The Men’s Soccer team celebrated Senior Night this past Saturday evening, earning a blowout 4-0 victory against Delaware Valley University, with junior Emerson Kekesi finishing the game with a hat trick.
With the 4-0 victory, Stevens improved to 6-3-3 overall and 1-1-2 in the MAC Freedom Conference. The Ducks were effective offensively in both halves, while their strong defense prevented Delaware Valley from scoring.
This was the Ducks’ first MAC Freedom Conference victory at the DeBaun Athletic Complex this season. They put together a strong performance on both ends of the field, scoring two goals in the first half and keeping the momentum going with another two in the second half.
Junior midfielder Emerson Kekesi wasted no time scoring, receiving an assist from first-year midfielder RJ Dougherty in under three minutes. Dougherty didn’t stop there. His pass found sophomore forward Lucas Mendes, whose shot couldn’t be stopped by Delaware Valley’s goalkeeper, doubling the Ducks’ lead. Just a minute later, Mendes had another shot on goal, but his attempt was deflected off the line by a Delaware Valley defender.
The Ducks didn’t let up defensively, allowing only one shot on goal from Delaware Valley. Bobby Boyke made his lone save of the period in the 42nd minute, sending the Ducks into halftime with a two-goal advantage.
Kekesi was tripped in the box less than five minutes into the second half. Tensions were high between both teams, but Stevens was awarded a penalty kick. Kekesi shot to the right, and Delaware Valley’s goalkeeper deflected the attempt. However, Kekesi reacted quickly, collected the rebound, and lobbed it into the net to extend the Ducks’ lead to 3-0. Senior midfielder Luca Chirichiello intercepted a pass on the left wing, beat a defender, and crossed the ball to Kekesi. He got a clean shot into the right side of the net, completing his hat trick in the 56th minute and giving Stevens a 4-0 advantage.
This marked Kekesi’s seventh goal of the season. His first came against William Paterson University, followed by another against Skidmore College. He also scored against Worcester Polytechnic Institute and The City College of New York. This completed his second career hat trick, his other coming during a game against DeSales University on October 28, 2025.
The Ducks didn’t let their lead get to them, and their defense remained strong for the remainder of the game. They allowed only two more shots on goal, both of which were saved by Boyke. After the 85th minute, senior Aden Parikh took over as goalkeeper for the remainder of the game and also kept Delaware Valley from scoring.
Saturday’s game marked Mendes’ second goal of the season. He scored his first against The City College of New York on September 28. He has also recorded an impressive 12 shots on goal out of 18 attempts.
Dougherty hasn’t let being a rookie stop him. So far this season, he has already played 834 minutes. He also assisted on a goal against Worcester Polytechnic Institute on September 12.
Following the Family Day and Senior Day celebrations, Stevens is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, hosting FDU-Florham at 7 p.m. The Ducks look to carry this newfound conference momentum into their next matchup as they continue their push through the MAC Freedom season.
