AMHERST, N.Y. – Soccer standouts
Jamie Boyar (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) and Noah Keem (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) have been named the Daemen College Student-Athletes of the Month presented by Western New York Knee and Orthopedic Surgery PC for October, 2017.
Boyar, a sophomore forward, scored six of Daemen's 12 goals during the month of October and led the Wildcats to a 4-4-0 month. She opened the month by scoring the game's only goal in a 1-0 win over long-time rival Roberts Wesleyan College. Three days later she contributed a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to eventual East Coast Conference champion Mercy College. Her efforts against RWC and Mercy earned Boyar her second ECC Offensive Player of the Week honor this season. The highlight of the month came on Oct. 14, when Boyar scored both goals in a 2-0 win over perennial powerhouse University of the Bridgeport. It marked Daemen's first-ever win over the Purple Knights, who had claimed the previous two ECC titles and had advanced deep into the NCAA Division II Tournament each of the past two seasons. She registered her third multi-goal effort of the season a week later when she totaled two goals and an assist in a 5-1 win over Bloomfield University.
Boyar finished the season as the team-leader in goals (11) and points (25) for the second-straight year, and tied for second on the team in assists (3). She became the first Daemen player with double-figure goals and 20 or more points since Kacey Bougard (13 gls, 33 pts) and Samantha Engel (11 gls, 30 pts) both did so in 2013. Seven of Boyar's goals went down as game-winners, with four of those coming in games decided by a single goal. Boyar led the ECC in game-winning goals during the regular season, and currently ranks fourth among the league leaders in goals and fifth points. Her efforts earned her third-team All-ECC honors.
Since arriving on campus for the 2016 season, Boyar has started all 33 games that the team has played, and has totaled 17 goals, seven assists and 41 points.
Boyar led Daemen to a 9-7-1 overall record and a 3-5-0 mark in ECC play this year. The nine wins were the most the team has achieved since going 10-10 in 2013, and the Wildcats finished with a record above .500 for the first time since 2012 (11-9).
Keem, a freshman forward/defender, scored seven of Daemen's 19 goals last month and led the Wildcats to a 4-4-0 month. He opened the month by netting the game-tying goal with just over ten minutes left in regulation time during a 2-1 OT win over long-time rival Roberts Wesleyan. A week later he registered a season-high five shots on goal and totaled two goals and one assist in a 6-1 rout of the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. The following weekend he assisted on Daemen's first goal and netted the game-winning "golden goal" in overtime during a 3-2 win over Queens College—Daemen's first-ever win over the Knights. He capped off the month by helping the Wildcats rally from an early two-goal deficit during a 3-2 victory over Molloy College by scoring Daemen's first two goals—his second multi-goal effort of the month.
Keem finished the season as the team leader in goals (9) and points (22), and ranked third in assists (4). He's the first Daemen player with at least nine goals and 20 points since
Kyle Clifford in 2013 (10 gls, 22 pts). Keem finished the season as the top freshman scorer in the ECC, and currently ranks among the league leaders in goals (9 - 7th), points (22 - 6th) and shooting percentage (.429 - 4th).
His efforts earned Keem third-team All-ECC honors, making him the first player in team history to garner All-ECC recognition. A two-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection, (Sept. 25-Oct.1, Oct. 9-15), Keem registered all 22 of his points in the final 10 games of the season, helping Daemen to a 5-5 record in those contests. He was was also named the Division II Hero of the Week by herosports.com in mid October.
Keem's offensive output helped Daemen rank third in total goals (39) and fourth in goals per game (2.17) among ECC teams this season. After posting just three multi-goal games in 2016, Daemen had 11 this season and its 39 goals marked the team's highest total since 2011 (43).
Daemen finished 7-11-0 overall and 3-6-0 in the ECC. The team's overall win total matched the program record for wins in a season established in 2005 and 2006, and their ECC win total marked the most league wins in a season in team history.
Additional student-athletes considered for Athlete of the Month honors included Amy Trabert (Amherst, N.Y./Amherst) of the women's cross country team, Georgia Wicker (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock) of the women's volleyball team, Jessica Robbins (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) of the women's tennis team and Josh Bodnar (Fillmore, N.Y./Fillmore) of the men's cross country team.
