Women's Soccer Puts Winning Streak On The Line At Clarion

By: Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Women's Soccer | 9/18/2017 2:05:00 PM

GAME INFORMATION
Daemen Wildcats (3-1-1, 1-0-0 ECC) vs. Clarion Golden Eagles (3-3-1, 2-3-1 PSAC)
Tuesday, Sept. 19 | 2:00 p.m.
Clarion, Pa. | Memorial Stadium

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OH DANNY BOY
Head coach Dan Dolan returns for his ninth season on the Daemen sidelines in 2017. Since taking the reins of the program in 2009, Dolan has guided the Wildcats to a 74-72-7 record. The high water mark of Dolan's tenure came in 2011 when the Wildcats went 15-4 overall and 11-1 in their final season as an affiliate of the now-defunct American Mideast Conference (AMC), with Dolan earning AMC Coach of the Year honors. He went on to lead the program to three-straight appearances in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national championship game during the team's transition to NCAA Division II, winning the title in 2012. Dolan recently sat down for a video interview previewing his team's 2017 campaign.

WILDCATS PICKED 8TH IN ECC PRESEASON POLL
Following a vote of the league's head coaches, Daemen has been picked to finish eighth in the East Coast Conference this season. The Wildcats went 4-10-2 overall and 1-6-1 in league play last season. Bridgeport, which has won the last two ECC and East Region championships, was picked as the favorite to win the league again this year, and the Purple Knights open the season ranked No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches Division II preseason poll.

BEND IT LIKE BOYAR
Daemen returns its top five point producers from last season, headlined by sophomore striker Jamie Boyar who totaled six goals, four assists and 16 points as a true freshman in 2016. In doing so, she became the first Daemen freshman to lead the team in goals and points since Alicia Vasiloff in 2008, and her point total was the most for a Daemen freshman since Kim Obermeier posted 21 points in 2012. She also led the team in shots (38) and shots on goal (19), and was one of only three players to start all 16 games. The Wildcats posted a 2-2-1 record in games that she scored in.

VETERAN PRESENCE
Daemen's roster features five players who have played in more than 30 games in their respective careers. On defense, junior Alex Valenti has started 38 of the 39 games she's appeared in during her career. She's joined by classmate Monique Green who has been a constant in the Wildcats' starting lineup after doubling her starts, from seven as a freshman to 14 last season. In the midfield, redshirt junior Sarah Britton is coming off her finest season as she tallied three goals and seven points in 2016. Britton has made 19 starts and 38 appearances in her career. And up front, the Wildcats retain the services of seniors Alex Juliano and Kalyn Compeau. Juliano has six goals and 14 points in 51 career games, while Compeau has totaled 14 goals and 33 points over 44 career games, including the two seasons she played for Medaille.

FRESH FACES
The Wildcats welcome 21 newcomers to the roster in 2017, including 17 freshmen. Seven freshman have made at least one start through the Wildcats' first five games this season. Midfielder Sam Hanes, defenders Kayla Goeddertz and Sam D'Agostino, and goalkeeper Katelin White have started all five games thus far. Hanes scored the lone goal in Daemen's 1-1 (2OT) tie with St. Michael's in the team's 2017 season opener on Sept. 1. Goeddertz earned her first career assist in Daemen's 2-1 (OT) win at St. Thomas Aquinas on Sept. 16. White has played all but 45 minutes between the pipes this season, and has totaled 36 saves and one shutout.

MAKING A MOVE
One of the new additions to the roster should be a familiar name for Daemen fans as Leah McDonell transitions to soccer from the women's basketball team. McDonell completed her four years of basketball eligibility last winter, finishing her career with 1,005 points, 511 rebounds, 258 assists and 150 steals. She was a second-team All-ECC performer last winter, and she joins a list that includes former hoopers Lindsay Stoddard and Joanna Daugenti as players who have competed in both soccer and basketball for the Wildcats. Through the team's first five games, McDonnel has made three appearances off the bench.

STOPPING STAC
Daemen is coming off a 2-1 (OT) win at St. Thomas Aquinas this past Saturday, Sept. 16. Freshman forward Kaylyn Phillips entered as a substitution at the 96:59 mark, and moments later made the play of the game as she pounced on her own rebound opportunity and lofted a shot over the head of STAC goalkeeper Courtney Dumain, delivering the Wildcat victory. It was Phillips' first career goal, and she became the first Daemen freshman to score a game-winning goal in overtime since Kim Obermeier in a 1-0 defeat of Maine-Fort Kent in the USCAA national title game on Nov. 3, 2012. STAC took a 1-0 lead less than nine minutes into the game, but Daemen pulled even in the 57th minute with Celia de Pablo Esteban's second goal of the season. Katelin White made nine saves to help preserve the victory as Daemen moved to 1-0 in league play for the first time since joining the ECC back in 2013.

