Men's Soccer Plays at League-Leading Molloy Saturday

10/7/2022 9:59:00 AM

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

Game #11
Daemen Wildcats (4-4-2, 1-2-1 ECC) vs. Molloy Lions (6-2-5, 4-0-1 ECC)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 8
TIME: 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Rockville Centre, N.Y. | RVC Sports Complex
LIVE STREAM BROADCAST: via ECC Network
LIVE STATS: via Molloy Athletics

BACK IN ACTION
Daemen travels to Rockville Centre, N.Y. for an East Coast Conference game at regionally-ranked Molloy on Saturday (Oct. 8). Molloy sits atop the ECC standings midway through the season.

LAST TIME OUT
Regionally-ranked Gannon got goals from five different players en route to a 5-1 victory over Daemen this past Wednesday night at McConnell Family Stadium on the Gannon campus. Daemen saw its three game unbeaten streak come to an end and dropped to 4-4-2 on the year. Gannon, which is ranked sixth in the Atlantic Region by the United Soccer Coaches, ran its winning streak to six-straight games and improved to 9-2-1. Gannon, which entered the game ranked second nationally in goals per game (3.82), struck for two goals less than 10 minutes into the game. The Golden Knights increased their lead to 4-0 with two goals in the span of seven minutes late in the first half. Daemen got on the scoreboard with five minutes left in the first half. Graduate student Carlos España (Madrid, Spain) sent a lead pass to senior Derek Bartlo (Williamsville, N.Y.) on the right flank and Bartlo blasted a shot home from 15 yards out. Daemen nearly cut the lead to 4-2 midway through the second half, but a header by junior Alexander Khademi (Stockholm, Sweden) off corner kick by España went off the cross bar and the rebound was cleared away. Gannon closed out the scoring with nine minutes to play. The Golden Knights posted a 28-7 advantage in total shots and a 15-2 edge in shots on goal. Lerma Escobar, the reining ECC Defensive Player of the Week, turned away a season-high 10 shots for the Wildcats.

LERMA ESCOBAR NAMED ECC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Derek Bartlo (Williamsville, N.Y.) and graduate student Marcos Lerma Escobar (Zaragoza, Spain) have been honored by the East Coast Conference for their play last week. Bartlo was selected the ECC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, while Lerma Escobar was named the ECC Defensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week. The announcement of award winners was made via the league's weekly sport report. A Daemen player has now collected one of the weekly major awards in four of a possible six weeks this season. Bartlo becomes the first Daemen player to be selected ECC Offensive Player of the Week this season, while Lerma Escobar and fellow goalkeeper Harry Firth (Reading, England) have both been named the league's Defensive Player of the Week. In addition, freshman forward Riccardo Boscolo Bachetto (Chioggia, Italy) was named ECC Rookie of the Week after scoring two goals, including the game-winner, in a season-opening win over Saint Michael's College. Bartlo becomes the first Daemen men's soccer player to be named ECC Offensive Player of the Week since the Wildcats joined the league in 2013. It also marks the first time since Daemen joined the ECC that the Wildcats have garnered two major weekly awards in the same week. Bartlo played a role in all three of Daemen's goals last week. He assisted on Daemen's only goal in a 1-1 draw with rival Roberts Wesleyan and totaled a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over St. Thomas Aquinas. He has started all 10 games this year and has played 860 of a possible 900 minutes. He leads the team in goals (4), assists (3) and points (11). He has also been key part a defensive unit that ranks third among ECC teams in fewest goals allowed (14) this season. Lerma Escobar stopped 16 of 17 shots on goal during a 1-0-1 week. He made eight saves in the 1-1 draw with Roberts Wesleyan and turned away all eight shots on goal against STAC en route to his second shutout of the year. He has started nine of Daemen's 10 games and is averaging 5.9 saves per game. He ranks second among the ECC leaders in save percentage (.803) and third in total saves (53). As a team, Daemen has limited eight of its first 10 opponents to one goal or less.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Daemen enters Saturday's contest ranked third among ECC schools in fewest goals allowed (14), while Molloy ranks second (13). Daemen has limited eight of its first 10 opponents to one goal or less.

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen returns to non-conference play Wednesday (Oct. 12) when it travels to Syracuse, N.Y. to face Le Moyne College.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
Molloy is unbeaten (4-0-2) over its last six games and is coming off back-to-back wins over Queens (2-1) and Assumption (2-0). The Lions have posted league wins over Staten Island (2-0), District of Columbia (2-1), nationally-ranked Mercy (2-1) and Queens, and played STAC to a a 1-1 draw. Molloy is ranked eighth in the East Region by the United Soccer Coaches. The Lions went 9-7-5 overall (5-2-2 ECC), won the ECC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament last year. Molloy suffered a 4-0 loss to American International in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Lions tied for first with STAC in the 2022 ECC preseason coaches' poll. Sophomore Gio Fabiano scored in the win over Assumption and has totaled a team-high seven goals and 14 points. Junior Ryan Dobson had a goal and an assist in the win over Mercy and has totaled five goals and 12 points. Graduate student Nick Conklu has started all 13 games in goal and leads the ECC in goals against average (0.92) and save percentage (.814). He made four saves against Assumption en route to his fourth shutout of the year.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. MOLLOY
Series Record: Molloy, 6-2-0
At Daemen: Molloy, 3-1-0
At Molloy: Molloy, 3-1-0
Last Meeting: Molloy 1, Daemen 0 | Oct. 2, 2021 | at Amherst, N.Y.

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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