NEW CASTLE, Del. - The Daemen College women's bowling team opened the Wildcat Invitational with wins in three of their five matches today, including an 881-780 defeat of crosstown rival Medaille College. The three-day tournament is being hosted by Wilmington University at Bowlerama Lanes, and the 12-team field includes eight of Daemen's East Coast Conference brethren. 

Today's matches were scored via total pin fall in the Baker format. Today's results push Daemen's overall record to 23-20 on the season, and the Wildcats sit in seventh place in the tournament standings with a total pin fall of 4,297.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Daemen opened the day with their win over Medaille - the No. 12 ranked team in the National Tenpin Coaches Association Division II-III national poll. It marked the fourth meeting between the Wildcats and Mavericks this season as Daemen picked up their first win in the series since last March 19. 
• Daemen moved to 2-0 on the day with an 852-682 drubbing of New Jersey City University.
• Back-to-back losses evened Daemen's record for the day as they fell to tournament host Wilmington (952-876) and Caldwell University (848-804). Caldwell is ranked eighth in the NTCA Division II-III national poll. 
• Daemen ended the day on a high note, scoring an 884-859 win over Mercyhurst University. The win avenged 763-747 loss to the Lakers earlier this month at the Medaille Invitational, and it marked just the second all-time meeting between the two teams.
• Following the win over Medaille and loss to Caldwell, Daemen stands at 3-5 this season against teams ranked in the NTCA Division II-III national poll.
• Tournament host Wilmington posted a 4-1 record and tops the standings after day one with a total pin fall of 4,795. Chestnut Hill College, which also went 4-1, sits in second place (4,464). 

UP NEXT
Tournament play resumes at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Five matches are on the docket for Daemen - all in the traditional scoring format - beginning with their contest against No. 7 Kutztown University. Additional opponents tomorrow include Mount Aloysius College, Felician University, No. 10 Chestnut Hill and Bloomfield College. 

Daemen College features the only NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.