James P. McCoy

Men's Soccer 2026 Season Preview

8/25/2026 2:00:00 PM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. — Daemen University men's soccer kicks off its 2026 campaign at home on Thursday, hosting West Liberty at 12 p.m. Before the start of the season, eighth-year head coach Bediako Swan and players Niko Elie (Auckland, New Zealand) and Stefan Jankovic (Reyjavik, Iceland) spoke about the team's expectations heading into the season.

"I think we are doing well, especially starting so early in the season. The chemistry is pretty decent, especially the fact that we had eight new players come in, and the guys are getting along well," Swan said. "From what I'm seeing from the returners and what I'm hearing from them from the new guys coming in, they're very happy with the recruiting process. So, I think they feel very confident that they'll be able to help us reach our goal, which is obviously the playoffs for 2026."

"We had a very young squad before. The returners are much more mature and experienced, and have shown a lot of promise. They have been really good on and off the pitch." Jankovic said. "I think the benefits are that the returners got minutes last year but maybe didn't have a lot of experience. Now they are much more mature and ready for the new season."

The Wildcats were selected ninth in the ECC preseason poll, receiving 11 points. Queens was selected first, followed by Roberts Wesleyan. Mercy was picked third, St. Thomas Aquinas was selected fourth, and the University of the District of Columbia was fifth. Molloy came in sixth, while D'Youville was selected seventh, and Staten Island (20 points) was picked eighth. Last season, Daemen finished 1-16, including a 0-8 mark in ECC play.

Daemen returns a strong veteran presence, with 18 players from last season. Senior midfielder Amin Garcia (Leganes, Spain) scored two goals in 2025, while Tim Florek (Marburg, Germany), Jankovic, Selim Ozleplebici (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), and Thomas Wikan (Inderøy, Norway) also found the back of the net. Jonathan Lopez-Leblanc (Centennial, Colo.) registered two assists.

Defensively, Elie helped anchor the backline, starting all 14 games he played and logging 1,002 minutes. Senior Nolan Smith (Ridgeway, Ontario) and junior Sam Mann (Buffalo, N.Y.) also contributed key minutes in the back.

In goal, Cristopher Vasquez (Sunnyside, N.Y.) and Collin Hockridge (Scarborough, Ontario) both saw limited action last season. Vasquez made a season-high five saves in a game against Lock Haven while Hockridge logged a season-best four stops at the University of the District of Columbia.

The Wildcats welcomed nine new players to the squad for this fall, including four freshmen and five transfer players. The newcomers hail from five states and two countries and include five defenders, two forwards, one midfielder, and one goalkeeper.

"It's been pretty smooth so far. All the new players have kind of got on the same page, pretty early, which is, which has been good and the chemistry is already starting to build" Elie said. "I think there's been a lot of encouraging signs definitely so we're just trying to build that chemistry and hopefully that'll translate on the pitch."

Daemen is set to play 15 contests this season, including eight at home and seven on the road. Following Thursday's opener, the Wildcats hit the road for the first time, heading to Pace on Sunday for a 12 p.m. game. ECC play kicks off with two road matches, beginning on Sept. 19 with a trip to Molloy before making the short drive to Roberts Wesleyan on Sept. 23. Daemen will host Mercy in its home ECC opener on Sept. 26.

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.

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