GAME INFORMATION
Daemen Wildcats (8-7, 1-4 ECC) vs. NYIT Bears (4-3, 2-3 ECC)
Friday, Oct. 20 | 4:30 p.m. | Amherst, N.Y. | Ellicott Tennis Courts
Daemen Wildcats (8-7, 1-4 ECC) vs. LIU Post Pioneers (6-2, 4-1 ECC)
Saturday, Oct. 21 | 12 p.m. | Amherst, N.Y. | Ellicott Tennis Courts
BEATTY'S BACK
Stephen Beatty returns for his fifth season as the head coach of the Wildcats...over the course of his first four seasons, Beatty has guided the Daemen women's tennis team to a 33-61 record...a former collegiate player at Division II Northwood University (Mich.) and Division III D'Youville College, Beatty got his coaching start as an assistant to Kelly Brown, serving for one season--Daemen's inaugural season of tennis competition--before being promoted to the top post.
WILDCATS PICKED 7TH IN ECC PRESEASON POLL
Following a vote of the league's head coaches, Daemen has been picked to finish seventh in the East Coast Conference this season.
RETURNING WILDCATS
The Wildcats are coming off a 9-15 campaign in 2016-17 (1-6 in ECC play), setting the team record for most wins in a season. They will enter the season without the services of Hayle Scanlan and Karli Hollins, two of the most decorated players in team history who were lost to graduation. Veterans Gretchen Ringler (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) and Jessica Robins (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) return to lead the team this season. The duo has combined to make 124 starts in singles play and 100 starts in doubles play in their careers. Ringler posted an 8-16 record at No. 3 singles last year and enters the season ranked second in career singles wins (30) among the program's all-time leaders. Robbins went 11-13 at No. 4 singles. Junior Morgan Park (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) also returns after going 4-5 at No. 6 singles as a sophomore.
FRESH FACES
Daemen welcomes three true freshmen to the 2017-18 squad, including local product Christina Stasiuk (Bowmansville, N.Y./Lancaster). Stasiuk was a four-year member of the Lancaster girl's varsity tennis team. A two-time team captain and two-time team MVP, she played No. 1 singles and qualified for the Section VI championships her junior and senior year. Fellow freshmen Giovanna Paschoalin (Sao Caetano Do Sui, Brazil) and Lorissa Yuen (Portland, Ore./Sunset) are also expected to see significant playing time.
IMPRESSING AT ITA'S
Freshman Lorissa Yuen was the headliner for Daemen at the prestigious ITA East Region Championship tournament held in mid-September at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the U.S. Open. Yuen went 3-1 in singles matches; her first two wins came in the qualifying draw and gave her the right to advance into the main singles draw. In her main draw opening round match, Yuen downed Karen Serina of Adelphi, 6-4, 6-4. She would bow out in the second round, however, falling to Dominika Hadnadova from District of Columbia.
CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
Freshman Lorissa Yuen was named the East Coast Conference Rookie of the Week for matches held August 28 through September 3. Yuen led the Wildcats to wins over St. Michael's and American International during the week, posting a perfect 2-0 record in both singles and doubles play in the two matches. She became the first Daemen player to earn ECC Rookie of the Week honors since Brianna Fiorita did so in the opening week of the 2013-14 season.
RECORD CHASERS
Freshmen Lorissa Yuen and Christina Stasiuk have each made an immediate impact in their rookie season, and both are in position to chase down a pair of team records. With both Yuen and Stasiuk sitting at 12-7 in singles play this season, they are both two wins shy of tying the team record for singles wins in a season (14 set by Hayle Scanlan in 2016-17). They are also one win shy of matching the team record for singles wins by a freshman (13 by Gretchen Ringler in 2014-15).
UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Daemen's 8-1 win at Millersville earlier this week gave the team seven wins during the fall season, marking the first time that's been achieved in the history of the program which dates back to the 2012-13 season. After adding a 7-2 win at Caldwell this past Sunday, the Wildcats enter this weekend's action with eight wins, just one shy of matching the team record for total wins in a season set last year.
NYIT SCOUTING REPORT
NYIT is led by first-year head Owen Kassimir who has assumed control over one of the region's top programs; the Bears have won the last five ECC championships. Last season, NYIT posted a 16-1 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament "Elite Eight". With six returning players, the Bears were picked first in the ECC preseason poll. The team's returners are headlined by first-team All-ECC picks Lena Dimmer and Karolina Pondusova. Dimmer went 16-2 in singles play and earned ECC Player of the Year honors last season, while Pondusova was the league's Rookie of the Year after posting a 15-3 singles record. Despite the accolades, NYIT enters this weekend's action in danger of missing the conference tournament for the first time since 2010. The Bears come in at 4-3 overall and 2-3 in league play; they'll need wins over Daemen and Roberts Wesleyan this weekend, plus some help from around the league to force their way into the ECC tourney. NYIT's 39-match ECC winning streak (including postseason) which dated back to the 2012-13 season came to an end in their league opener this year, falling Sept. 8 to District of Columbia 5-4. The Bears are coming off a 7-1 loss to league-leading Queens on Oct. 18. Dimmer and Alessia Rossetti have paced the Bears this season. Dimmer won singles and doubles titles at the ITA East Region Championships, teaming with Rossetti to win the latter. The duo went on to reach the doubles finals at the ITA Oracle Cup in mid-October. Both Dimmer and Rossetti have been two-time ECC Player of the Week selections this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. NYIT: 0-4
Streak: Lost 4
Last Meeting: NYIT 9, Daemen 0 | Oct. 23, 2016 | Amherst, N.Y.
LIU POST SCOUTING REPORT
LIU Post is led by third-year head coach Walter Giacometti who has presided over a pair of ECC Tournament appearances thus far in his tenure. Coming off a 6-5 campaign in 2016-17, the Pioneers return five players, headlined by first-team All-ECC honorees Shanice Arthur and Lara Scholtze. Scholtze led the team in singles wins after posting a 12-1 mark last season. She also tied for the team lead in doubles wins with fellow returner Charlotte Hynes (Scholtze: 10-4; Hynes 10-3). Arthur, the 2015-16 ECC Rookie of the Year, went 6-4 in singles play last season. The Pioneers were picked third in the ECC preseason poll, and they sit in second place in the league standings entering this weekend's action. LIU Post saw a modest two-match winning streak halted this past Saturday with a 6-3 loss to league-leading Queens. Scholtze (ECC Player of the Week: Sept. 11-17) and freshman Veronika Koudelkova (ECC Rookie of the Week: Sept. 11-17) have earned weekly accolades from the conference this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. LIU Post: 0-4
Streak: Won 4
Last Meeting: LIU Post 7, Daemen 2 | Oct. 15, 2016 | Brookville, N.Y.
UP NEXT
Daemen's 2017-18 season resumes in February. The team's spring schedule will be announced at a later date.
