Men's Soccer Heads West To Face Lake Erie

By: Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Men's Soccer | 10/23/2017 3:00:00 PM

GAME INFORMATION
Daemen Wildcats (6-10, 2-6 ECC) vs. Lake Erie Storm (4-12, 3-11 GMAC)
Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 1:00 p.m.
Painesville, Ohio | Jack Britt Memorial Stadium

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Game Day

BACK IN THE SADDLE
Head coach Bobby McColl returns for his second season on the Daemen sidelines in 2017, and his sixth overall as a collegiate head coach. McColl heads into the 2017 season with a career coaching record of 47-41-8 with previous stops as the head men's coach at Greenville College (2012) and the head women's coach at Roberts Wesleyan College (2013-15). McCoy recently sat down for a video interview to preview his team's 2017 season.

WILDCATS PICKED 10TH IN ECC PRESEASON POLL
Following a vote of the league's head coaches, Daemen has been picked to finish 10th in the East Coast Conference this season. The Wildcats went 2-15 overall and 0-9 in league play last season. LIU Post, which has won four of the last five ECC titles, was voted as the unanimous favorite this season, and the Pioneers open the year ranked No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches Division II preseason poll.

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR
Daemen's roster features 11 international players - the most in team history.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
Daemen boasts one of the youngest rosters in the country in 2017 with 22 freshmen. That hasn't stopped head coach Bobby McColl from leaning on his first-year college players. The Daemen coach has put at least nine freshmen in his starting lineup in every game this season. Freshmen Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin and Brage Wiik have started all 16 contests thus far, and 14 total freshmen have made at least one start. Of the team's 35 goals this season, 31 have been scored by freshmen; that's more goals than six ECC teams have scored overall this season.

FLOURISHING FORWARDS
Freshmen forwards Noah Keem, Kristian Aadnoy and Finn Krueger have made an immediate impact in their initial collegiate season. The trio has combined for 17 goals, 11 assists and 45 points thus far. Keem leads the team and all ECC freshmen in goals (7) and points (18), and every one of his points have come in the last eight games. Aadnoy and Krueger have notched five goals apiece. Krueger netted the game-winning goal in spectacular fashion (a diving header in the 88th minute) to lift Daemen to a 3-2 victory over Stonehill on Sept. 4.

STREAK STOPPERS
Daemen's 3-2 victory over Stonehill on Sept. 4 snapped a seven-game slide dating back to the last season, and a 31-game winless streak (0-30-1) against NCAA Division II opponents which dated back to the 2015 season. Daemen's 2-1 victory over Walsh on Sept. 9 snapped a 13-game slide in the all-time series with the Cavaliers. Daemen had been winless against their former NAIA and American Mideast Conference rivals in a series that dates back to Daemen's inaugural season of competition (2000). Daemen's 3-2 (OT) win at Roberts Wesleyan on Oct. 4 snapped a 21-game winless streak (0-20-1) in ECC road games that dated back to Daemen's first season in the league (2013).

REID RETURNS
The Daemen lineup got a boost at the start of the season with the return of redshirt senior forward Alex Reid who missed all of the 2016 season due to injury. Reid, who appeared in the 50th game of his career on Sept. 4 vs. Stonehill, has come off the bench in each game this season. He recorded a goal in a 3-2 loss at St. Thomas Aquinas on Sept. 16, his first since Oct. 30, 2015, and he scored again in a 3-1 loss at Gannon on Sept. 19. It marked the third time in Reid's career that he's scored in back-to-back games, and the first time he's done so since Oct. 26 and Nov. 1 of 2013. Reid went on to add his third goal of the season in a 4-1 loss to regionally-ranked District of Columbia on Oct. 21. For his career, Reid has totaled 16 goals, seven assists and 39 points in 62 games. Three of Reid's tallies have been of the game-winning variety, including two in wins over rival Roberts Wesleyan.

OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION
Daemen put together a string of five consecutive multi-goal games in September, marking the first time in team history that the team has recorded at least five-straight games with two or more goals. The previous long of four-straight multi-goal games had only been accomplished twice since the inception of the program in 2000, and not since 2005. Daemen has recorded 10 multi-goal games this season. The Wildcats rank second among all ECC teams in total goals (35) and fourth in goals per game (2.19). It's the first time Daemen has scored more than 20 goals in a season since 2011 when the team put up 43.

