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top 10 moments wsoc ncaa bid

Top 10 Moments of 2019-20: Women's Soccer Gains First NCAA Tournament Bid

8/5/2020 11:45:00 AM

AMHERST, N.Y. - On Wednesdays and Fridays this summer, daemenwildcats.com will feature stories that look back upon the top 10 moments of the 2019-20 season. Record-setting performances, important wins and history-making achievements will be documented in the series.

THE MOMENT:
Women's Soccer gains first NCAA tournament bid
 
At one point or another, every collegiate student-athlete and coach has probably thought about the jubilation that comes with a history-making season. When a new season begins, many have dreams and aspirations of doing something that no one from their school or program has yet accomplished, although few will actually experience the dream-come-true scenario. Those that do are likely to remember the moment forever.

That was the case for the Daemen women's soccer team on the evening of November 18, 2019. As the team gathered on campus to watch the NCAA tournament selection show, there was an air of uncertainty in the room. The Wildcats had been ranked among the top teams in the NCAA Division II East Region throughout the season, but they had also finished fifth in the East Coast Conference standings, one point out of contention for the four-team conference tournament. Without having the opportunity to compete in the conference tournament to gain an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, their postseason fate hung entirely on the selection committee. Was the team's 11-3-3 record enough to warrant an at-large bid? Only time would tell.

And then the moment came. For the first time since gaining full NCAA Division II membership in 2015, Daemen was indeed NCAA tournament-bound. The Wildcats were awarded the No. 8 seed in the East Region and matched up with top-seeded St. Rose. The announcement from the selection show brought about an instantaneous celebration with team members jumping from their chairs and remaining in motion as hugs and jubilation swept the room.
 
"I can't express the feeling right now," said head coach Dan Dolan after learning the news. "I'm just extremely happy to see the pure joy and excitement on the faces of our players. I'm so proud of them. Much gratitude to the committee for seeing our body of work and choosing us an at-large team."

The situation was especially joyous for the team's five seniors, including Jamie Boyar (Williamsville, N.Y.) and Lindsay Ciaramella (St. George, Ont.) who echoed Dolan's sentiments. 

"Last week was such an emotional rollercoaster. We thought our careers were over and four years of playing together would just kind of end like that. And then when we found out there was still a chance for the tournament, we kind of just really worked hard and just hoped for the best. To find out today that we get another game together, it's fabulous," said Boyar, the program's all-time leading goal scorer. 

"It's definitely a surreal feeling knowing that we came all this way and our senior year here is the first year we get to make it to the NCAA's. It's an amazing feeling," added Ciaramella. 

Soon after the selection show ended, Dolan and his players turned their attention to St. Rose. The Wildcats would be making their second trip to Albany to face the highly-touted Golden Knights. The teams had met on October 19 with St. Rose, then ranked 10th in the country, scoring a 3-1 win. The Golden Knights went on to win the Northeast-10 Conference championship to earn their 15th NCAA tournament berth since 1996. They would enter the NCAA tournament with a daunting 17-2-1 record.
 
Four days later, on November 22, the Wildcats made their NCAA tournament debut at the Plumeri Sports Complex. St. Rose got on the board with three first-half goals en route to a 4-0 win. It was just the second time all season that Daemen had given up more than two goals in a game. St. Rose would go on to win the regional title and advance as far as the national semifinals. 
 
The result notwithstanding, it was a seminal moment for a Daemen program that's only previous national tournament appearances came during a three-year period (2012-14) as members of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), an organization that provided postseason opportunities as Daemen was transitioning to NCAA membership. The Wildcats finished 2019 with an 11-4-3 record, setting a new benchmark for wins during the program's NCAA Division II era. It also marked the sixth 10-win season in program history, and the fifth of Dolan's 11-year tenure as head coach. 
 
ADDITIONAL TOP 10 MOMENTS FROM THE 2019-20 SEASON:

Daemen College 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.

 
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