Game #2
Daemen Wildcats (0-1-0, 0-0-0 ECC) at Malone Pioneers (0-1-0, 0-0-0 GMAC)
DATE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Canton, Ohio | Pioneer Park
LIVE STREAM BROADCAST: Via Stretch Internet
LIVE STATS: Via Stretch Internet

 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1.         BACK IN ACTION
Daemen continues their opening weekend road trip Saturday afternoon when they square off against Malone at 4:00 in Canton, Ohio. Piling up mileage will be an early theme for the Wildcats this season as six of their first seven contests are on the road. This the first meeting between the programs since Malone secured a 2-1 victory in Daemen's season opener on Sept. 5, 2019 held at Karrer Field.
 
2.         LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats started the new 2021 campaign with a 2-1 heartbreaker to Walsh Thursday night in North Canton, Ohio. Sophomore Dennis Montero Guerrero (Weingarten, Germany) scored his first goal of the new season in the 35th minute and gave Daemen a brief 1-0 lead before the Cavaliers tied the score at 1-1 in the 41st minute after sophomore forward Harry Gardner connected off a pass from teammate Jake Cunningham. In the first game of his Cavalier career, freshman Jac Humphreys scored an unassisted goal in the 78th minute to help lift the Cavaliers to victory. Daemen senior goalkeeper Marcos Lerma Escobar (Zaragoza, Spain) made his first start of the season and recorded seven saves in the contest. Thursday marked the fourth career start of his Daemen career. Walsh outshot Daemen, 18-11, including nine shots on goal, in the contest. Daemen, however, outedged the Cavaliers in corner kicks, 6-5. With the loss, Daemen was prevented from winning their fourth game in a row coming off winning their final three contests of their COVID-19 abbreviated slate in Spring 2021. A victory would have marked the first time the Wildcats reached this milestone since they accomplished the feat in a span dating from Oct. 23 – Nov. 4, 2006. Thursday was the first time Daemen allowed multiple goals in a contest since a 4-2 loss to Roberts Wesleyan on March 27, 2021. Since a goal against RWC in the 80th minute by Montero Guerrero, Daemen has outscored their opponents, 8-3.
 
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 Hölscher (Hamminkeln, Germany) accounted for six of the team's nine goals. Including the goal scored by Montero Guerrero in the 80th minute against RWC on March 27, Daemen outscored their opponents 7-1 from that point forward. 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.
 
 
4.         POLLS, POLLS, POLLS
Daemen men's soccer team has been picked to finish ninth in the East Coast Conference this season according to the league's preseason poll which was released on August 26. Daemen earned 24 total points following the abbreviated season. 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 season-opening road trip in Canton, Ohio when they visit the Malone Pioneers of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in a non-conference contest on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 4 PM at Pioneer Park.
 
 
MALONE PIONEERS SCOUTING REPORT
Malone is a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Pioneers also began their 2021 campaign Thursday night but lost to Roberts Wesleyan in a non-conference matchup, 3-0. The Pioneers are led by second-year head coach Brock Kertoy. Kertoy was hired in March 2020 and led Malone to a 1-8 finish in an abbreviated season in spring 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols and most recently served as the assistant women's soccer coach (2014-18) and goalkeeper coach for the men's program (2016-18) at Ashland University.  Senior defenseman Patrick Alvarez led the Pioneers in goals (3), total points (6), games played (9) and total minutes played (804.) Junior midfielder Antoine Leheron and sophomore Kabanu Witherspoon also scored a goal apiece for the Pioneers that spring. Freshman Logan Smith appeared in net for his Malone debut this past Thursday against RWC and, despite allowing three goals, recorded nine saves.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. MALONE
Series Record: Malone 9-4
At Malone: Malone 6-2
Last Meeting: Malone 2, Daemen 1 | Sept. 5, 2019 | at Amherst, NY