Match #14
Daemen Wildcats (4-9, 0-0 ECC) vs. District of Columbia Firebirds (3-8, 0-1 ECC)
Date: Saturday, March 25
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Williamsville, N.Y. | Miller Tennis Center

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CONFERENCE PLAY BEGINS
The Daemen University men's tennis team opens up East Coast Conference action on Saturday, March 25 with a 6:30 PM home match at Williamsville's Miller Tennis Center. The Wildcats will play host to the University of the District of Columbia Firebirds, who come into Saturday with a 3-8 overall record and 0-1 record in ECC play.

ONWARD AND UPWARD
The Wildcats put together a solid March, winning three of the five matches they've played this month to come into Saturday's conference opener with a 4-9 overall record and 4-6 record in the spring season. After a 7-0 sweep over Kutztown on the fourth, the Wildcats fell to Adelphi on the fifth but rebounded with a pair of wins, starting with an 8-1 win over Division III Houghton on March 15 and a big 5-2 home victory over Bloomsburg on the 17th. Daemen suffered a 6-1 loss to Le Moyne on Sunday in their final non-conference match before ECC play, snapping their two match win streak. 

FIERCE FRESHMEN 
Daemen's trio of freshmen have made a name for themselves this season. In the spring season, Alex Lumanog (Albuquerque, N.M.), Rohan Chitanand (Den Haag, Netherlands) and Adam Pasierb (Lancaster, N.Y.) have combined for 14 wins, including the Wildcats' match at Kutztown where all three freshmen won in their singles matches. Playing in the No. 1 spot for both singles and doubles this spring, Lumanog has totaled three singles victories as well as three doubles wins paired with senior partner Luis de Vuyst (Antwerp, Belgium). He earned his first singles victory in No. 1 singles in a three-set (6-1, 2-6, 6-0) fashion in the spring opener against Rochester Institute of Technology, ensuring the Wildcats' their first win of the year, and their first win over RIT since Sept. of 2017. Chitanand has won three singles matches this season in the No. 4 singles spot, while earning two doubles victories as the freshmen No. 3 doubles pairing with Pasierb. The native WNY-er Pasierb has also picked up three victories in No. 6 singles along with the two doubles wins with Chitanand.  

UP NEXT
The Wildcats will travel to face perennial powerhouse Queens next Saturday (April 1) in a 4 PM matchup before heading to St. Thomas Aquinas on Sunday (April 2) for a double-header against the Spartans at 10 AM and 1 PM in Sparkill, N.Y. 

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SCOUTING THE UDC FIREBIRDS
The District of Columbia Firebirds posted a 5-12 overall record in the 2021-22 season, and finished third in the conference with a 2-4 ECC record. After opening up the spring season with a four-match losing streak, the Firebirds come into Saturday's match with a 0-1 record in ECC play so far after dropping their conference opener 7-0 to Queens last Friday. UDC is riding a one-match win streak having topped Marymount 6-1 in a Tuesday afternoon matchup to move to a 3-8 record overall on the year. The Firebirds were predicted to finish tied with Daemen for third in the conference in the 2022-23 ECC men's tennis preseason poll. With just six players on their roster, four of those returned from last season's team, while the Firebirds added junior Antonio Simo Durall and sophomore Oskar Karos who have added depth to the 2022-23 roster. 

SERIES RECORD VS. UDC
All-Time Series: 7-1 UDC
Streak: Win 2 UDC
Last Meeting: 5 UDC 2 Daemen | April 8, 2022 | Williamsville, N.Y.

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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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