Game #13
Daemen Wildcats (7-4-1, 6-0-1 ECC) vs Clarion Golden Eagles (4-8-1, 4-8-1 PSAC)
DATE: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26
TIME: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville South High School
LIVE STREAMING: Via ECC Sports Network
LIVE STATS: Via Daemen Athletics
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. BACK IN ACTION
Daemen resumes their 2021 campaign when they host the Clarion Golden Eagles of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in a non-conference matchup at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the athletics complex of Williamsville South High School in Williamsville, N.Y. This will be the fourth all-time meeting between the programs and the first since Daemen's 2-0 road victory on Oct. 29, 2019 in Clarion, Pa. This is the first meeting between Daemen and Clarion in the '716' since a 0-0 draw on Oct. 14, 2018 at Karrer Field in Amherst, N.Y. This will be Daemen's first contest since a 3-0 victory against Staten Island on Oct. 23, also played at Williamsville South High School. Junior forward
Tatyjana Scalisi recorded two goals (four points overall) in the 14th and 54th minutes to stand with a team-high seven goals to her name (19 points total.) Sophomore
Brooke Amato (Grand Island, N.Y.) rounded out the scoring at the 55:31 mark, her fourth of the season. Veterans
Grace Stranahan (Grand Island, N.Y.) and
Sam Hanes (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) recorded one assist each in the victory. Junior goalkeeper
Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) recorded three saves for Daemen in what was her 12th start of the season and 15th of her career. Daemen moved to 6-0-1 in ECC play (7-4-1 overall) and had entered the contest having clinched a spot in next month's ECC Tournament following Mercy's victory over Queens on Oct. 22.
2. SCORING SENSATIONS
Through the first 12 contests in 2021, Daemen has netted 30 goals from 12 different players and 13 players have recorded at least one point (team total of 84.) Since senior midfielder
Grace Stranahan (Grand Island, N.Y.) scored in the 54th minute of Daemen's 3-1 loss at St. Anselm on Sept. 15, the Wildcats have outscored their opponents, 28-8, and have allowed only eight goals over the last nine contests. Leading the way offensively is junior forward
Tatyjana Scalisi (Williamsville, N.Y.) The Division I Buffalo transfer, as of Oct. 25, has recorded the second most goals among ECC players this fall with seven tallies. Scalisi was also the first ECC player to reach double-figure points with 19, which paces all Daemen players and is the second highest total among all conference players. Scalisi enters Tuesday's contest having recorded at least one point in six of the last eight games, including a two-goal, four-point performance in Daemen's 3-0 victory over Staten Island on Oct. 23. This was Scalisi's second multi-goal performance of the season. Daemen is 4-0 this season when Scalisi scores at least once. By scoring in the 54th minute in a 2-2 draw at Bridgeport on Oct. 16, freshman defender
Alyssa Diaz (Rochester, N.Y.) recorded her fourth goal of the season and was named the ECC Rookie of the Week for women's soccer
for games played Oct. 11-16. Diaz now stands with 12 points on the season and is now in a three-way tie for fourth most among ECC players. Diaz also joins Scalisi and
Faye Panagopoulos (Kenmore, N.Y.) to reach double-digits in total points among Daemen players. With the four goals, Diaz is now tied with current teammate
Brooke Amato (Grand Island, N.Y.) plus former players Celina de Pablo Esteban (2017) and
Alyssa Mercado (2019) for the second most goals scored by a freshman in the program's NCAA era (2015 – present.) The program's all-time scorer, Jamie Boyar, scored a program-best six goals in her freshman campaign in 2016. By scoring in the 79th minute in a 2-2 draw against Bridgeport on Oct. 16,
Sam Hanes (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) recorded her first goal of the season and was named the ECC Offensive Player of the Week for women's soccer
