Geoff Schneider

Men's Soccer Returns Home for Two Games this Week

9/8/2026 3:32:00 PM

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

BACK HOME
The Daemen men's soccer team (0-3-1) returns home for two matches this week, hosting Monroe at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and Salem at 12 p.m. on Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen played Saint Michael's to a 0-0 draw last Thursday. Afonso Abreu (Lisbon, Portugal) shared the team lead with two shots and put one on goal. Tim Florek (Marburg, Germany) also finished with two shots for the Wildcats. Colin Hockridge (Scarborough, Ontario) started in goal and played 26 minutes. Christopher Vasquez (Sunnyside, N.Y.) recorded four saves and did not allow a goal in 64 minutes. Daemen recorded seven shots, putting two on target, and finished with three corner kicks. On Saturday, the Wildcats fell 2-1 at Saint Anselm. After the Hawks pulled ahead 1-0 in the first half, Sincere Noble (Baltimore, Md.) evened the game at 1-1 in the 71st minute. Saint A's then struck again in the 79th minute to take the lead. Noble scored the Wildcats' goal, finished with three shots, and put two on frame. Fabrizzio Jaramillo (Lynwood, Calif.) recorded an assist on the goal and added one shot. Vasquez made eight saves in 90 minutes, including six in the second half.

NEW GUYS LEADING THE WAY
Noble scored his second goal of the season during Saturday's contest against the Hawks. The freshman now leads the team in goals (2) and points (4). Junior transfer Abreu has posted a goal and an assist and sits second on the team in points (3).

RETURNING TALENT
Daemen returns a strong veteran presence, with 18 players from last season. Senior midfielder Amin Garcia (Leganes, Spain) scored two goals in 2025, while Florek, Stefan Jankovic (Reykjavik, Iceland), 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, Niko Elie (Auckland, New Zealand) 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, Vasquez and Hockridge 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.

SCOUTING MONROE (1-2)
The Mustangs are playing their first season as an NCAA Division II Program after moving from the NJCAA. Monroe earned its first win as an NCAA program in its season opener at Southern Connecticut State on Aug. 27. Monroe then fell 4-2 at Mercy on August 30, and dropped a 3-1 decision at Adelphi this past Saturday. Aquino Peterson leads the team in goals (2) and points (4). Kevin Yengbie has logged a goal and an assist, ranking second on the team in points (3). Sinan Sargin has played in all three of Monroe's games with two starts. He has logged a 1-2-0 record, a 3.20 goals-against average, and a .429 save percentage.

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

SCOUTING SALEM (2-1)
The Tigers are coming off their first loss of the season last Saturday, falling 3-0 to Millersville. Salem defeated West Virginia Wesleyan 2-1 on Sept. 1 and beat Malone 4-1 on Aug. 27. Jesse Hospedales,
Arokya Shrestha, Josue Villegas, and Copper West all have three points with a goal and an assist. Gregory Lynch has started all three of Salem's games, posting a 2-1 record, a 1.67 goals-against average, and a .706 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
The teams have met once, in 2019, with the Wildcats falling 3-1 at home.

UP NEXT
Daemen welcomes Slippery Rock to Royal Park for a 6 p.m. game on Sept. 16.

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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