AMHERST, N.Y. — Three goals in a span of just six minutes early in the first half sparked the Daemen College men's soccer team to a 6-1 victory over the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown today at Karrer Field.
Daemen has now won three of its last five games and improved to 5-8-0 on the year. UPJ, a NCAA Division II member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, remained winless on the year and dropped to 0-10-1.
The six goals scored today are the most in a game for the Wildcats against a NCAA Division II program since Daemen began playing a full Division II schedule in 2013.
Freshman Noah Keem (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) paced the Wildcats today with two goals and an assist. It marked the first multi-goal game of Keem's brief career. He has now tallied at least one goal in four of the last five games and is tied for the team-lead in goals (5) with fellow rookie Kristian Aadnoy (Gjerdrum, Germany). Freshmen Samuel Lockman (Luleaa, Sweden) and Finn Krueger (Neuried, Germany) helped the Daemen cause with a goal and an assist each.
Daemen scored seven minutes into the game and held a commanding 4-0 lead midway through the first half.
Lockman opened the scoring with his third goal of the year at 7:08. Freshman Anthony Cupello (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Arcadia) sent a cross into the box, where Lockman headed it home from 10 yards out.
The game remained 1-0 until Keem struck for two goals in the span of two minutes. Keem's first tally came after he collected a rebound following a shot by Aadnoy. His second goal was a pretty individual effort, as he collected the ball 25 yards out, went around a UPJ defender and slid a low shot past the charging UPJ net minder.
The hosts opened up a 4-0 lead in the 24th minute. A free kick by freshman Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin (Fjaras, Sweden) went off the right post and senior Logan Podrebarac (Burlington, Ontario) one-timed the rebound into an open net for his first goal of the year.
The score remained 4-0 until the visitors converted a penalty kick with just over 20 minutes left in the second half. The Wildcats got the goal back just three minutes later when Keem's cross into the box was headed home by Krueger. A goal by freshman Craig Buchanan (Glasgow, Scotland)—his first career goal—with less than a minute to play closed out the scoring.
Daemen outshot the Mountain Cats 19-2 in the first half and finished with a 35-6 edge in shots overall. The hosts also posted a 16-0 edge in corner kicks.
Freshman Mike D'Amato (Orachard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) went the distance in goal for the Wildcats and finished with two saves. Senior Nate Kleya (Monroeville, Pa.) played all but 10 minutes in net for the visitors and finished with 18 saves.
Daemen returns to East Coast Conference play Saturday (Oct. 14) when it hosts the University of Bridgeport.
NOTES: Daemen improved to 4-1-0 in the all-time series against Pitt-Johnstown…25 of Daemen's 28 goals this season have been scored by freshmen…Daemen's 28 goals are the most in one season since the Wildcats netted 43 during the 2011 season.
Follow Daemen College athletics on Twitter (@DaemenAthletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/daemencollegeathletics) to get live game updates and breaking news throughout the year.
