Geoff Schneider

Men's Soccer Travels To Slippery Rock Wednesday; Hosts Staten Island Saturday

9/19/2023 11:49:00 AM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. – The Daemen men's soccer team will play two games this week. The Wildcats travel to Slippery Rock University for a non-league game Wednesday (Sept. 20) and then host the College of Staten Island Saturday (Sept. 23) at 1:30 p.m. in an East Coast Conference match. Saturday's game will be played at Karrer Field on the campus of The Park School in Amherst, N.Y.

THE WILDCATS
Daemen stands at 1-3-1 overall and 0-1-0 in the ECC. Daemen played its first two home games of 2023 last week and suffered a 4-1 setback to nationally-ranked Gannon and a 1-0 loss to Queens on Saturday. Saturday's match was the ECC opener for both teams. 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 and fellow rookie Fabrizzio Jaramillo (Lynwood, Calif.) are tied for the team lead in goals (2).

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 three games this year and made five saves in a 1-1 tie with Saint Michael's. Bustamante made eight saves in the loss to Gannon.

ROAD WARRIORS
Daemen plays just five home games this season. After this week the Wildcats will play six of their final eight games on the road.

THE ROCK
Slippery Rock is a NCAA Division II member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). SRU stands at 0-2-2 on the year and is coming off a 1-1 draw with Shippensburg on Saturday. Head coach Kevin Wilhelm is entering his sixth season at SRU. The Rock went 5-10-2 overall and 3-6-1 in the PSAC last year and were picked fourth in the 2023 PSAC West Division preseason poll. A total of 13 players return from last year, including junior Arturo Pia Hernandis who totaled a team-high eight goals last year and earned second-team All-PSAC honors. Junior goalkeeper Adam Davies has started all four games this season and made four saves in the draw with Shippensburg.

SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday's contest will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the Wildcats and The Rock. SRU owns a 3-1-0 advantage in the all-time series. Daemen posted its first-ever win over SRU last year at Williamsville South HS. A converted penalty kick by Pontus Lundin in the 61st minute was the difference in the game.

THE DOLPHINS
Staten Island returns 13 players from last year and welcomes 17 newcomers (15 freshmen, 2 transfers) to the 2023 roster. The Dolphins stand at 1-2-1 on the year and host the University of Bridgeport in a non-league match tonight (Sept. 19) before facing Daemen Saturday. Saturday's game will be the ECC opener for CSI. The Dolphins opened the year with a 4-0 win over Bloomfield, before suffering back-to-back losses to Assumption (4-3) and Goldey-Beacom (3-1). They played American International to a 1-1 draw this past Saturday. Head coach Alex Cuba is is his second season as head coach. The Dolphins went 4-11-2 overall and 2-4-2 in the ECC last year. They were picked eighth in the 2023 ECC preseason poll. Senior Daniel Angulo returns after totaling three goals and a team-high nine points last year and earning third-team All-ECC honors. Sophomore goalkeeper Amari Thompson returns after starting 15 games as a rookie last year. He has started three games this year and made seven saves in the draw with AIC last weekend.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's contest will mark just the third all-time meeting between the Wildcats and the Dolphins. Daemen has prevailed in the previous two meetings and posted a 2-1 win at Staten Island last year.

UP NEXT
Daemen plays two conference games next week. The Wildcats travel across town to take on D'Youville University Wednesday (Sept. 27) and then head to Washington, D.C. to face the University of the District of Columbia Saturday (Sept. 30).

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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