Fom the desk of the Director of the Director of Athletics...
 

Dear Daemen Athletics Friends & Family,

We closed out February with the announcement of the newest Wildcat family member, coach Bediako Swan. Coach Swan takes the helm of our men's soccer program as the sixth head coach in its history. He comes to us from Saint Francis University-Pennsylvania and Davis and Elkins College.  As a native of Grenada, his international experience will resonate with some of our current players. As a successful recruiter, his contacts will open doors and help to further establish local connections. His experience as a successful Division II player and assistant coach, will make him relatable to the team and provide the support and instruction needed to develop this program further. We are very excited to have him aboard and look forward to the bright future of the program.

February was also a busy month for our new varsity cheerleading program.  The women of the program have been developing their spirited routines to enhance our basketball game day experience. In addition to attending all of our home games, the program competed in two local competitions. They earned first place honors at both of them. These competitions enabled them to showcase some of their additional talents in acrobatics and tumbling. I am really excited to see the program grow and develop further on the court and on the stage.

Happy March Madness, Wildcat Fans!  I'm excited to report that both our men's and women's Basketball programs are poised for the start of conference playoffs. Our women's basketball team will enter conference tournament play as a top-two seed for the first time since joining the ECC. They've won 14 of their last 15 games and have received a bye into the semifinal round of the conference tournament. This past weekend, our men's basketball team clinched the ECC regular season championship and the number one seed for their conference tournament. They too receive a bye into the semifinal round. The ECC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships conclude this weekend (semifinals: Saturday, Mar. 9; finals: Sunday, Mar. 10) at Hubbell Gymnasium on the campus of the University of Bridgeport.  We are certainly positioned well to maximize our chances of winning the conference championship for both teams, and advancing into the NCAA Division II National Championships. 

Keep an eye on our weekly calendars. There just may be an opportunity for our Daemen community to witness the Madness up-close if we are selected to host some of the NCAA competitions.

Excited about the possibilities! Go Wildcats!

Traci Murphy
Director of Athletics