Game #12
Daemen Wildcats (3-8-0, 1-5-0 ECC) vs #18 Gannon Golden Knights (10-1-1, 4-0-1 PSAC)
DATE: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20
TIME: 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville South High School
LIVE STREAM: Via ECC Sports
LIVE STATS: Via Daemen Athletics
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. BACK IN ACTION
Daemen continues their 2021 campaign when they host the Gannon Golden Knights of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in a non-conference matchup at 12 p.m. Wednesday on the campus of Williamsville South High School in Williamsville, N.Y. This is an added contest to Daemen's schedule and takes the place of a scheduled game with Le Moyne College which was postponed September 15 and is now officially canceled. This will be the eighth all-time meeting between Daemen and Gannon and the first since the Golden Knights' 2-1 victory in Erie, Pa. on March 21, 2021 – part of an unorthodox season for both programs due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Gannon leads the all-time series, 5-2-0, with Daemen looking for their first win in the rivalry since a 3-2 victory at Williamsville South High School on Sept. 10, 2018. Gannon enters currently ranked No. 18 in the
latest United Soccer Coaches poll released earlier today. This will be Daemen's first contest since a 2-0 loss at Bridgeport (Oct. 16) – their sixth loss in their last seven contests. Daemen had entered their contest against the Purple Knights trying to build off a 5-0 victory against Chestnut Hill (Oct. 13.) Bridgeport scored in the 28th and 65th minutes of play and held Daemen to one shot on goal in the contest. This is the fourth time the Wildcats have recorded one shot on goal or fewer this season. In what was his 10th start of the season, senior goalkeeper
Marcos Lerma Escobar (Zaragoza, Spain) recorded six saves for the Wildcats.
2. LOOKING TO SCORE
After being held scoreless in four consecutive contests as part of a five-game winless streak, the Wildcats found some scoring opportunities in a 5-0 victory over Chestnut Hill in non-conference play on Oct. 13. This was Daemen's first victory of the season since a 4-1 edging over D'Youville to kick off ECC play on Sept. 18. Through the first 11 contests, Daemen has scored 13 goals from eight different players while 12 different players have recorded at least one point (team total of 35.) Junior
Christian Lewin (Bobenheim-Roxheim, Germany) recorded his team-high third goal of the season in the recent victory over the Griffins. Classmates
Derek Bartlo (Williamsville, N.Y.)
Trey Buscaglia (Amherst, N.Y.), and
Pontus Lundin (Asmundtorp, Sweden) have all scored two goals apiece.
Colin Archibald (North Tonawanda, N.Y.),
Anthony Cupello (Rochester, N.Y.), Michel Holscher (Hamminkeln, Germany) and
Dennis Montero Guerrero (Weingarten, Germany) round out the scoring with one goal apiece. Archibald's goal in the 25th minute ended a scoreless drought of nearly 469 minutes of game action for the Wildcats. With his two-assist day against the Griffins on Oct. 13, senior midfielder
Arthur Djengue Bille (Paris, France) is now tied with freshman
Vincent Ranieri (Spencerport, N.Y.) for the team lead in assists (2) and together contribute four of Daemen's nine assists this season. The five-goal performance against the Griffins marked Daemen's best offensive game since a 6-1 win over Pitt-Johnstown during the 2017 season and the third time the Wildcats scored at least five goals in a contest in the program's NCAA Division II era (2015-present.) Daemen also improves to 3-0 on the season when scoring at least two goals. Wednesday was the first shutout win for Daemen since a 2-0 edging over D'Youville on April 30, 2021, which concluded their unorthodox 2020 season.
3. RETURNING VETERANS
Expectations for Daemen men's soccer are high this fall as 26 players from their 2020-21 roster return, many of whom were key contributors for their 3-2-0 finish. Daemen had a balanced attack offensively as nine goals were scored by six different players – and all are returning this fall. Strikers
Dennis Montero Guerrero (Weingarten, Germany) and
Christian Lewin (Bobenheim-Roxheim, Germany) and defender/midfielder Michel Holscher (Hamminkeln, Germany) accounted for six of the team's nine goals. Midfielder
Anthony Cupello (Rochester, N.Y.) finished with a team-high three assists after missing the end of the 2018 season and all of the 2019 campaign while recovering from an injury. Rejoining the Daemen defensive unit is junior
Pontus Lundin (Asmundtorp, Sweden). The Swedish native made a combined 29 starts in 2018 and 2019, and led the team in goals (3) and points (6) during his sophomore campaign. Key veterans
Derek Mancuso (Friendship, N.Y.) and
Jarrett Lecceadone (Randolph, N.Y.) will both compete as graduate students this fall. Senior
Marcos Lerma Escobar (Zaragoza, Spain) joins Lecceadone as a returning goalkeeper. Lerma Escobar, who transferred from Medaille College in spring 2020, recorded his first victory with the blue-and-white when he recorded a career-high 12 saves in Daemen's 3-1 victory versus RWC on April 25. Lerma Escobar recently recorded his first career shutout as a Wildcat behind a one-save performance in the team's 5-0 home victory over Chestnut Hill on Oct. 13.
