Geoff M Schneider

Wildcats Play At Rival Roberts Wesleyan Wednesday; Host STAC Saturday

10/17/2023 4:26:00 PM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. – The Daemen men's soccer team plays two East Coast Conference games this week. The Wildcats travel to Rochester, N.Y. Wednesday (Oct. 18) to face rival Roberts Wesleyan and cap the week by hosting regionally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas College Saturday (Oct. 21) at Karrer Field. It will be the final regular-season home game for the Wildcats.

THE WILDCATS (2-8-1, 1-3-0 ECC)
Daemen is coming off a 3-1 non-conference loss at Saint Rose on Oct. 11. Daemen was picked to finish fifth in the ECC this season according to the ECC preseason poll. It marks the highest preseason ranking for the Wildcats since they first joined the conference in 2013. Daemen enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in program history last fall and closed out the year with a 7-7-3 overall record and a 3-4-1 mark in ECC play. The Wildcats entered the final game of the season in contention for their first ever appearance in the four team ECC Championship tournament. The seven wins tied the program record for most in a season set in 2005, 2006 and 2017. Daemen returns just 13 players from last year and the 2023 roster features 17 newcomers (11 transfers, 6 freshmen). Freshman Elijah Douglas (Clarence, N.Y.) scored his first two collegiate goals during a 3-1 win over Malone and was named ECC Rookie of the Week for his efforts. Douglas has scored a team-high three goals on the year.

Defense was a big factor in Daemen's success last fall, as the Wildcats limited 12 of their 17 opponents to one goal or less and established a NCAA-era record for fewest goals allowed (26) in a season. Graduate student Derek Bartlo (Williamsville, N.Y.) returns in the midfield off a record-breaking season last year. An all-region and all-conference selection, he finished as the team leader in goals (10), assists (4) and points (24). He recorded at least one point in eight of Daemen's final 10 games and established a new program record for most goals and points in a season during Daemen's NCAA era (2015-present). Senior Harry Firth (Reading, England), who saw limited time in his first season with the team last year, and junior college transfer Arturo Bustamante (South Gate, Calif.) have shared the goaltending duties thus far. Bustamante earned All-South Coast Conference honors last year at Rio Hondo College. Firth has started six games this year and made five saves in a 1-1 tie with Saint Michael's. Bustamante made eight saves in a loss to nationally-ranked Gannon and two saves in a 3-1 win over Staten Island.

SUDDEN IMPACT
Daemen has scored 12 goals this season and all of them have been scored by a newcomer. Freshman Elijah Douglas (Clarence, N.Y.) leads the team with three goals.

TILO PLAYS FOR NATIONAL TEAM
Jean Tilo will miss the Roberts Wesleyan game, as he is currently back home playing for the Bahamas Senior Men's National Team. He was in the Starting XI for the team's CONCACAF Nations League matches against Antigua and Barbuda this week. Tilo has played in eight games (seven starts) for Daemen in his first season with the Wildcats this fall.

THE REDHAWKS (3-5-4, 2-2-2 ECC)
Roberts Wesleyan is coming off a 4-3 loss at Queens this past weekend. RWU went 11-5-6 overall (3-1-4 ECC) last year and lost to top-seeded Molloy in the semifinals of the ECC Tournament. The Redhawks were picked fourth in the 2023 ECC preseason coaches' poll. Head coach Scott Reber is in his nine season at RWU. All-conference selections Tamas Nagy and Nathan Ferguson return. Nagy totaled 14 goals and 39 points last year and was named the 2023 Preseason ECC Player of the Year. He had a hat trick in an early season win over D'Youville and has totaled 10 goals and 24 points this season. Junior goalkeeper Caleb DaSilva (1.74 GAA) has started all 12 games this season.

SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday's contest will mark the 26th all-time meeting between the two longtime rivals. Roberts owns a 17-5-3 advantage in the series. Roberts prevailed in 12 of the first 13 meetings, but the teams have split (5-5-2) the the last 12 contests. They battled to a 1-1 draw last year at Williamsville South High School.

THE SPARTANS (7-2-3, 4-0-1 ECC)
STAC is unbeaten over its last five games (4-0-1) and is coming off a 2-0 win over Staten Island this past weekend. The Spartans are ranked sixth in the East Region by the United Soccer Coaches. STAC went 6-6-4 overall (2-3-3 ECC) last year and was picked seventh in the 2023 ECC preseason coaches' poll. Head coach Graham Brown is in his 23rd season at STAC. All-conference selection Kevon Evans returns after totaling nine goals and 22 points last year. He has scored at least one goal in eight of STAC's 12 games this season and has totaled a team-high nine goals and 25 points. Freshman Petter Gunnarsson (1.11 GAA) has started 10 games this season and made a season-high eight saves in a recent 2-1 win over the District of Columbia.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's contest will mark the 10th all-time meeting between the Wildcats and the Spartans. The teams have split the last four meetings and STAC owns a 6-3-0 advantage in the series. Daemen posted a 2-0 win at STAC last year.

UP NEXT
Daemen returns to action next Wednesday (Oct. 25) when the Wildcats head across town to take on D'Youville University in an ECC match..

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.

Follow the Daemen men's soccer program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @DaemenMSOC.

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