James P. McCoy

Wildcats Return to Action at CSI Saturday

10/2/2026 10:00:00 AM

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

CONTINUING ECC ACTION
The Daemen men's soccer team (1-7-2, 1-2 ECC) continues conference play with a road trip downstate to play the College of Staten Island at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen defeated Roberts Wesleyan 3-1 last Wednesday (Sept. 23). The Wildcats put all five of their shots on goal and scored twice in the first half before adding another after halftime. Afonso Abreu (Leiria, Portugal) scored for the second straight game and his third goal of the season in the 18th minute to put the Wildcats up 1-0. Karim Salome (Logan, Utah) earned an assist. In the 37th minute, Tim Florek (Marburg, Germany) made it 2-0 for the Wildcats when he redirected a Fabrizzio Jaramillo (Lynwood, Calif.) free kick. Stefan Jankovic (Reykjavik, Iceland) converted a penalty kick in the 56th minute to give Daemen a three-goal advantage. Cristopher Vasquez (Sunnyside, N.Y.) made four saves in the victory. The Wildcats then fell 2-1 to Mercy last Saturday. Jordan Hernandez (Stockton, Calif.) put Daemen up 1-0 in the 11th minute, finishing off a Nolan Smith (Ridgeway, Ontario) assist for the opening goal. Mercy tied it up, 1-1, in the 72nd minute, then took the lead in the 86th. Earlier, the Wildcats created the first sustained pressure of the half with four shots and a corner kick in the opening eight minutes, including two Sincere Noble (Baltimore, Md.) shots that were saved. Florek had a close attempt when his shot hit the post in the 27th minute. Vasquez made three saves in 74:45. Colin Hockridge (Scarborough, Ontario) made one save in the final 15:15.

SPREADING THE LOVE
The Wildcats have many contributors offensively. Seven different players have recorded a goal this season. Actionally, 11 different players have logged a point. The team has logged 32 points with 11 goals and 10 assists thus far.

CAREER FIRSTS
Several Wildcats have logged career firsts this season. Hernandez logged his first goal as a Wildcat against Mercy. Salome netted his first career goal against Salem, while Selim Ozleplebici (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) scored his first against Monroe. Noble scored his first career goal in the season opener against West Liberty. Christian Baker (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Jordan Nobe (Honolulu, Hawaii), Keegan Herrmann (Wilson, N.Y.), and Smith have all logged their first career point with assists.

NEW GUYS LEADING THE WAY
Abreu has posted a team-high seven points with three goals and an assist. He scored his second goal of the season against Roberts Wesleyan. The junior transfer now leads the team in points and goals. Noble scored his second goal of the season at Saint Anselm and tied for second on the team in goals.

SCOUTING STATEN ISLAND (3-4-1, 1-1-1 ECC)
The Dolphins are coming off a 2-1 loss at Roberts Wesleyan last Saturday after defeating #16 Queens 2-0 on Sept. 23. CSI has also defeated Dominican University of New York (3-0) and Goldey-Beacom (4-1). Yair Roman is tied for the team in goals (3) and leads the squad in assists (2) and points (8). Dylan Meadows also has three goals, tying Roman, while Deniz Karcher has found the back of the net twice. Goalie Carlos Romero Astacio has started four games, posting a 2-1-1 record, a .075 goals-against average, and a .667 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats are 3-2 all time against CSI. The Dolphins have won the last two meetings, with a 5-1 victory last season in Amherst, and a 3-2 win on Staten Island in 2024. Daemen won the first three meetings in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

UP NEXT
Daemen is back home Wednesday, hosting rival D'Youville at 6 p.m. at Royal Park.

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.

Print Friendly Version