MINEOLA, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's bowling team opened its quest for a conference title during opening day action of the 2021 East Coast Conference Championship here today. The seven-team tournament is being hosted by Molloy College at Bowlero Mineola.
The championship saw a change in format due to the COVID 19 pandemic. It was originally set to be a nine team field, but Bloomfield College and Felician University both bowed out due to Covid 19 protocols. The seven remaining teams competed in five Baker format matches today. The four teams with the highest pin total over the five matches advanced to play for the ECC title tomorrow. The semifinals and final will be megamatch format.
Daemen posted the second best pin total today, as the Wildcats accumulated 4,263 total pins. Chestnut Hill College paced the seven teams with 4,287 total pins, while Caldwell College (4,250) and Roberts Wesleyan College (4,182) completed the top four.
Daemen opened the day with an 811-761 victory over Roberts Wesleyan. The Wildcats built a 33-pin lead after three games (489-456), and after both teams rolled a 148 in game four the Wildcats secured the win with a 174-157 victory in game five. Daemen had a bye in round two and rolled a team score of 901. Daemen fell behind by 77 pins after three games in its third match of the day against Chestnut Hill, but the Wildcats cut the lead to 49 pins following a 179-151 win in game four. CHC closed out the match with a 175-171 victory in game five to take the match, 887-834. The Wildcats then fell to Mercyhurst University 947-843. The Lakers opened the match with a 209-126 win in game one and the Wildcats came no closer than 70 pins after that. Daemen capped the day with a 901-874 loss to Caldwell. A 209-167 win in game three put the Wildcats up by 44 pins (547-503), but the Cougars erased the deficit with a 220-163 win in game four and secured the victory with a 178-164 win in game five.
With today's results, Daemen now stands at 4-11 on the year.
The tournament semifinals get underway tomorrow at 10:10 a.m. Chestnut Hill will face Roberts Wesleyan in one semifinal, while Daemen will square off against Caldwell in the other. The winners will meet in the ECC Championship match, which is scheduled to begin at 1:40 p.m.
Daemen College features the premier 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.
Support Daemen College's return to intercollegiate athletic competitions by making a contribution to the Game On Campaign and the Daemen Wildcats Gotta Play Fund. This comprehensive fundraising campaign was established to help offset the loss of valuable external revenue streams that directly support Daemen's 17 varsity teams. To learn more, visit daemenwildcats.com/gameon.