GOING STREAKING
Daemen enters Tuesday's game at Clarion having won three-straight contests. It's the Wildcats' first three-game winning streak since the 2015 season when they scored successive wins over Molloy (1-0, OT), Alfred State (6-0) and NYIT (2-0) in mid-October. A win at Clarion would give Daemen their longest winning streak since a seven-game streak that encompassed the end of the 2012 and beginning of the 2013 seasons.

I CAN BE YOUR HERO
Sophomore forward Jamie Boyar was voted the Herosports.com Division II Hero of the Week after scoring three of the Wildcats' four goals in non-league wins over Lake Erie (2-1, OT, Sept. 8) and Tiffin (2-0, Sept. 10). She scored her first career "golden goal" against Lake Erie, burying a penalty kick opportunity in the first overtime period. She went on to register the second multi-goal game of her career in the win over Tiffin. Hero of the Week nominations were announced on Tuesday, Sept. 12 with an online voting platform which ran through Friday, Sept. 15. Boyar gathered 755 total votes, accounting for 54.99 percent of the total vote. It was the second weekly accolade for Boyar who also earned ECC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

SHUTTING THE DOOR
Freshman goalkeeper Katelin White has been impressive thus far in her rookie season. White earned ECC Defensive Player of the Week honors for Sept. 4-10 after totaling 16 saves in wins over Lake Erie (2-1, OT, Sept. 8) and Tiffin (2-0, Sept. 10). White turned aside 11 Tiffin shot attempts en route to her first career shutout, the most saves by a Daemen goalkeeper in a shutout since Kathryn Haessner made nine in a 2-0 defeat of Maine-Fort Kent on Sept. 7, 2013. White presently ranks in the top three among ECC leaders in total saves (36), save percentage (.923), total goals allowed (3) and goals-against average (0.62).

CLARION SCOUTING REPORT
Clarion is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and the Golden Eagles are led by veteran head coach Sean Esterhuizen, now in his fourth season at Clarion and his 16th as a collegiate head coach overall. The Golden Eagles return 19 players from their 2016 roster, including leading scorer Marina Kelly who totaled five goals and 12 points last season. Also back are Meliah Roman and Aaliyah Odom who shared the team lead with three assists, and starting net-minder Krista Mosi who posted a 1.75 goals-against average and an .829 save percentage last season. The Golden Eagles posted a 2-14-2 record in 2016, and have already eclipsed that win total in 2017 as they'll enter Tuesday's game with a 3-3-1 overall record. Clarion snapped a nine-game losing streak and a 12-game winless drought (0-11-1) with a 2-1 defeat of Lock Haven on Sept. 2. They have won two of their last three contests, and are coming off a 2-1 (2OT) victory over Shippensburg. Freshman Dani McNally scored in the 110th minute to deliver the win. Odom has led the way offensively with three goals and seven points, while freshman Julianna Iocco has totaled five points (1 gl, 3 asts). Mosi has seen action in six games between the pipes, posting a 1.08 goals-against average thus far.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Clarion: 0-0
Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A

UP NEXT
Daemen returns to non-conference action for the team's second-straight road game Tuesday, Sept. 19 at Clarion.

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Players Mentioned

#23 Jamie Boyar: F; 5' 2"; Sophomore

#9 Sarah Britton: M; 5' 6"; Redshirt Junior

#5 Kalyn Compeau: F/M; 5' 6"; Senior

#22 Monique Green: D; 5' 8"; Junior

#32 Alex Juliano: F; 5' 2"; Senior

#7 Alex Valenti: D; 5' 4"; Junior

#10 Sarah Kenny: M; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#17 Celia de Pablo Esteban: M; 5' 6"; Freshman

#20 Sam Hanes: M/F; 5' 2"; Freshman

#16 Kayla Neumann: M/F; 5' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#23 Jamie Boyar
: 5' 2"; Sophomore
: F

#9 Sarah Britton
: 5' 6"; Redshirt Junior
: M

#5 Kalyn Compeau
: 5' 6"; Senior
: F/M

#22 Monique Green
: 5' 8"; Junior
: D

#32 Alex Juliano
: 5' 2"; Senior
: F

#7 Alex Valenti
: 5' 4"; Junior
: D

#10 Sarah Kenny
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: M

#17 Celia de Pablo Esteban
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: M

#20 Sam Hanes
: 5' 2"; Freshman
: M/F

#16 Kayla Neumann
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: M/F