his first goal of the season.
Rivas-Vasquez scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 28th minute as he drilled a shot from just outside of the 18-yard box, beating Albertus keeper Griffin Volta (Orange, Conn.). It was the senior striker's fourth goal, and second game-winner of the year.
Volta made two saves in the contest, while Mount Ida's Mat Pils (Monroe, Conn.) tallied two as well.
Albertus outshot the Mustangs 11-8, and held a 7-3 shot advantage in the second half as they looked for the equalizer, but Pils and the Mount Ida backline held strong.
The victory was the first for Mount Ida against Albertus since 2009, and also stopped a run of four straight trips to the GNAC semifinal round for the Falcons, who are just two years removed from a GNAC title.
The Mustangs will now face top-seeded Johnson & Wales (R.I.) on Tuesday, November 4th, in Providence. Game time is still to be determined, so make sure to check back to mountidamustangs.com for more information.