MATCH 6 – Daemen vs. St. Thomas Aquinas | Sept. 20 | 2:30 p.m. | Royal Park | Amherst, N.Y.
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Daemen Links: Roster | Schedule | Stats
STAC Links: Roster | Schedule | Stats
 

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KICKING OFF CONFERENCE ACTION
The Daemen University men's soccer team begins its East Coast Conference slate with a home contest against Saint Thomas Aquinas on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen fell 6-1 at Franklin Pierce on Wednesday, with Stevie Varallo (Wilson, N.Y.) netting the Wildcats' lone goal. Varallo scored in the 89th minute after Axel Lozoya (Santa Fe, N.M.) played a long ball, and Varallo floated a shot over the goalkeeper to make the score 6-1. The Ravens netted three goals in each half to secure the win. Goalkeeper Dylan Delaney (Lockport, N.Y.) started the match, making 12 saves.

RACKING UP THE SAVES
Through the first six games, Delaney leads the East Coast Conference and sits second nationally in saves (35). His 5.83 saves per game rank second in the conference and 13th nationally. The freshman stopped a season-high 12 shots last game. He also made nine saves against Saint Anselm (Sept. 12) and stopped five shots against Saint Michael's (Sept. 10).

LEADING THE WAY
Stevie Varallo has logged four points with a goal and two assists, and is tied with Larry Noel (Nassau, Bahamas) for the team lead.  Varallo's two helpers lead the squad, while Noel is the team leader in goals.

CAREER FIRSTS
Varallo scored his first career goal in Wednesday's contest, and Lozoya's assist marked his first career point. Varallo joined Selim Ozleplebici (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Thomas Wikan (Inderøy, Norway), and Tim Florek (Marburg, Germany) as Wildcats who have netted their first collegiate goal this season.
 

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SCOUTING ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (1-2-2)
The Spartans are coming off a 3-3 tie against East Stroudsburg on Wednesday after falling 4-3 last Saturday at Wilmington. STAC's lone win came over Dominican by a 2-0 margin on Sept. 7. Kevon Evans leads the squad in goals (4) and points (10). Mika Leue has posted a team-best three helpers, while Uhunoma Fredrick-Ilekhuoba has scored twice. Dante Muntane has started all five games in goal, posting a 2.40 goals-against average and a .692 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
The Spartans lead the all-time series, 7-3-1. The two squads played to a 0-0 draw in Sparkhill, N.Y., last season. Daemen's previous win over STAC came on the road in 2022 by a 2-0 margin.

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UP NEXT
The Wildcats welcome Lock Haven to Royal Park for a non-conference match on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

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