Pamela Cox

Derek Bartlo and Daemen men's soccer hosts Roberts Wesleyan Sunday at Karrer Field.

Wildcats Face Roberts Wesleyan On Senior Day Sunday

4/23/2021 11:15:00 AM

By: By Joe Kraus, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

GAME #4
DAEMEN WILDCATS (1-2-0) vs. ROBERTS WESLEYAN REDHAWKS (3-1-0)
SUNDAY, APRIL 25
KARRER FIELD (AMHERST, NY) - 1:30 P.M.
LIMITED SPECTATORS PERMITTED - SEE DAEMEN SPECTATOR POLICY - NO VISITING TEAM SPECTATORS

FREE KICK
Daemen men's soccer returns to action when they host long-time East Coast Conference rival, Roberts Wesleyan, for a Senior Day matinee at Karrer Field. This will be Daemen's first contest in 10 days as their match against Buffalo State College set for April 22 was canceled earlier this week. Daemen, whose 2020 schedule was delayed from last fall until this spring due to the pandemic, suffered setbacks to Gannon (2-1) and Roberts Wesleyan (4-2), as well as an exhibition loss at Mercyhurst (4-0) before recording their first win of the season versus Medaille, 2-0, on April 15. Sunday's game is the 23rd all-time meeting between Daemen and RWC and the second of two meetings this season.

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE WILDCATS
1. Daemen is coming off a 2-0 victory against Medaille on April 15 at Karrer Field. It was Daemen's first victory as a program since the 2018 season finale, a 4-0 win versus St. Thomas Aquinas on Oct. 27, 2018. This was also their first win under head coach Bediako Swan, who was named to the position in February 2019. The game remained scoreless until the 27th minute when freshman midfielder Michel Hölscher recorded the first goal of his career to give Daemen a 1-0 lead. Daemen struck again in the 35th minute when transfer Arthur Djengue Bille scored a header to give Daemen a two-goal lead. In his first action of the season, senior goalkeeper Jarrett Lecceadone made two saves en route to earning his first career shutout.

2. Freshman Dennis Montero Guerrero leads the team in goals scored (2) and total points (4) heading into Thursday's contest. By scoring against Gannon on March 21, Montero Guerrero became the fourth Daemen freshman to score a goal in a season-opening game in the last 10 seasons. He's the first to do so since Niklas Ringdahl Bohlin in a 3-1 loss to Le Moyne in 2017. Montero Guerrero later scored in the team's 4-2 loss at Roberts Wesleyan on March 27.

3. Redshirt junior midfielder Anthony Cupello made his return to action at Gannon on March 21, competing for the first time in 894 days. Cupello, who appeared in and started a combined 30 games in his first two collegiate seasons, missed the final five games of 2018 and all of 2019 while recovering from an injury. Cupello has totaled three goals, 12 assists and 18 points in his career, and finished fourth among the East Coast Conference leaders with nine assists as a freshman. He's one of 17 returning players this season, a group that includes seniors Derek Mancuso and Jarrett Lecceadone, as well as sophomore Derek Bartlo, the team's 2019 MVP.

4. Through his first two appearances, junior Marcos Lerma Escobar has made an impact between the pipes, including stopping eight shots in his Daemen goalkeeping debut vs. Gannon on March 21. Lerma Escobar joined the program last spring after transferring from Medaille where he appeared in 11 games over two seasons with a 1.29 goals against average and a .750 save percentage.

5. This will be the 23rd all-time meeting between Daemen and Roberts Wesleyan since the series began in October 2001. Roberts Wesleyan currently holds an all-time record of 16-4-2 and have won eight of the 10 meetings when Daemen has played host. Daemen's last victory against the Redhawks in this series was a 1-0 victory at Karrer Field on Sept. 22, 2018. This is also just the third time Daemen and RWC are meeting for the second time in a season (2011 and 2013.)

ROBERTS WESLEYAN SCOUTING REPORT
Fellow East Coast Conference member Roberts Wesleyan is playing an independent schedule this spring. Like Daemen, the Redhawks opened the season with a one-goal setback (2-1, 2OT) to Gannon. Since then, the Redhawks have rattled off three consecutive wins against against Daemen (4-2), Gannon (4-3) and D'Youville (9-1) as well as a 4-0 victory in an exhibition versus Medaille. Now in his sixth season at the helm, head coach Scott Reber has posted a 37-49-7 record with the Redhawks. He has his group coming off an 11-9-1 campaign in 2019 - the program's most victories in a season since 2014. Reber led the Redhawks to their first ECC tournament berth as the No. 3 seed, bowing out in the semifinal round to second-seeded Bridgeport. The Redhawks return 13 players from their 2019 team, including nine with starting experience. The RWC returners are undoubtedly headlined by junior forward Dylan Ruiz. The Mexico City native led the ECC with 18 goals and 39 points in 2019 and was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year. This spring, Ruiz once again leads the Redhawks in goals (8) and total points (18.) Sophomore forward Justin Robertson is second on the team with five goals and 11 points. 2019 ECC Rookie of the Year and sophomore goalkeeper Jared Gibbons, picked up where he left off and has recorded all three wins in net for RWC behind a 2.03 goals against average and a .652 save percentage.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. ROBERTS WESLEYAN
Series Record: Roberts Wesleyan 16-4-2
At Daemen: Roberts Wesleyan 8-2
Last Meeting: Roberts Wesleyan 4, Daemen 2 | March 27, 2021 | at Rochester, N.Y.

SENIOR DAY SALUTE
Prior to the contest, Daemen men's soccer will hold a pregame ceremony for Nate Sorgi. Sorgi was a three-year member of Daemen men's soccer before he opted out prior to this season and will not be returning to the team. The Elma, NY native will graduate from Daemen College in May as a physical therapy major. After not appearing in any games as a true freshman in the 2017 season, Sorgi made his collegiate debut as a reserve in Daemen's road matched at nationally-ranked Notre Dame (Ohio) on Oct. 9, 2018. Sorgi appeared in a total of 19 games with Daemen and made six starts in his junior campaign in 2019.

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen concludes their spring schedule when they visit ECC newcomer D'Youville on April 30 with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.

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