Six teams will be in action this week, highlighted by women's soccer beginning post season play with semifinal round action of the East Coast Conference Championship tournament on Wednesday and women's basketball traveling to Ann Arbor, Mich. to play the University of Michigan in an exhibition game Saturday.
Men's Basketball (0-0, 0-0 ECC)
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The men's basketball team is idle until it officially opens the 2022-23 season by hosting the East Region Challenge presented by Western New York Knee and Orthopedic Surgery PC, Nov. 11-12. The Wildcats played its second of two exhibition games against a Division I opponent this past Saturday, as Daemen suffered a 95-66 loss to the University at Buffalo at Alumni Arena. Daemen trailed by just three points at halftime (39-36), but the Bulls opened the second half with 14 unanswered points and maintained a double-digit lead the entire second half. Redshirt senior guard/forward Joey Atkins (Watervliet, N.Y.) paced the Wildcats with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Newcomer Payton Shumpert (Syracuse, N.Y.), a transfer from Division I Stony Brook, drilled three three-pointers and scored 13 points off the bench. Junior guard Andrew Mason (Webster, N.Y.) added 11 points for the Wildcats.
Daemen returns 10 players from last year's team that finished 20-9 overall and 16-2 in the East Coast Conference. The Wildcats suffered a 59-48 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in the championship game of the ECC Tournament and were denied an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Daemen was looking to make its fourth-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Men's and Women's Cross Country
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Saturday, Nov. 5 - ECC Championships - Rochester, N.Y. (campus of Roberts Wesleyan) - Women 10 a.m. / Men 11 a.m.
Live Timing
The Daemen cross county teams return to action Saturday (Nov. 5) when they take part in the 2022 ECC Championships on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan. Both the men and women will be looking to claim their first ever ECC Championship. It will mark their first race since taking part in the Canisius Alumni Classic back on Oct. 15. The Daemen women placed fourth out of 15 teams overall and first among non-Division I teams. The men placed ninth overall and fourth among non-Division I programs. The Wildcat women finished first in their first four races this year, marking the first time in the NCAA Division II era (2015-present) that Daemen has won the first four races of the season. The Wildcat women placed first in four of their seven races last year and have now won eight of their 12 races over the past two seasons. The Daemen men placed second in their first three races this season. The Daemen women continue to be ranked second regionally by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Women's Basketball (0-0, 0-0 ECC)
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Saturday, Nov. 5 – at Michigan (Exhibition) - Alumni Arena - 1 p.m.
The Daemen women's basketball plays the second of two exhibition games against Division I opponents Saturday (Nov. 5) when the Wildcats travel to Ann arbor, Mich. to face the Michigan Wolverines. Daemen suffered a 61-51 loss at Buffalo this past Sunday at UB's Alumni Arena. The Bulls never led by more than 12 points in the game and the Wildcats trailed by just seven points, 50-43, midway through the fourth quarter. Newcomer Gabby McDuffie (Buffalo, N.Y.), a product of Niagara County Community College, led the Wildcats with 13 points, four rebounds and two steals in 30 minutes off the bench. Freshman Claire Pikett (Holland, N.Y.) played 21 minutes off the bench and totaled four points, a team-high six rebounds, a steal and a block.
Daemen returns eight players from its 2021-22 ECC championship team, including fifth-year senior Mickayla Ivy (Grand Rapids, Mich.), who led the ECC in field goal percentage last season, and junior guard Kaytlyn Matz (Johnsburg, Ill.), who finished second on the team in three-point field goals made with 42. The Wildcats have won three-straight ECC regular season titles, and claimed the ECC Tournament championship in 2019 and 2021. They have played in the NCAA Division II East Region Championship game the last two seasons, and advanced to the Elite Eight in 2021. Since the 2018-19 season, Daemen has amassed an impressive 77-21 record and an 82-percent winning percentage. Michigan is coming off an NCAA Division I Elite Eight appearance, and finished last season ranked seventh in the USA Today Coaches Poll with a 25-7 record. The Wolverines return four of their top five scorers from last season's team, including fifth year guard Leigha Brown who averaged 14 points per game. The Wolverines are led by head coach Kim Barnes Arico, who, in her ten years at UM, has led Michigan to at least 20 wins in nine seasons, five NCAA Tournament appearances, an Elite Eight appearance, a Sweet 16 appearance, and the 2017 WNIT Championship. She's the winningest head coach in program history with 218 wins under her belt.
