Men's Soccer 10/5/2018 1:50:00 PM By Jake Carlson, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant

Men's Soccer Faces Bridgeport in ECC Game

GAME INFORMATION
Game #11
Daemen Wildcats (4-6, 2-2 ECC) vs. Bridgeport Purple Knights (5-4, 2-3 ECC)
Saturday, Oct. 6 | 3 p.m.
Bridgeport, Conn. | Knights Field

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Daemen plays its third consecutive East Coast Conference game on Saturday when it travels to the University of Bridgeport to take on the Purple Knights. The Wildcats, who are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, suffered their second ECC loss of the season after a 3-2 (OT) defeat at nationally-ranked Mercy on Wednesday. A look at the ECC standings shows that Daemen and Bridgeport are two of five teams with two league wins.

BACK IN THE SADDLE
Head coach Bobby McColl returns for his third season on the Daemen sidelines in 2018, and his seventh overall as a collegiate head coach. McColl heads into the 2018 season with a career coaching record of 54-52-8 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). In 2017, he led Daemen to records of 7-11 (overall) and 3-6 (ECC). The team's overall win total matched the program record for wins in a season.

ECC PRESEASON POLL
Following a vote of the league's head coaches, Daemen has been picked to finish ninth in the East Coast Conference this season. The Wildcats went 7-11 overall and 3-6 in league play last season. The University of the District of Columbia was picked to finish first edging out last year's champions LIU Post by five votes.

SUPER SWEDE
Sophomore midfielder Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin is once again producing offensively for the Wildcats. The Fjaras, Sweden native recorded the first multi-goal game of his career in Daemen's 3-2 win over Gannon on Sept. 10. He also registered an assist on Noah Keem's game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Molloy on Sept. 15. Ringdahl Bohlin, who earned team MVP honors as a freshman in 2017, has totaled seven goals, seven assists and 21 points in 27 career games. He's started 26 of the team's 27 contests since the start of the 2017 season.

ROCHESTER'S FINEST
Sophomore midfielder Anthony Cupello is one of five players with two goals this season. He netted Daemen's lone goal in a 1-0 shutout victory over Malone on Sept. 1, and later scored in a 3-1 loss at Lock Haven on Sept. 18. Cupello, who finished fourth in the ECC last season with nine assists, has appeared in and started all 26 contests since the start of the 2017 season. In that time, he's totaled three goals, 10 assists and 16 points.

UP TOP
Sophomores Noah Keem and Finn Krueger have combined to give the Wildcats a scoring punch in the attacking third. Keem, who became Daemen's first-ever All-East Coast Conference honoree last season, scored both goals in the Wildcats' 2-1 victory over Molloy on Sept. 15. Two of the three multi-goal games in Keem's career have come against Molloy. Keem has totaled 11 goals, four assists and 26 points over the last two seasons. He has missed the last three games with an injury. Krueger netted two goals during Daemen's 3-2 overtime loss at Le Moyne on Sept. 8, marking the first multi-goal game of his career. Krueger has totaled seven goals, four assists and 18 points in 24 career games played.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Freshman defender Giacomo Bacigalupo has made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season. The Lavagna, Italy native has totaled two goals and a pair of assists so far this season. He registered the first goal of his collegiate career during Daemen's 3-2 win over Gannon on Sept. 10. Bacigalupo went on to tally Daemen's lone goal in a 1-0 shutout victory over longtime rival Roberts Wesleyan on Sept. 22.

BETWEEN THE PIPES
Freshman goalkeeper Philipp Schmidt has started all ten games for the Wildcats thus far, posting two shutouts and a .672 save percentage. Sophomore Jarrett Lecceadone and freshman Eithan Hahn have also seen action in goal this season. Lecceadone is the team's most experienced goalkeeper after appearing in nine games and making five starts in 2017.

THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Daemen's 1-0 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Sept. 22 started the Wildcats off at 2-0 in East Coast Conference play. This is the first time the Wildcats have ever started out 2-0 in conference play in the team's history.

WILDCATS SUFFER OT LOSS TO MERCY
The Wildcats traveled to take on nationally-ranked Mercy this past Wednesday. Daemen clawed its way back from a 2-0 deficit, only to suffer a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in overtime. Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin scored his team-leading third goal of the season while freshman midfielder Pascal Kuhn scored his first career goal. The loss bumped the Wildcats to 2-2 in the ECC and 4-6 overall.

BRIDGEPORT SCOUTING REPORT
Bridgeport is led by Peter Doneit who is in his 3rd season as the team's head coach. In his three years, Doneit has led the Purple Knights to a 7-21-3 record. After losing eight seniors to graduation, including one All-ECC honoree, the Purple Knights have opened the season with a 5-4 overall record and a 2-3 league mark. UB is coming off a 4-2 loss at District of Columbia this past Wednesday. Bridgeport has produced a league-high 23 goals this season, with five coming from junior midfielder Nikolai Vadseth and junior forward Leandro Avila. They both rank third among the ECC leaders in goals scored. Bridgeport features one of the top defenses in the league, ranking fourth in fewest goals allowed with 14. The Purple Knights have platooned at goalkeeper between senior Daniel Coviella and freshman Carlos Tofern. The two have combined for 33 saves and 1.54 goals against average.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. BRIDGEPORT
Series Record: 0-5
Streak: Loss 5
Last Meeting: Bridgeport 4, Daemen 3 (2OT) | Oct. 14, 2017 | Amherst, N.Y.

UP NEXT
Daemen will travel to Ohio to take on No. 15 Notre Dame College on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 12 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#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

#30 Jarrett Lecceadone: GK; 6' 3"; Freshman

#1 Philipp Schmidt: GK; 6' 2"; Freshman

#22 Giacomo Bacigalupo: D; 5' 9"; Freshman

#4 Pascal Kuhn: M; 6' 0"; Freshman

#35 Eithan Hahn: GK; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#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

#30 Jarrett Lecceadone
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: GK

#1 Philipp Schmidt
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: GK

#22 Giacomo Bacigalupo
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: D

#4 Pascal Kuhn
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: M

#35 Eithan Hahn
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: GK