MATCH INFORMATION
Match No. 9 (GAME DAY INFO)
Daemen Wildcats (4-4, 0-0 ECC) vs. Le Moyne Dolphins (2-3, 0-1 NE-10)
Saturday, Feb. 24 | 3:30 PM | Williamsville, N.Y. | Miller Tennis Center
Match No. 10 (GAME DAY INFO)
Daemen Wildcats (4-4, 0-0 ECC) vs. Edinboro Fighting Scots (3-0, 2-0 PSAC)
Sunday, Feb. 25 | 2 PM | Erie, Pa. | Westwood Racquet Club
THE SERVE
The Daemen men's tennis team plays two matches in as many days this weekend, hosting regional rival Le Moyne on Saturday, and visiting Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference powerhouse Edinboro on Sunday. The Wildcats are looking to snap a two-match skid that has them sitting at 4-4 overall. Daemen is coming off an 8-1 loss to Division I Niagara earlier this week. Le Moyne is coming off a 10-10 campaign in 2016-17, and the Dolphins have been picked fourth in the NE-10 preseason poll. Edinboro was an NCAA Tournament team last season, and the Fighting Scots feature the reigning PSAC Player of the Year.
THE COACH
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 men's tennis team to a 25-67 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.
THE RETURNERS
The Wildcats return the core of their 2016-17 team which went 6-18 overall and 0-5 in ECC play. Gone however is John LeMar who graduated as the program's all-time leader in doubles wins with 33. Leading the Daemen returners is junior Ricardo Ruiz Martinez who made an immediate impact last season after transferring from American International. Ruiz Martinez became the first Daemen player to earn All-ECC accolades after he was named to the league's second-team. Ruiz Martinez posted a 10-7 mark in singles play and an 8-7 mark in doubles play last season. Also back is sophomore Fabian Wilde who tied Ruiz Martinez for the team lead in singles wins, posting a 10-15 mark, and senior Mark Veitengruber who enters his senior season already ranking as the program's all-time leader in singles wins (34). Junior David Gonzalez Villegas also returns after leading the team in doubles wins with 12 last season.
THE NEWCOMERS
Daemen welcomes four true freshmen to the mix, three of whom are expected to contribute immediately. Look for German native Tim Georg, Mexican native Pablo Martinez Hernandez and Minnesota native Jose Williamson III to be in the lineup early and often.
GEORG STARTS FAST
Freshman Tim Georg got his collegiate career off to a fast start by winning his singles draw at the Daemen Invitational Tournament which was held Sept. 15-17. Georg went 3-0 at the tournament, and picked up a pair of victories against Division I players in the process. First, Georg knocked off Colgate's Tyler Krantz in the semifinal round (4-6, 6-2, 1-0), and he followed with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Niagara's Josh Wilson.
VEITENGRUBER SETS CAREER WINS MARK
With wins in both singles and doubles during an 8-1 defeat of RIT on Sept. 27, senior Mark Veitengruber surpassed Gregory Lowe's program-record for combined singles and doubles wins (62). Veitengruber, already the program's all-time leader in singles wins (39), now has a combined 66 wins in his career.
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 who is now in his third season at the helm. Since taking over, Lonczak has guided the Dolphins to a 20-25 overall record. The Dolphins return six players from their 2016-17 team which went 10-10 overall and 5-4 in league play. Among the returners are first team All-NE-10 honoree Jason Barton and third-team All-NE-10 selection Philip Blythe. The Dolphins own wins over East Coast Conference teams Roberts Wesleyan (5-4) and District of Columbia (5-4), but are coming off back-to-back losses to Kutztown (5-4) and Southern New Hampshire (6-3). Newcomer Andres Hernandez has made an immediate impact with a team-best seven wins in singles play. In doubles action, Hernandez and Barton have teamed up to go 7-3 thus far.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Le Moyne: 0-5
Streak: Lost 5
Last Meeting: Le Moyne 6, Daemen 3 | 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, a 2015 Edinboro graduate who was appointed after veteran mentor Lee Underwood left to accept the head coaching position at Barton College in Wilson, N.C. Duncan takes over a program that went 89-33 with four NCAA Tournament appearances in Underwood's final five seasons at the helm. The Fighting Scots return eight players from their 2016-17 team that went 15-7 overall and 5-0 in PSAC play while advancing to the PSAC Tournament championship and the first round of the NCAA Tournament Atlantic Regional. Headlining the EU returners is senior Vitor Albanese, the 2016-17 PSAC Player of the Year. Albanese went 31-4 in singles and 26-6 in doubles last season. He was joined on the All-PSAC first team by fellow returners Daniel Fernandez (16-10 singles; 25-5 doubles) and Mauricio Santos (24-8 singles; 16-12 doubles). The Fighting Scots, who also host Hillsdale on Saturday, are unbeaten so far this season with dual match victories over West Chester (8-1), Millersville (9-0) and Walsh (6-3).
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Edinboro: 0-4
Streak: Lost 4
Last Meeting: Edinboro 8, Daemen 1 | Feb. 26, 2017 | Williamsville, N.Y.
ON THE HORIZON
Daemen is idle until kicking off a four-match trip to Florida with a neutral site match vs. Wayne State in Orlando on March 13.
