Game #15
Daemen Wildcats (4-10-0, 2-6-0 ECC) vs Lock Haven Bald Eagles (11-2-2, 9-1-1 PSAC)
DATE: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
TIME: 5 p.m.
LOCATION: Lock Haven, Pa. / Hubert Jack Stadium
LIVE STREAM: Via PSAC Network
LIVE STATS: Via Lock Haven Athletics
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. BACK IN ACTION
Daemen men's soccer continues their 2021 campaign with their final road contest of the season when they visit the Lock Haven Bald Eagles in a nonconference matchup at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Hubert Jack Stadium on the campus of Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pa. This will be the third meeting between the programs since the series began in 2016 and this is the first since the Bald Eagles' 3-1 home victory over the Wildcats on Sept. 18, 2018. Lock Haven leads the all-time series, 2-0. This will be Daemen's first contest since a 2-1 double overtime loss on the road against Mercy on Oct. 30, their third loss over their last four contests and their fifth one-goal loss this season. For a third consecutive game, senior
Arthur Djengue Bille (Paris, France) got Daemen on the scoreboard first, this time in the 15th minute off a pass from junior defender
Derek Bartlo (Grand Island, N.Y.) Djengue Bille is now tied for the team lead in goals (3) and leads outright with eight points this season and has now recorded at least one point in four of Daemen's last five contests. In what was his 13th start of the season, senior goalkeeper
Marcos Lerma Escobar (Zaragoza, Spain) recorded a season-high nine saves in the loss, a game where Mercy launched 31 total shots. The result marked the Wildcats' second overtime loss of the season. Daemen has dropped five straight overtime decisions, last winning an overtime game on Oct. 18, 2017 (3-2 over Queens). Daemen is now 4-4-0 in 2021 when scoring first in a contest.
2. LOOKING TO SCORE
Since their 4-1 edging over D'Youville to kick off East Coast Conference play on Sept. 18, Daemen has been outscored by their opponents, 22-9, including five shutouts and are 2-8 in their last 10 contests. The two victories during this stretch were first, a 5-0 victory over Chestnut Hill on Oct.13, ending a stretch of being held scoreless in four consecutive contests and avoid a sixth straight loss; followed by a 1-0 victory over CSI on Oct. 23. Through the first 14 contests, Daemen has scored 16 goals from nine different players while 14 different players have recorded at least one point (team total of 44.) Senior
Arthur Djengue Bille (Paris) and Junior
Christian Lewin (Bobenheim-Roxheim, Germany) are tied for the team lead in goals scored (3.) Djengue Bille has scored in each of the last three contests for the Wildcats and has recorded at least one point in four of the last five contests. Fellow juniors
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 against Chestnut Hill on Oct. 13 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, Djengue Bille is now tied with freshman
Vincent Ranieri (Spencerport, N.Y.) for the team lead in assists (2) and together contribute four of Daemen's 12 assists this season.
The five-goal performance against the Griffins on Oct. 13 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. The victory against CSI was Daemen's second shutout win 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 Nov. 1, St. Thomas Aquinas has sole possession of first place (6-1-1) Dist. Columbia has sole possession of second place (5-0-3.) Molloy is in third place (5-2-1) and Mercy and Bridgeport are tied for fourth place (4-2-2) heading into the final week of the regular season. Daemen is eighth in the ECC standings with a 2-6-0 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 concludes their 2021 campaign when they host ECC opponent, Queens, for a Senior Day contest at 1:30 PM at Karrer Field.
LOCK HAVEN SCOUTING REPORT
Lock Haven is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Bald Eagles saw their 2020 season cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Their season-opening 1-1 draw at California (Pa.) on Sept. 4 was the program's first game action in 666 days. The Bald Eagles enter Tuesday's contest with an 11-2-2 overall record and 9-1-1 in PSAC play. This will be Lock Haven's first game action since a 3-1 victory over East Stroudsburg on Oct. 30 and are winners in five consecutive contests and in 11 of their last 13 contests. Lock Haven is led by fifth-year head coach Patrick Long, who has an all-time record of 40-36-10. Long led the Bald Eagles to a 10-8-0 campaign in 2019, their first season with double-digit wins since 2011, and narrowly missed the PSAC postseason tournament. In 2018, Long and the Bald Eagles won the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II title following a 3-0 win over Salem University as part of an 8-7-3 finish. Prior to coaching at LHU, Long served as an assistant coach for six seasons at Division I Bucknell University and guided the Bison to two Patriot League titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in the 2010 and 2014 seasons. Long was also a two-year graduate assistant coach at East Stroudsburg University in 2008 and 2009. A 2008 graduate of Lock Haven, Long was a two-time All-PSAC First Team selection (2005 & 2006) and is the son of former Hall of Fame coach, Lenny, who coached the men's soccer program from 1984 to 1996. The Mavericks return seven players from the 2019 team and are joined by nine new players in 2021 and five new recruits from 2020. Midfielder Andrea DiSomma recorded a team-high 17 goals in 2019 as a freshman, earning him PSAC-East Rookie of the Year honors. DiSomma is currently third on the team with five goals (11 points) in 2021. Freshman forward Samuel Hershey currently stands as the team's leader in goals scored (10) and total points (27) as the 2021 season winds down. After recording seven assists in 2019, graduate student and midfielder Beckham Sibiski has a team-high 10 assists along with six goals (22 points) this fall with the Bald Eagles. Collectively, Lock Haven has recorded 36 goals and 104 points so far in 2021. In net, redshirt junior Aitor Ruiz de Eguilaz has started 14 of the team's 15 contests this season, posting an 11-2-1 record, 1.31 GAA and a .746 save percentage.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. LOCK HAVEN
Series Record: Lock Haven 2-0-0
At Lock Haven: Lock Haven 1-0-0
Last Meeting: Lock Haven 3, Daemen 1| September 18, 2018 | at Lock Haven, Pa.
