OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's soccer team's five-game winning streak may have gone by the wayside, but the Wildcats remain unbeaten through six contests this season following a 1-1 tie with host New York Tech today. The East Coast Conference season opener for both teams went 110 minutes, but neither team could push one across the goal line through two overtime periods.
Daemen moves to 5-0-1 overall and 0-0-1 in ECC play, while the Bears (0-2-2, 0-0-1 ECC) remain in search of their first victory of 2019.
HIGHLIGHTS
- After a scoreless first half, junior forward Casey Luongo put the Bears ahead with her goal at the 71:36 mark. Luongo got behind the Daemen defense, but her initial attempt was turned aside by Daemen goalkeeper Maddie Flores (Seattle, Wash.) as she came running out to challenge. The ball caromed toward the goal line and despite stumbling, Luongo won a race to the ball and poked it into an open net.
- Daemen got the equalizer late in regulation off a beautiful set piece. A free kick was sent towards the top of the box where Katja Meyer (Verona, N.Y.) tapped it on to senior midfielder Lindsay Ciaramella (St. George, Ont.) in space. Ciaramella used her left foot to launch a shot into the upper left corner of the goal, bypassing the outstretched arms of NYIT keeper Nicole Genis at the 86:04 mark.
- The Wildcats generated several chances in the overtime periods, outshooting Tech 5-1 over the final 20 minutes. Jamie Boyar (Williamsville, N.Y.) got behind the Tech defense in the second overtime, but Genis was up to the challenge as she came off her line to make a game-saving stop.
- New York Tech held a 24-8 advantage in shot attempts, and a 9-4 edge in shots on goal.
- Flores made eight big saves for the Wildcats, her third game this season with eight or more. She moved to 4-0-1 in goal this season.
HEAD COACH DAN DOLAN POST-GAME COMMENTS
"I thought our play today was uncharacteristic of we generally play. You have to give NYIT a lot of credit. They came out flying and we never responded until late in the game. When we finally found our legs, we almost came out with the win. Maddie Flores did a great job of keeping us in the game. We'll take the point but we must be better this coming week."
GAME NOTES
- Both Daemen and New York Tech were picked to be among the conference tournament contenders this season. Daemen was picked third and NYIT fourth in the ECC preseason coaches' poll.
- New York Tech is coming off just the second 10-win season in program history. Daemen edged the Bears by a single point for the fourth and final conference tournament berth in 2018, thanks in part to a 2-1 win in the teams' head-to-head meeting.
- Daemen had entered the game as the highest scoring team in the ECC, averaging nearly 5 goals per game through their first five contests. Their scoreless first half marked just the second time this season they had been kept off the scoreboard for an entire half.
- Daemen is now 1-5-1 all-time in ECC season openers.
- The result marked Daemen's first tie since a 0-0 final against Clarion University on Oct. 14, 2018.
- Ciaramella's goal was her second of the season, and the fifth of her career.
UP NEXT
Daemen kicks off a three-game homestand Wednesday, Sept. 25 with a non-conference contest vs. Davis & Elkins College.
Daemen College features the only 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.