Women's Bowling (18-7)
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Saturday, Nov. 5 - Sunday, Nov. 6 – at Medaille Brunswick Invitational - Classic Lanes
The women's bowling team will be in action for the third-straight weekend, as the Wildcats travels across town to take part in the Medaille Brunswick Invitation. The two-day event will take place at Classic Lanes in Kenmore, N.Y. The Wildcats have placed first in their last two tournament, the Grapevine Classic in Erie, Pa. and the this past weekend's Daemen Storm Fall Classic at Lancaster Lanes. The Wildcats ended up winning six of 10 matches over the two days and placed first with a total pin fall of 8,967 for a per game average of 179.3. The Wildcats finished ahead of crosstown rival Medaille, which came in second with 8,781 pins for an average of 175.6. Medaille entered the 2022-23 season ranked 10th nationally in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) DII/DIII Preseason Poll.
Junior Mollie Gizicki (Brighton, Mich.) and senior Caitlyn Nowak (West Seneca, N.Y) both earned all-tournament honors after finishing among the top five bowlers during Saturday's traditional round. Gizicki earned tournament MVP after posting a tournament-best 205.8 average. The remaining all-tournament members included Rachael Blose of D'Youville (194.0), Nowak (190.4) and Jessica Lawrence (188.4) and Alicia Vacono (186.8) of Walsh.
Women's Soccer (5-9-2, 5-3-0 ECC)
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Wednesday, Nov. 2 – at Mercy (ECC Tournament Semifinals) - Mercy Field - 2:30 p.m.
ECC Network | Live Stats
The women's soccer team begin its quest for a first ever ECC Tournament championship when it travels to top-seeded Mercy for a semifinal round game Wednesday (Nov. 2) afternoon. The Wildcats secured a berth in the tournament following a 4-1 win at Staten Island last week. Daemen is making its second straight and third overall appearance in the ECC Tournament. The other semifinal game will feature third-seeded Roberts Wesleyan and second-seeded Molloy. The tournament championship match is set for Saturday (Nov. 5) and will be hosted by the highest remaining seed. The ECC Tournament champion receives and automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Daemen will enter the post season riding a conference-best four match winning streak. The Wildcats went 5-1-1 over their final seven regular season games and outscored their last seven opponents 20-7. Sophomore Alyssa Diaz (Rochester, N.Y.) scored five of Daemen's 10 goals during wins over Staten Island and Lincoln last week and has totaled a team-high seven goals and 16 points--all of which have come over the past seven games. Freshman Kylie Miranto (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) has scored a goal in four-straight games and ranks second on the team in goals (5) and points (11). Senior Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) has started 12 of the teams 16 games in goal. She ranks fourth among the ECC leaders in total saves (57), save percentage (.760) and goals against average (1.59). Mercy (12-2-1, 7-0-1 ECC) claimed the ECC regular season title and is making its ninth straight appearance in the ECC Tournament. The Mavericks are in quest of their third ECC Tournament championship in program history. Mercy won the ECC Championship in 2014 and 2017 and is looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year. The Mavericks are currently ranked No. 3 in the East Regional Rankings.
Women's Volleyball (16-5, 9-0 ECC)
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Saturday, Nov. 5 – at Mercy - Victory Gym - 12 p.m.
ECC Network | Live Stats
Sunday, Nov. 6 – at Bridgeport - Harvey Hubbell Gymnasium - 12 p.m.
CACC Network | Live Stats
The women's volleyball team played just one match last week, posting a 3-1 win over Roberts Wesleyan to clinch the ECC regular season title and the top seed in the upcoming ECC Tournament. Daemen will host the ECC Tournament, which is set to take place Nov. 11-12. Daemen can go unbeaten in conference play for the second straight season with a win at Mercy this Saturday (Nov. 5). The Wildcats went unbeaten (12-0) in ECC regular season play last year and have won 22-straight regular-season conference matches dating back to the 2019 season (the 2020 conference schedule was canceled due to COVID-19).
Graduate student Sam Logan (Eden, N.Y.) has taken over the team lead in total kills (193), while senior Maggie Burns (Louisville, Ky.) maintains the team lead for kills per set (3.51). Logan has also taken over the team lead in total digs (202), while junior Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) leads the team in digs per set (3.60). Juniors Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) and Dunja Masic (McHenry, Ill.) and have shared the setting duties thus far. Alessi has started 13 matches and has totaled 419 assists (9.31 per set), while Masic has started eight matches and has totaled 287 assists (9.26 per set). Junior Vanessa Kuliga leads the team in service aces (27) and total blocks (32). Mercy (12-5, 5-3 ECC) had a four match winning streak snapped following a 3-1 loss to Queens this past Saturday. Daemen posted a 3-1 win over the Mavericks earlier this season at Lumsden Gym. Bridgeport (13-17, 12-6 CACC), a former member of the ECC, is in its first season as a member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). Daemen defeated the Purple Knights, 3-2, in the championship game of the 2021 ECC Tournament last year and posted a 3-0 win over Bridgeport at the American International tournament earlier this year. The Purple Knights have won four of their last five matches and are coming off a 3-1 win over Chestnut Hill this past weekend.
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