Match preview notes are presented by our partner Healthfirst
Home Is Where We Start: Wednesday begins a three match, nine day home stretch, WSC’s most condensed of the season. In USL League One home play thus far, WSC enters the match with a three match unbeaten streak and a 2-1-1 mark with the only loss being a tight 3-2 loss to defending champion One Knoxville on opening night, March 7. Since then WSC has outscored its league opponents at home 8-2, which includes the club’s two year high mark for goals in a single game, 5 vs. Corpus Christi on April 4. WSC has outscored their USL League One opponents 12-6 in Mt. Vernon this season.
First Meeting: Taig Healy scored the only goal of the night at the 35th minute off of the assist from Michael Rempel to give Fort Wayne FC a 1-0 lead and Bernd Schipmann recorded a four-save shutout on May 10.
Against the Newbies: WSC enters the match with a 2-2 mark against first-year USL League One clubs thus far, with home wins over Corpus Christi (5-1) and Sarasota (2-0) and a 4-0 loss at Boise and 1-0 at Ft. Wayne.
WSC Falls At Rhode Island in US Open Cup: Clay Holstad (41 minutes) and Jerome Williams (44 minutes) scored just three minutes apart late in the first half, propelling Rhode Island FC to an eventual 3-0 win over WSC Saturday night in Pawtucket, RI in Prinx Tires USL Cup play. Leo Afonso capped the clean sheet for Rhode Island in the 75th minute, and Koke Vegas posted the shutout for Rhode Island, who beat WSC for the second time in two seasons in USL Cup play.
The loss stretches WSC’s winless streak on the road to 14 consecutive games, with their last road win at Forward Madison, 2-1, last June 10. Since then they have gone 0-12-3 on the road, and also increases their scoreless streak on the road this season to five (six if you include their 0-0 regulation time game in US Open Cup play at Vermont, which WSC won in penalties), They have now been outscored on the road 14-2 in the young season. The defeat vs. Naples was the third consecutive league loss by the same 1-0 scoreline. Only one team has suffered more consecutive 1-0 defeats in League One history, with Central Valley Fuego FC recording four consecutive losses by that scoreline between June 17 and July 8, 2023.
Most Consecutive Defeats by a 1-0 Scoreline in USL League One Regular Season
4 – Central Valley Fuego FC, June 17-July 8, 2023
3 – Forward Madison FC, Oct. 1-12, 2021
3 – Westchester SC, May 1-23, 2026*
Close Shaves Still Cut Deep: The one goal loss to Naples was WSC’s fourth straight in USL League One play, and dropped WSC to 0-5 in one goal decisions this season, continuing a pattern for WSC from their inaugural season, when they went 2-14-7 when they entered the second 45 either tied or behind and were 2-11 in one goal w/l decisions.
WSC Becomes a MAAC home: The addition of the two new keepers (Luca Marinelli- Sacred Heart and Giuliano Santucci-Iona) gives WSC seven players who called the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference home during their collegiate days, a pretty unique stat for a mid-major conference. That includes three players from Sacred Heart and two from Iona, as well as one from Siena and Marist.
McGlynn, Guezen Still Rising: WSC’s growth has been fueled by its young players, as both midfielders Conor McGlynn (Middle Village, NY) and Guezen (Amsterdam, Netherlands) continue to emerge as the leaders on the young WSC squad. Guezen was voted Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball after recording a pair of goals in his side’s victory against Sarasota Paradise on April 8. The Dutch midfielder recorded his first two-goal game for the club against Sarasota, striking twice in the second half to lead his side to a 2-0 win. Guezen’s goal vs Charlotte earlier in the season just 45 seconds into the match was the fastest in club history. Both now have four goals in league games, which are tied for 6th on the scoring table in the early going, and Guezen is tied for third in shots with 18. McGlynn’s pair at home vs Corpus Christi was his first two goal game.
