AMHERST, NY - Junior Kelsey O'Leary (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia High School) and sophomore Samantha Engel (Dryden, NY/Dryden High School) powered the Daemen Wildcats past the visiting Rio Grande (OH) Red Storm today in the sweltering heat at Amherst's Dimp Wagner Stadium. The Wildcats were able to shake off a rough outing in their last start (a 3-2 loss at Buffalo State on Thursday) and improve their record to 2-1-0 while the Red Storm drop to 1-1-0.

"We put forth a much better effort today even with the heat playing a factor," said Daemen head coach Dan Dolan. "We had multiple chances to put it away early. We still need to improve but we're getting there."

The combination of O'Leary and Engel has proved pivotal for the Wildcats thus far in 2011. O'Leary put the Wildcats on the board, the third time in as many games that she's notched the team's first goal. She headed in a crossing feed from Engel on a corner kick in the 27th minute, giving her a team-best four goals on the season.

Engel matched O'Leary later in the game as she flicked in a rebound that resulted from a hard shot off the foot of senior Jenelle Masi (Greece, NY/Greece Athena High School) for her fourth goal of the season. This one came in the 71st minute and ended up being the game-winner.

Junior Alexa Amato (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island High School) scored her first career goal just two minutes later to put the host Wildcats ahead 3-0 in their home opener.

Mary Beth Schramm put the Red Storm on the board, albeit with just 16 seconds remaining, spoiling the shutout bid of Daemen keeper Kayla Hampton (DeRuyter, NY/DeRuyter High School); the shot was only the second that Rio Grande managed to put on frame for the entire contest as Daemen dominated possession of the ball throughout.

The Wildcats return to the pitch tomorrow at 12pm when they face Muskingum University (OH). The Muskies dropped a 7-0 decision in the first game of the day vs. Maine-Fort Kent as part of Daemen's Labor Day Classic.