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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
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mercado women's soccer recruit 2019
Alyssa Mercado is one of five student-athletes in Daemen's 2019 recruiting class for women's soccer

Dolan Announces Five Women's Soccer Recruiting Commitments

11/30/2018 12:45:00 PM

By: By Jake Carlson, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant
AMHERST, N.Y. – Daemen College head women's soccer coach Dan Dolan announced today that he has signed five student-athletes in the high school graduating class of 2019 to letters of intent. The signees will enroll in classes and join the women's soccer program beginning in the Fall 2019 semester. They include three New York state products - Julia Eichel (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island), Nicole Grichen (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Sacred Heart) and Faye Panagopoulos (Kenmore, N.Y./Kenmore West) - as well as Alyssa Mercado (Ontario, Calif./Ontario) and Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio/Medina) who hail from outside the area.

"Despite the small class we are bringing in, each player will have a great chance to make an impact next season," said Dolan who recently completed his 10th season at the helm "We were able to fill positions right up the spine of our formation and I look forward to us putting out a very competitive and deep lineup in 2019." 

The five signees join a Daemen team that is coming off its first postseason berth since transitioning to NCAA Division II. The Wildcats posted an 8-8-1 overall record, and a 5-4-0 mark in league play, finishing fourth in the ECC standings. The team will lose four seniors to graduation, but will return nine players who started at least 10 games, including leading goal-scorer Jamie Boyar (Williamsville, N.Y.) and assist leader Celia de Pablo Esteban (Burgos, Spain), both of whom were named to the All-ECC First Team. 

Eichel will add some depth to the defensive side of the ball where Daemen will graduate two of its long-time starters in Monique Green (Williamsville, N.Y.) and Alex Valenti (Clarence, N.Y.). Eichel comes from the prominent program at Grand Island High School where she led the Vikings to three straight Niagara Frontier League championships. A first team All-NFL pick as a senior, Eichel will reunite with her former Grand Island teammate Grace Stranahan (Grand Island, N.Y.) who recorded four points as a freshman for Daemen this season.

Grichen will add some depth to the Wildcats' midfield where she specializes as a defender. Grichen was named captain of her Sacred Heart Sharks squad in her senior season, and Dolan will look for her to develop into a team leader at the college level.

Panagopoulos comes from Kenmore West High School where she played forward for the Blue Devils. She had 12 goals and six assists in her senior season for 30 points, and was named a second team All-NFL honoree. A versatile athlete, Panagopoulos earned 10 total varsity letters and holds two school records for the Blue Devils' indoor track and field team. 

Mercado comes in all the way from California where she played forward and outside midfield for the Ontario Jaguars, which is east of Los Angeles. She earned four letters in both soccer and track throughout her high school tenure. Mercado was an All-Mount Baldy League First Team selection in both her sophomore and junior seasons. She will also compete for Daemen's track and field team as a sprinter. Mercado was named the league's MVP for track and field last year. 

DeLappi comes to Daemen from the state of Ohio where she has played goalkeeper for the Medina Bees, leading them to Greater Cleveland Conference and District championships in 2018. DeLappi had a combined 26 shutouts between her junior and senior seasons while also being named to All-Greater Cleveland Conference First Team.

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