Youngest, Fastest and First: The early season has brought WSC some new milestones. Kyle Evans became the youngest goalscorer in club history with his stoppage-time finish against One Knoxville in the opener, notching his first professional goal aged 20 years, 146 days old, surpassing the mark of Ermin Mackic (20 years, 174 days). Andrew Hammersley also notched his first career clean sheet against NY Renegades in US Open Cup play and followed that up with his first in League play against Sarasota on April 8 and Matias Molina had his first career clean sheet at Vermont in Round Two. Rookie Alexi Armas also added to the youth movement, nailing the winning penalty over Portland in USL Cup play.
New Faces Making Contributions: Westchester Soccer Club has a decidedly young and local look in 2026 as Head Coach and General Manager George Gjokaj has at least 16 athletes with local roots on the roster. Kyle Evans (Rock Hill, NY/Marist), has started all eight matches thus far, while Maximus Jennings (Montclair, NJ/Georgetown), Tim Timchenko (Kyiv, Ukraine/Iona), Daniel Burko (Løvenstad, Norway/Hofstra) , Charlie Dickerson (Norwich, England/Providence) and Aleksei Armas (Floral Park, NY/Hofstra and Adelphi) have had substantial playing time across the board.
The others: Goalkeepers: Marinelli, Santucci, and Mattias Molina (Rosario, Argentina/Seton Hall), Mo Williams (West Orange, NJ/Notre Dame/Seton Hall), Midfielders: Aiden Borra (Syosset, NY/Sacred Heart and St. John’s), and Miguel Diaz (Brooklyn, NY/St. John’s).
The 12 newcomers join 14 returnees on the WSC preseason roster. Amongst the returning players, Goalkeeper Hammersley (Garden City, NY/Sacred Heart), Defender Noah Powder (Edison, NJ), Midfielder McGlynn (Middle Village, NY/Siena College), and Forwards Mackic (Yonkers NY/SUNY Purchase), and Samory Powder (Edison, NJ) also have ties to the New York area.
WSC Signs Marinelli For Rest Of The Season: The club announced May 22 they have signed keeper Luca Marinelli to a contract for the remainder of the season after his 25 day contract expires. Marinelli, born in Rome and raised in Milford, Ct. starred at Sacred Heart University (where Hammersley also played) and was selected as the 2025 MAAC Golden Glove winner, awarded annually to the league’s best goalie. In his senior year he made 14 starts in net for the MAAC Regular Season champs, logging 1233:13 minutes in goal, while going 8-1-3 overall with five shutouts. He recorded 41 saves (.804 save percentage) allowing just 10 goals (0.73 goals against average). On the MAAC leaderboard, Marinelli ranked first in goals against average, first in shutouts per game, tied for first in total shutouts, second in save percentage, sixth in goalie minutes played, and eighth in total saves. He was the first member of Sacred Heart to capture the top goalkeeper award in the MAAC. Marinelli played two seasons at SHU after transferring from Bryant University, where appeared in 15 matches over two seasons. He also helped lead AC Connecticut to the 2025 USL Academy Championship as their starting keeper. Thus far Marinelli has appeared in 3 USL League One matches with 9 saves on 12 attempts. He is 0-4 thus far, since WSC has been shutout 1-0 in all three of his starting matches League One matches and 3-0 at Rhode Island.
Partners for ’26: WSC’s list of partners for the season include: Northwell (Healthcare), Healthfirst (Health Insurance), Leros Transportation Group (Transportation), Meagher & Meagher, Attorneys at Law (Personal Injury Law), Breezemont Day Camp (Summer Camp), RXR (Real Estate Development), MSG Networks (Media & Broadcasting), The Taco Project (Restaurant & Food), Duck Donuts (Restaurant & Food), Score PT (Physical Therapy), Walter’s (Restaurant & Food), Keller Williams (Real Estate), ICE AIR (HVAC), Westchester Smoothie (Restaurant & Food), Saw Mill Stone & Masonry Supply (Masonry/Retail), Floor & Décor Flooring & Home Improvement (Home Improvement/Retail), The Gentleman’s Lab (Men’s Grooming / Barbershop), Agora (Social Group), CPR Foundation (Non-Profit/Foundation), Velvet Llama (Liquor), Rory Dolan’s Restaurant & Bar (Restaurant & Food), and Strategic Security Corp (Security Services).
Up Next: WSC hosts Greenville on June 14 and Portland on June 19th.
