Men's Soccer Heads to Crosstown Rival D'Youville Wednesday and UDC Saturday

10/21/2025 3:29:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Connor Griffin, Assistant Director of Athletics Communications | cgriffin@daemen.edu

BACK IN ACTION
The Daemen University men's soccer team heads across Buffalo to play D'Youville on Wednesday. The Wildcats then gear up for another ECC match against District of Columbia on Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen fell 3-0 at home to Molloy last Saturday after the Lions scored twice in the first and once in the second. In the 63rd minute, Rayane Baitiche (Thionville, France) broke free and took a shot that went in, but it was called back for offside. He also fired two shots in the game. Marco Panunto (Niagara Falls, Ontario) had a chance in the 76th minute, ripping a low shot that was saved. The Wildcats also dropped a 2-0 decision at Slippery Rock last Wednesday after SRU scored twice in the second half. Amin Garcia (Leganes, Spain) registered two shots, with one being on target. Tim Florek (Marburg, Germany) and Nolan Smith (Ridgeway, Ontario) also contributed with a shot. Goalkeeper Dylan Delaney (Lockport, N.Y.) stopped three shots in the game.

RACKING UP THE SAVES
Delaney ranks second in the East Coast Conference in saves per game (5.23) and total saves (68). The freshman stopped a season-high 12 shots at Franklin Pierce (Sept. 17). He also made nine saves against Mercy (Oct. 11), Queens (Oct. 4), and Saint Anselm (Sept. 12).

LEADING THE WAY
Stevie Varallo (Wilson, N.Y.) has logged four points via a goal and two assists, and is tied with Larry Noel (Nassau, Bahamas), who has scored two goals, for the team lead. Varallo's two helpers are tied with Jonathan Lopez-Leblanc (Centennial, Colo.) for the team lead, while Noel is the Wildcats' leader in goals.

LOGGING MINUTES
Axel Lozoya (Santa Fe, N.M.) leads Wildcat field players in minutes (907), having played the full 90 in four contests this season. Selim Ozleplebici (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) (839) and Jean Tilo (Port-au-Prince, Haiti) (810) sit just behind Lozoya. Tilio has logged nine complete games.

CAREER FIRSTS
Stefan Jankovic (Reykjavik, Iceland) netted his first career goal during the game at Roberts Wesleyan (Oct 8). Garcia notched his first career goal against Queens on Oct. 4. Previously, Lozoya netted his first career goal against Lock Haven on Sept. 23, and Varallo scored his first at Franklin Pierce on Sept. 17. Jankovic joined Garcia, Lozoya, Varallo, Ozleplebici, Thomas Wikan (Inderøy, Norway), and Florek as Wildcat players who have netted their first collegiate goal this season.

SCOUTING D'YOUVILLE (3-7-2, 1-3-1 ECC)
The Saints have lost three straight games, most recently dropping a 7-0 decision to St. Thomas Aquinas last Saturday. D'Youville also fell 3-2 at Gannon last Wednesday. Dylan Danch leads the team in goals (5) and points (10). Omar Daoudi has logged a team-high three assists. Goalkeeper Matthre Solorio has started 11 games, posting a 1.69 goals-against average and a .695 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 7-1 against D'Youville. The Saints beat the Wildcats for the first time last season with a 3-1 victory in Amherst.

SCOUTING DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (5-3-3, 1-2-2 ECC)
The Firebirds are unbeaten in their last three matches (2-0-1), most recently tying Caldwell 2-2 in a non-conference game last Wednesday. Joao De Souza De Aquino and Ignacio Lopez have both scored three goals, while Lopez leads the Firebirds in points (8). Sergio Becerra has started 11 games between the pipes, recording a 1.60 goals-against average and a .757 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
The Firebirds lead the all-time series, 10-0-1. UDC picked up a 2-1 win in Amherst when the teams met last season. Baitiche scored the Wildcats' goal.

UP NEXT
Daemen hosts Staten Island in its final game of the regular season on Nov. 1 at 2:30 p.m.

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 University men's soccer program on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @DaemenMSOC.

Print Friendly Version