Wildcats Host Firebirds In Regular Season Finale

Daemen Still In Contention For Its First Ever ECC Tournament Berth

10/28/2022 1:37:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Tom McDermott, Director of Athletics Communications | tmcdermo@daemen.edu

Game #17
Daemen Wildcats (7-6-3, 3-3-1 ECC) vs. District of Columbia Firebirds (6-7-2, 1-5-1 ECC)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 29
TIME: 1:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Amherst, N.Y. | Karrer Field
LIVE STREAM BROADCAST: via ECC Network
LIVE STATS: via Daemen Athletics

BACK IN ACTION
Daemen closes out the regular season by hosting District of Columbia in an East Coast Conference match Saturday (10/29). The Wildcats are 3-0-1 over their last four games and have outscored their opponents 10-3 over that stretch.

SENIOR SALUTE
11 members of the 2022 Daemen men's soccer team will be honored prior to Saturday's game in recognition of the final home game of their careers. Graduate students Marcelo Astudillo, Carlos Espana, Hilario Munoz, Marcos Lerma Escobar, and seniors Derek Bartlo, Trey Buscaglia, Chris Cox, Jacob LaPrairie, Christian Lewin, Pontus Lundin and Eman Wajed will all take part in the pre-game ceremony.

POST SEASON PICTURE
Daemen is one of two teams, along with Roberts Wesleyan, battling for the fourth and final spot in the upcoming ECC Championship tournament. The Wildcats are looking to earn their first ever berth in the ECC Tournament. Daemen needs a win Saturday and a Roberts Wesleyan loss to Mercy on Saturday to earn the bid.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen kept their hopes for a bid to the upcoming four-team ECC Championship tournament alive following a 2-1 victory over Staten Island this past Wednesday at Dolphins Soccer Park. The Wildcats ran their unbeaten streak to four games and improved to 7-6-3 overall and 3-3-1 in ECC play. Seniors Derek Bartlo (Williamsville, N.Y.) and Trey Buscaglia (East Amherst, N.Y.) scored for the Wildcats today, while graduate student Marcos Lerma Escobar (Zaragoza, Spain) turned away eight CSI shots to preserve the win. Staten Island out shot the Wildcats 11-1 in the first half, but Lerma Escobar came up with several clutch saves to keep the game scoreless after 45 minutes. Daemen broke the scoreless tie at the 58-minute mark. Junior Nassim Zahouani (Saint Denis, France) lofted a free kick into the CSI box where Bartlo elevated and headed a shot into the lower right corner of the net. Daemen doubled its lead less than 10 minutes later when Buscaglia scored just 35 seconds after entering the game. It marked the first goal of the year for Buscaglia. The Dolphins would not go down without a fight and cut the lead in half just 28 seconds after Buscaglia's goal. CSI pressured the Daemen net over the final 20 minutes but could not net the equalizer. Lerma Escobar came up with a big save with 11 minutes left following a high shot by CSI's Mohammedou Sow. Daemen came out with the win despite being out shot 22-4 in the game (9-2 on goal).

SENSATIONAL SENIOR
Senior Derek Bartlo has registered a point in seven of the last nine games. He has totaled a team-high eight goals and 20 points. His eight goals and 20 points are the most by a Daemen player since Noah Keem put up nine goals and 22 points during the 2017 season.

ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
Daemen's six goals in a recent 6-1 win over D'Youville tied the program record for most goals in a game during the program's NCAA Division II era (2015-present). Daemen's seven wins this year tie the program record for most wins in a season set in 2005, 2006 and 2017.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Daemen has limited 12 of its 16 opponents to one goal or less.

ON THE HORIZON
If Daemen qualifies for the ECC Tournament it will head to top-seeded Molloy for a semifinal game this Thursday (Nov. 3). The tournament championship match is set for next Sunday (Nov. 6) and will be hosted by the highest remaining seed. The ECC Tournament champion receives and automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament..

SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS
District of Columbia is 1-3-1 over its last five games and will be playing its first game since a 1-1 tie with Staten Island last Saturday (Oct. 22). The Firebirds posted a league win over D'Youville (2-1) and suffered league losses to Roberts Wesleyan (2-1), Molloy (2-1), Mercy (4-2), Queens (2-0) and St. Thomas Aquinas (3-1). The Firebirds went 8-5-4 overall (5-1-3 ECC) last year and were picked fourth in the 2022 ECC preseason coaches' poll. Sophomore Santiago Gordillo Martinez (5 gls, 1 ast) and freshman Axel Gamez (3 gls, 4 asts) have paced the offense. Freshman Javier Abadia Torres made five saves in the tie with Staten Island last weekend. He owns a 1.07 goals against average with two solo shutouts.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. UDC
Series Record: UDC, 7-0-1
At Daemen: UDC, 3-0-1
At UDC: UDC, 4-0-0
Last Meeting: UDC 1, Daemen 0 (OT) | Spet. 25, 2021 | at Washington, D.C.

Daemen University 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.

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