MATCH INFORMATION
Match No. 2
Daemen Wildcats (0-1, 0-0 ECC) vs. Niagara Purple Eagles (0-0, 0-0 MAAC)
Thursday, Oct. 4 | 2 PM | Niagara University, N.Y. | NU Tennis Courts
THE SERVE
Daemen plays its second dual match of the 2018-19 season this weekend when visiting NCAA Division I affiliate Niagara. It will mark the fourth consecutive season that the Wildcats and Purple Eagles have gone head-to-head. The Wildcats are coming off a 6-1 loss to regional powerhouse Merrimack this past Sunday.
MCDERMOTT ERA
The 2018-19 season marks the start of a new era for Daemen as head coach Kerry McDermott begins his first season with the program. In early July, McDermott was named the third head coach in team history after spending the last 36 seasons as the head men's tennis coach at the University of Nebraska. In that time, McDermott led the Huskers to 405 victories, the most of any coach in team history, and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
REPEAT RUIZ
Ricardo Ruiz Martinez enters his senior campaign as one of the most accomplished players in team history. After beginning his career at American International, Ruiz Martinez has earned second team All-ECC honors in each of the last two seasons since transferring to Daemen; he is the only player in team history to have earned all-conference accolades. The Valencia, Spain native established new program records for singles wins (17) and singles winning percentage (.654) last season. For his career, Ruiz Martinez ranks among Daemen's all-time leaders in combined wins (51 - 5th) and singles wins (28 - 3rd).
IMPRESSING @ ITA'S
Daemen opened the 2018-19 season by putting together the program's best-ever showing at the ITA East Region Championship held earlier this month at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The prestigious tournament brings together teams from across the NCAA Division II East Region for a weekend-long tournament. Seniors Ricardo Ruiz Martinez and David Gonzalez Villegas teamed up to advance into the quarterfinals of the doubles draw, posting a 3-1 record to do so. The Wildcats also got doubles wins from the pairs of Jose Williamson III / Fabian Wilde and Patrick O'Brien / James Schaab-Rozbicki. In singles play, both Ruiz Martinez and Wilde advanced out of the qualifying draw and into the main singles draw. Schaab-Rozbicki and O'Brien also earned singles wins in the tournament.
NEW BENCHMARK
With three doubles wins at the ITA East Region Championship, senior David Gonzalez Villegas established a new program record for career doubles wins. The Pereira, Colombia native, who opened the season with 31 doubles wins to his name, surpassed the 33-win record established by his former teammates, John LeMar and Mark Veitengruber. Gonzalez Villegas also ranks fourth in team history with 52 combined singles and doubles wins in his career.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Sophomore Jose Williamson III made an immediate impact last season for the Wildcats, racking up a program record 13 doubles wins. The Minneapolis native edged teammates David Gonzalez Villegas and Ricardo Ruiz Martinez who each totaled 12 doubles wins last season. Gonzalez Villegas has reached 12 doubles wins twice in his career.
DIVISION ONE WIN
While the Wildcats will be seeking their first-ever win over Niagara, the program does own a win against a Division I opponent in its history. Daemen defeated Coppin State 6-1 on April 8, 2016.
NIAGARA SCOUTING REPORT
Niagara is a member of NCAA Division I and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Purple Eagles are led by head coach Erick Garcia, a 2008 Niagara graduate who is in his third season at the helm. The Purple Eagles return seven players from their 2017-18 team that went 5-17 overall and 3-4 in MAAC play. The team's nine-player roster features eight who hail from foreign countries. Junior Josh Wilson headlines the returners after posting a 12-18 record in singles play last season, including a 7-12 mark in the No. 2 position in the lineup. Senior Brent Boleslav also returns after posting a 9-19 mark in singles play last season. The Purple Eagles are set to host Daemen's fellow East Coast Conference member Roberts Wesleyan today in their season opener.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. NIAGARA
Series Record: 0-3
Streak: Lost 3
Last Meeting: Niagara 8, Daemen 1 | Feb. 20, 2018 | Williamsville, N.Y.
ON THE HORIZON
Daemen's brief fall season concludes Monday, Oct. 8 when they face regional powerhouse Southern New Hampshire.