THRUWAY RIVALRY WIN
Daemen pulled off a dramatic 2-1 win in overtime against longtime rival Roberts Wesleyan on Oct. 4. Noah Keem knotted the game at 1-1 with his goal in the 80th minute, and fellow freshman Sander Johannessen scored the game-winner in the 100th minute. Johannessen got free inside the box and scored with a low shot inside the right post after taking a feed from classmate Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin. It was the first goal of Johannessen's career as he became the first Daemen freshman to score an overtime game-winner since teammate Alex Reid did so in his collegiate debut which also delivered a win over Roberts Wesleyan (3-2, 2OT on Sept. 5, 2013). Freshman goalkeeper Mike D'Amato went the distance and made six saves to preserve the victory. The win snapped a 27-game winless drought (0-26-1) in East Coast Conference games that dated back to the 2014 season. It was also Daemen's first overtime win since defeating Pitt-Johnstown 3-2 (2OT) on Sept. 7, 2015, and it snapped a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) in games that went to overtime. Daemen is now 3-3 this season in games that are decided by one goal.

HEY ROOKIE
Noah Keem is the latest player to earn ECC Rookie of the Week honors after registering three goals and two assists in two games during the week of Oct. 9-15. It was Keem's second ECC Rookie of the Week selection this season, and team's fourth. Freshman defender/midfielder Sander Johannessen earned ECC Rookie of the Week honors for games played Oct. 2-8 after he scored the first goal of his career in overtime to deliver Daemen's 2-1 win at Roberts Wesleyan on Oct. 4. Kristian Aadnoy has also been an ECC Rookie of the Week selection this season, earning the award for Sept. 4-10 when he scored four goals over a three-game span. The four weekly accolades are the most that Daemen has earned in a season since joining the league in 2013.

DROPPING DIMES
Daemen has totaled 33 assists which leads the ECC this season. It's the team's highest total since registering 28 during the 2011 season. A total of 11 players have had at least one assist for the Wildcats, led by freshman midfielder Anthony Cupello who is tied for third among the ECC leaders with seven. Fellow freshman Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin is tied for seventh with five assists.

KEEM DELIVERS IN THE CLUTCH
Daemen scored a 3-2 (OT) win at Queens on Oct. 18 as freshman Noah Keem scored in the 99th minute to seal the deal. Shaquille Corrica sent a long pass down the field and Keem won a race to the ball and beat Queens GK Robert Retnauer who had come off the goal line. The win came after Daemen had battled back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits in the game, getting goals from freshmen Craig Buchanan and Brage Wiik. Freshman GK Mike D'Amato made six saves to earn his fourth victory of the season.

PROGRAM MILESTONES
Daemen's 3-2 (OT) win at Queens on Oct. 18 has put the Wildcats on the cusp of some team milestones. It was the team's second ECC victory of the season, matching the most that the Wildcats have had in a season since joining the league in 2013; it was last achieved in the 2014 season. The team's six wins overall are the most of Daemen's NCAA Division II era which began in 2013, and it brings them within one win of matching the team record for wins in a season (7) which was accomplished in 2005 and 2006.

LAKE ERIE SCOUTING REPORT
Lake Erie is a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and the Storm is led by first-year head coach Louie Rolko. With a young roster that features just 12 returning players and 19 freshmen, Rolko has guided the Storm to a 4-12 overall record and a 3-11 GMAC record to date. The Storm were picked seventh out of 11 teams in the GMAC preseason poll. Sophomore midfielder Javier Borreguero and junior Ezekiel Ebenezer have paced the Storm offense this season. Borreguero has totaled a team-high 17 points (6 gls, 5 asts) while Ebenezer has put up 13 points (6 gls, 1 ast). Junior midfielder Miguel Espinoza (2 gls, 5 asts, 9 pts) has also produced. In goal, freshman Tom John has seen the bulk of the action; he ranks third in the GMAC with 76 saves this season while posting a 2.83 goals-against average and a .628 save percentage. The Storm are still searching for their first win of the month, and they'll bring a six-game losing streak into Tuesday's game with Daemen.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Lake Erie: 0-0
Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A

UP NEXT
Daemen plays its final game of the 2017 season this Saturday, Oct. 28 at Molloy.

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Players Mentioned

#14 Shaquille Corrica: M; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#22 Alex Reid: M/F; 5' 7"; Redshirt Senior

#9 Kristian Aadnoy: F; 5' 11"; Freshman

#16 Anthony Cupello: M; 5' 8"; Freshman

#7 Noah Keem: F/D; 6' 0"; Freshman

#11 Finn Krueger: M; 6' 1"; Freshman

#23 Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin: M; 6' 0"; Freshman

#4 Brage Wiik: D; 5' 9"; Freshman

#35 Mike D'Amato: GK; 5' 11"; Freshman

#5 Sander Johannessen: D/M; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#14 Shaquille Corrica
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: M

#22 Alex Reid
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Senior
: M/F

#9 Kristian Aadnoy
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: F

#16 Anthony Cupello
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: M

#7 Noah Keem
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: F/D

#11 Finn Krueger
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: M

#23 Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: M

#4 Brage Wiik
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: D

#35 Mike D'Amato
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: GK

#5 Sander Johannessen
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: D/M