Men's Soccer Continues Homestand Against Walsh Saturday

Wildcats Eye First 3-0-0 Start In Program History

9/2/2022 1:07:00 PM

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

Game #3
Walsh Cavaliers (3-0-0, 0-0-0 GMAC) vs. Daemen Wildcats (2-0-0, 0-0-0 ECC)
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 3
TIME: 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Amherst, N.Y. | Karrer Field
LIVE STREAM BROADCAST: via ECC Network
LIVE STATS: via Daemen Athletics

BACK IN ACTION
Daemen concludes its busy opening week of action by hosting Walsh University in a non-conference tilt Saturday (Sept. 3) at Karrer Field. Daemen will be looking to start the season 3-0-0 for the first time in program history. The Wildcats open the year with four straight home games, before playing seven of their next eight on the road. Fourth year head coach Bediako Swan has put together a challenging schedule that features six contests against teams that won at least 10 contests during the 2021 season.

LAST TIME OUT
Second half goals by freshman Riccardo Boscolo Bachetto (Chioggia, Italy) and senior Derek Bartlo (Williamsville, N.Y.) lifted Daemen to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Malone Thursday afternoon at Karrer Field today. The Wildcats, who opened the year with a 3-1 win over Saint Michael's last Saturday, improved to 2-0-0 on the year and open the season with two-straight wins for the first time since the 2010 season. Malone, which outscored its first two opponents 11-3, suffered its first loss and dropped to 2-1-0. Malone opened the scoring with just 16 seconds left before halftime during a scramble in front of the Daemen net following a Malone corner kick. Daemen netminder Harry Firth (Reading, England) kept the Wildcats within striking range with a couple of saves early in the second half and the hosts eventually knotted the game at 1-1 when Boscolo Bachetto scored his team-leading third goal of the year in the 54th minute. Junior midfield Michel Hölscher (Hamminkein, Germany) started the scoring chance just over midfield, and he then slid a nice pass to Bartlo on the right flank. Bartlo found Boscolo Bachetto in the box and the rookie fired a shot past Malone netminder Gavyn Ernst from 15 yards out. The game remained 1-1 for the next 20 minutes before Hölscher and Bartlo teamed up again. Hölscher sent Bartol in on the right flank and after a couple nice moves Bartlo blasted a shot past Ernst from 20 yards out. It marked the second goal of the year for Bartlo. Malone had a couple scoring chances in the closing minutes, but was unable to get the equalizer past Firth. Daemen finished with a slim 13-11 edge in overall shots, but the visitors finished with an 8-3 edge in shots on goal. Firth, a transfer from Wheeling University, made his first career start for the Wildcats and registered seven saves.

RETURNING VETERANS
Daemen returns 20 players from its 2021 roster. Experience is abundant, as the team features four graduate students, nine seniors and five juniors. Daemen had a balanced attack offensively last year, as the team's 21 goals were scored by 11 different players. Veterans Christian Lewin (Bobenheim-Roxheim, Germany), Derek Bartlo (Williamsville, N.Y.) and Dennis Montero Guerrero (Weingarten, Germany) return up front. Lewin ranked second on the team in goals scored (3) last year. Senior Pontus Lundin (Asmundtorp, Sweden) and junior Michel Hölscher (Hamminkeln, Germany) return in the midfield. Lundin has stated 43 games over his career and totaled two goals and five points last year. Hölscher started 11 games last year and netted three goals. The Wildcats return the core of a defensive unit that limited 12 of its 16 opponents to two goals or less last year. Seniors Trey Buscaglia (East Amherst, N.Y.) and Ajan Rajamohan (Spencerport, N.Y.) and junior Alexander Khademi (Stockholm, Sweden) will head up the back line. Graduate student Marcos Lerma Escobar (Zaragoza, Spain) returns between the pipes after starting 15 of 16 games last year. He averaged five saves a game and posted a 1.71 goals against average last fall. He turned away a career-high 12 shots in a season-ending 4-2 win over Queens College. Bartlo and Lundin will serve as team captains in 2022.

BOSCOLO BACHETTO NAMED ECC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman forward Riccardo Boscolo Bachetto (Chioggia, Italy) was named the East Coast Conference Men's Soccer Rookie of the Week on Monday. He becomes the first Daemen men's soccer player to be selected ECC Rookie of the Week since Philipp Schmidt in September of 2018. The 6-foot-1 forward scored twice to help the Wildcats post a 3-1 victory over Saint Michael's.

POLLS, POLLS, POLLS
The Daemen men's soccer team has been picked to finish eighth in the ECC this season according to the league's preseason poll which was released on August 18. 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 THE HORIZON
Daemen will return to Karrer Field next Saturday (Sept. 10) when it opens ECC play by hosting the Mavericks of Mercy College at 1:30 p.m.

SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS
Walsh is a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Head coach Andy Hoggarth is entering his seventh season at Walsh. The Cavaliers went 12-5-3 overall (8-4-2 GMAC) last year and lost to Lake Erie in the semifinals of the GMAC Tournament. They were picked fifth in the 2022 GMAC preseason poll and opened the 2022 season with a 4-1 win over Slippery Rock. The Cavaliers improved to 2-0-0 following a 5-1 win over Salem (W.V.) last Saturday and remained unbeaten following a 2-1 win at Roberts Wesleyan Thursday night. Freshman forward Lewis Matton scored both goals in the win over Roberts Wesleyan, while junior forward Leandro Louro scored twice in the win over Slippery Rock. Five different players scored in the win over Salem. Freshman Charlie Walker had started all three games in goal (1.20 GAA) and made a season-high three saves in the win over Slippery Rock. Saturday's game will mark the 18th all-time meeting between the former NAIA American Mideast Conference members. Walsh has prevailed in 16 of the previous 17 meetings. Daemen's lone win in the series came during the 2017 season.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. WALSH
Series Record: Walsh, 16-1
At Daemen: Walsh, 7-1
At Malone: Walsh, 9-0
Last Meeting: Walsh 2, Daemen 1 | Sept. 2, 2021 | at Canton, Ohio

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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