Women's Tennis | 9/7/2017 10:00:00 AM
GAME INFORMATION
Daemen Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 ECC) vs. Queens Knights (1-0, 0-0 ECC)
Saturday, Sept. 9 | 12 p.m. | Flushing, N.Y. | QC Tennis Center
Daemen Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 ECC) vs. Molloy Lions (0-0, 0-0 ECC)
Sunday, Sept. 10 | 10 a.m. | West Hempstead, N.Y. | Hempstead Lake Indoor Tennis
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 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.
FAST START
Daemen is off to a 2-1 start to the season following their recent three-match road trip. The Wildcats scored wins over St. Michael's (6-3) and American International (7-2) to secure the program's first ever 2-0 start to a season. The win streak was halted Monday with a 7-2 loss at Bentley. Gretchen Ringler, Jessica Robins, Christina Stasiuk, Lorissa Yuen and Giovanna Paschoalin have all posted 2-1 singles marks thus far. Ringler and Yuen have teamed together to pace the team in doubles play with a perfect 3-0 record.
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.
QUEENS SCOUTING REPORT
Queens has finished either first or second in the final East Coast Conference regular season standings in each of the last 10 seasons. The Knights are coached by Alan Nagel who has amassed over 500 wins in his 39-year tenure. Nagel, an 11-time ECC Coach of the Year honoree, has led the Knights to 17 consecutive NCAA Tournament bids. QC is coming off a 14-4 campaign last season in which the Knights advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 for the eighth time in the last 17 years. The Knights return seven players from their 2016-17 roster, including a trio of second-team All-ECC honorees - senior Emy Alplund, and juniors Laura Ortega Jover and Line Sorsdahl Aasen. Ortega Jover (10-5) and Alplund (10-6) each posted double-figure singles wins last season. At the back end of the lineup, the Knights return sophomore Araceli Bel Aleixendri who went a perfect 8-0 in the No. 6 singles position last season. The team's lone newcomer is Division I transfer Louisa Brunetti who spent two seasons (including a redshirt year) at Sacramento State. Queens was picked second in the ECC preseason poll, and the Knights play host to Roberts Wesleyan Friday before Daemen's Saturday visit.
MOLLOY SCOUTING REPORT
Molloy has finished in the bottom two of the East Coast Conference standings in each of the last three seasons, posting records of 2-37 (overall) and 1-21 (ECC) in that span. The Lions enter the 2017-18 season having dropped 18 consecutive league matches; their last ECC win was an 8-1 defeat of Dowling on Oct 3, 2014. Molloy is led by third-year head coach Jeana Frey, a 2013 Molloy graduate and former All-ECC selection. Frey's squad returns five players from last season's roster, including Montaine Le Goupil-Maier who went 4-7 in the No. 2 singles position last season. The team's lone newcomer is graduate student Amanda Gaimaro who played two seasons at ECC rival LIU Post. The Lions were picked eighth in the ECC preseason poll, and they'll face Roberts Wesleyan Saturday prior to locking up with Daemen Sunday.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Queens: 0-4
Streak: Lost 4
Last Meeting: Queens 5, Daemen 0 | Oct. 22, 2016 | Amherst, N.Y.
Daemen vs. Molloy: 3-2
Streak: Won 3
Last Meeting: Daemen 9, Molloy 0 | Oct. 21, 2016 | Amherst, N.Y.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats take a break from dual-match play to host the Daemen Invitational Tournament from Sept. 15-17.
