AMHERST, N.Y. - Playing their first home game in 530 days, the Daemen men's soccer team made it a successful return to Karrer Field as the Wildcats got a pair of first-half goals en route to a 2-0 shutout victory over crosstown foe Medaille.
Daemen, which is playing a countable schedule this spring after having their traditional fall season wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic, improved to 1-2 on the season as they earned their first victory since the 2018 season finale. It will also go down as the first career victory for head coach Bediako Swan who was named to the position in February of 2019.
The game counts as an exhibition for Medaille, a member of NCAA Division III and the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, which was playing its first contest this spring. It marked the first meeting between the Wildcats and Mavericks since 2011 with Daemen snapping a six-game slide in the series.
Freshman midfielder Michel Hölscher (Hamminkeln, Germany) opened the scoring, netting his first career tally in the 27th minute. Sophomore midfielder Derek Bartlo (Williamsville, N.Y.) carried the ball up the right wing and sent a centering feed to the top of the box where a streaking Hölscher buried a left-footed attempt into the lower right corner of the goal.
The Wildcats struck again in the 35th minute as redshirt junior midfielder Anthony Cupello (Rochester, N.Y.) took a free kick from just inside the midfield stripe, sending the ball hurdling toward the box where it found the head of junior midfielder Arthur Djengue Bille (Paris, France) who flicked it into the upper right corner of the net. It marked Djengue Bille's first goal as a Wildcat after transferring from Luther College, and Cupello's first assist since Sept. 29, 2018 (vs. NY Tech).
That's all the offense Daemen would need as senior goalkeeper Jarrett Lecceadone (Randolph, N.Y.), seeing his first action this season, made two saves en route to earning his first career shutout.
Daemen outshot Medaille 11-6 in the contest, and generated a 12-2 advantage in corner kick opportunities.
The Wildcats return to action next Thusday, April 22 when they visit Buffalo State.
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.