4. CONFERENCE PLAY COMMENCES
For the first time in two years, all East Coast Conference members in men's soccer returned to conference play this fall. Daemen men's soccer has been picked to finish ninth in the East Coast Conference according to the league's preseason poll which was released on August 26. Daemen earned 24 total points following their abbreviated season. As of Oct. 19, Dist. Columbia has sole possession of first place (5-0-1) while St. Thomas Aquinas has sole possession of second place (5-1.) Molloy and Bridgeport are tied for third place (4-2) with Roberts Wesleyan currently in fifth (3-1-1.) Daemen is currently tied for eighth in the ECC standings with a 1-5-0 record. The ECC Tournament will feature the top four teams in the final regular season standings with the No. 1 and 2 seeds hosting semifinal games on Wednesday, Nov. 10; the highest remaining seed hosts the tournament finals on Saturday, Nov. 13.
5. ON THE HORIZON
Daemen continues their 2021 campaign when they host the College of Staten Island Dolphins in an East Coast Conference matchup on Saturday, October 23 at 11 a.m. at Karrer Field in Amherst, N.Y. This is one of two home contests remaining for Daemen men's soccer this season.
GANNON SCOUTING REPORT
Gannon is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Golden Knights are coming off an abbreviated 2020 campaign that was postponed until Spring 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and finished with a 3-4-0 record. The Golden Knights enter Wednesday's contest with a 10-1-1 overall record and 4-0-1 in PSAC play and are currently ranked No. 18 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll (Oct. 19.) This will be Gannon's first game since a 2-2 draw against Mercyhurst on Oct. 16. This came three days after a double overtime 2-1 victory at Seton Hill. Since a 2-1 loss at nationally-ranked Wilmington on Sept. 13, the Golden Knights are 6-0-1 in their last seven contests. Gannon is led by third-year head coach Billy Colton and enters Wednesday's contest with a 31-8-1 record. In his first season in 2019, Colton and the Golden Knights recorded an 18-3-0 overall finish, including their fourth straight appearance in the PSAC Tournament and advanced to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012, finishing in the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship game before bowing out to Charleston (WV), 3-0, on Dec. 5. Prior to taking over the program in 2019, Colton was a four-year assistant under coach Dale White starting in 2015 and helped the Knights to three straight seasons of double-digit victories and PSAC playoff appearances. Prior coaching experiences include two separate stints in the training program department with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer and various youth programs in the state of Pennsylvania. Colton was previously a four-year starter at Mercyhurst from 2007 to 2011, earning All-PSAC first-team accolades every season and finished his career second all-time in goals, scoring 55 times in 66 starts, just one goal shy of the school record. He also ranks third on Mercyhurst's all-time scoring chart with 121 points. During his career, Colton helped the Lakers rise as high as No. 4 in the nation on two occasions in 2008 and 2011. Mercyhurst qualified for three consecutive NCAA Division II tournaments (2009-11) with Colton leading the way. Colton also played four seasons with the Erie Admirals Soccer Club and helped the Admirals advance to the national championship match during the organization's inaugural season in 2009. Colton concluded his playing career with Waitakere United in New Zealand in 2013. The Golden Knights return 34 players from this past spring, 16 of whom were also on the roster in 2019. Redshirt sophomore midfielder Tinashe Katsande leads the team in goals (10) and total points (21) in 2021. Redshirt junior midfielder Sergio Del Castillo is second on the team with six goals and 13 points and is the top returning playmaker from the 2019 team (9 goals, 24 points, second highest total.) Collectively, Gannon has totaled 26 goals and 73 points this season. Graduate student Maximilliano Rocco has started in net in 11 of Gannon's 12 contests this season, posting a 7-1-1 record, a 0.82 GAA and an .857 save percentage.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. GANNON
Series Record: Gannon 5-2-0
At Daemen: Daemen 2-1-0
Last Meeting: Gannon 2, Daemen 1 | March 21, 2021 | at Erie, Pa.
