MATCH INFORMATION
Match No. 19 (GAME DAY INFO)
Daemen Wildcats (8-10, 1-6 ECC) vs. Clarion Golden Eagles (3-1, 0-1 PSAC)
Friday, Feb. 23 | 3 PM | Williamsville, N.Y. | Miller Tennis Center
Match No. 20 (GAME DAY INFO)
Daemen Wildcats (8-10, 1-6 ECC) vs. Le Moyne Dolphins (13-5, 8-4 NE-10)
Saturday, Feb. 24 | 3:30 PM | Williamsville, N.Y. | Miller Tennis Center
Match No. 21 (GAME DAY INFO)
Daemen Wildcats (8-10, 1-6 ECC) vs. Edinboro Fighting Scots (2-1, 0-0 PSAC)
Sunday, Feb. 25 | 2 PM | Erie, Pa. | Westwood Racquet Club
THE SERVE
Daemen plays three times in as many days, hosting Clarion and Le Moyne before visiting Edinboro. The Wildcats are coming off a 9-0 loss to Mercyhurst in their spring season opener last Saturday, Feb. 17. The Wildcats put together an eight-win campaign during the fall season, the most wins the team has ever had during the fall, and just one win shy of tying the program's record for wins in a full season which was established during last year's 9-15 campaign.
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.
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 12-10 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 on Oct. 10 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 on Oct. 15, the Wildcats enter this spring season with eight wins, just one shy of matching the team record for total wins in a season set last year.
CLARION SCOUTING REPORT
Clarion is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and the Golden Eagles are led by head coach Joshua Thorpe who is now in his sixth season at the helm. Since taking over in January of 2013, Thorpe has guided the Golden Eagles to a 27-50 overall record. The Golden Eagles return six players from their 2016-17 team which went 6-10 overall and 0-5 in PSAC play. Among the returners are senior Maria Snyder and Alivia Arnold who each posted nine singles wins last season to lead the team. Clarion is off to a 3-1 start this season. They snapped a seven-match slide against Division II opponents with an 8-1 win over Shippensburg on Sept. 27. Friday's match vs. Daemen marks their first action since a 9-0 defeat of Division III Pitt-Greensburg on Oct. 8. Snyder, Arnold and fellow returner Michelle Petrilla have each recorded four singles wins to lead the squad thus far.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Clarion: 0-3
Streak: Lost 3
Last Meeting: Clarion 7, Daemen 2 | Sept. 27, 2015 | Amherst, N.Y.
LE MOYNE SCOUTING REPORT
Le Moyne is a member of the Northeast-10 Conference and the Dolphins are led by head coach Jeff Lonczak, a 2003 Le Moyne graduate. Now in his third season with the program, Lonczak has guided the Dolphins to a 32-24 overall record and a 21-15 mark in NE-10 play. The Dolphins returns six players from their 2016-17 team which went 11-8 overall and 7-5 in league play. Among the returners is senior Amica Benoit-Limosani who earned third team All-NE-10 honors last season when she went 14-5 in singles play. Le Moyne, which hosts Division III St. Lawrence on Friday, has been idle since falling to Stonehill 5-4 in the semifinals of the NE-10 Conference Tournament on Oct. 27. Newcomers Marta Nunez and Camila Humala have paced the Dolphins this season. Nunez has posted a team-best 18-3 singles record, while Humala is 15-5 in singles play this season. Together, the duo has gone 11-8 in doubles play as well. Caroline St. Antoine (13-8 singles), Benoit-Limosani (12-6 singles)) and Rithika Vajjiravelu (11-7 singles) have also produced.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Le Moyne: 0-4
Streak: Lost 4
Last Meeting: Le Moyne 7, Daemen 2 | Feb. 25, 2017 | DeWitt, N.Y.
EDINBORO SCOUTING REPORT
Edinboro is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and the Fighting Scots are led by first-year head coach Kody Duncan. EU returns five players from their 2016-17 team which went 11-7 overall and 4-2 in league play. Tatiana Batalla Trabal (15-6), Jelena Vucenovic (11-6) and Roxana Yeh (11-4) all return after posting double-figure wins in singles play last season. Batalla Trabal was a second team All-PSAC Western Division selection. The Fighting Scots emerged victorious in their only two matches of the fall season, defeating West Chester (5-4) and Millersville (7-2). EU opened the spring season on Feb. 3 by falling 8-1 at Walsh.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Edinboro: 0-3
Streak: Lost 3
Last Meeting: Edinboro 8, Daemen 1 | Feb. 28, 2016 | Erie, Pa.
UP NEXT
Daemen makes a short trek east to face Rochester Institute of Technology on Monday, March 5.
