Geoff Schneider

Wildcats Begin Season Against West Liberty and Pace

8/26/2026 1:00:00 PM

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

NEW SEASON AHEAD
The Daemen men's soccer team kicks off the 2026 season at home on Thursday, hosting West Liberty at 12 p.m. The Wildcats then hit the road for the first time on Sunday, heading to Pace for a 12 p.m. contest.

OFFENSIVE RETURNERS
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.

ANCHORING THE BACKLINE
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.

FRESH FACES
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.

SCHEDULE OUTLOOK
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

SCOUTING WEST LIBERTY
The Hilltoppers finished the 2025 season with a 7-9-4 record, including a 4-7-3 mark in Mountain East play. WLU defeated Point Park 3-0 in the MEC quarterfinals before falling 3-2 to Concord in the semifinals. Leyton Collier is the Hilltoppers' top returning point scorer, registering eight with two goals and four assists, tying for the team lead in helpers. Leandre Tyssandier recorded seven points with three goals and an assist. Ethan Nethery also notched three goals while EJ Sablan tallied two goals and an assist. In goal, Shai'ya Fitzgerald played in seven games last season, posting a 3-4 record, a 1.71 goals-against average, and a 0.727 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY:
This will be the first meeting between the programs.

SCOUTING PACE:
Pace restarted its program in 2025. The Settlers logged a 6-9-3 record, including a 1-6-2 mark in Northeast 10 action. Daniel Santos led the team in goals (6) and points (15) last year, also tallying three assists. Theo Poehlmann finished with six points, recording two goals and two assists, while Ervin Radoncic led the team in helpers with four. Khais Milligan started all eight games he played in goal last season, logging a 2-3-3 record, a 1.41 GAA, and an .817 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY:
The programs will be meeting for the first time on Sunday.

UP NEXT:
Daemen is back on the road for two games next week, traveling to St. Michael's on Sept. 3 and Saint Anselm on Sept. 5.

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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