for games played Oct. 11-16. The draw against the Purple Knights was her first three-point outing since her one-goal, one-assist performance in a 3-1 victory versus Goldey-Beacom on Sept. 14, 2019. Including her assist in the following contest against Staten Island (Oct. 23), Hanes has now recorded seven goals and eight assists (22 total points) while wearing the blue-and-white. By scoring in the 56th minute against Staten Island on Oct. 23, Amato scored her fourth goal of the season in her sixth appearance of 2021. The goal tied the mark she set as a freshman in the unorthodox season. Through just 10 games of her Wildcat career, Amato has now recorded eight goals and 17 total points. By scoring against STAC on Oct. 9, Panagopoulos now has seven goals for her Daemen career. The forward already joins current teammates Amato, Hanes, Stranahan and
Katja Meyer (Verona, N.Y.) to score at least five goals during their time at Daemen. By scoring against Roberts Wesleyan on Sept. 29, this was the 10th career goal in Stranahan's career. She is now just the third player to have competed during Daemen's NCAA Division II era (2015 – present) to score at least 10 career goals (Meghan Lipinoga, 10; Jamie Boyar, 55). Stranahan had netted a career-high six goals and totaled 17 points during the 2019 season. Through 48 appearances, Stranahan has recorded 10 goals and 28 points. By scoring against Molloy on Oct. 2, Meyer ended a scoring drought since her two-goal performance against Nyack on Sept. 18, 2019. Daemen's contest against Stonehill on Oct. 7 marked Meyer's 60th career appearance wearing the blue-and-white and she now stands two goals away from joining Stranahan, Boyar and Lipinoga in the "10 Goal Club" for her career.
3. RETURNING VETERANS
Daemen returns 17 players who were on the roster for the unorthodox 2020-21 academic year, including 10 who were part of the Wildcats' NCAA tournament team in 2019 when they finished 11-4-3 – the best season in the program's NCAA era (2015 – present.)
Brooke Amato (Grand Island, N.Y.) wrapped up her freshman campaign as the team leader in goals (4) and points (8.) Team MVP
Nicole Grichen (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) and incumbent starters
Katja Meyer (Verona, N.Y.),
Julia Eichel (Grand Island, N.Y.),
Sam Hanes (North Tonawanda, N.Y.),
Grace Stranahan (Grand Island, N.Y.),
Tatyjana Scalisi (Williamsville, N.Y.) and
Madita Zeitz (Malsch, Germany) also return. Goalkeeper
Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) made two starts and three appearances this past spring between the pipes and recorded a 1.00 GAA and a .857 save percentage.
4. CONFERENCE PLAY COMMENCES
For the first time in two years, all East Coast Conference members in women's soccer will return to conference play this fall. Daemen women's soccer has been picked to finish fourth in ECC play this season, according to the league's preseason poll which was released on August 27. Daemen earned 63 total points following their abbreviated spring season. Following Mercy's victory over Queens on Oct. 22, Daemen clinched a spot in the upcoming ECC Tournament. This is Daemen's second conference tournament appearance since gaining full NCAA Division II membership in 2015. To gain the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the tournament, the Wildcats must win their remaining two conference games against Mercy (Oct. 30) and Queens (Nov. 6.) As of Oct. 25, Daemen stands at the top of the ECC standings with a 6-0-1, the only unbeaten team remaining in conference play. Molloy and Mercy are still tied for second place with a 6-1-0 record. Roberts Wesleyan rounds out the top four at 4-3-0. The ECC Tournament will feature the top four teams in the final regular season standings with the No. 1 and 2 seeds hosting semifinal games on Thursday, November 11; the highest remaining seed hosts the tournament finals on Sunday, November 14.
5. ON THE HORIZON
Daemen continues their 2021 campaign when they return to East Coast Conference play to face Mercy on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 12 PM in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. This is Daemen's final road contest of the 2021 campaign. The Wildcats then conclude their regular season slate hosting ECC opponent, Queens, in their home finale on Saturday, November 6 at 11 AM. The contest against the Knights is currently scheduled to be played at Karrer Field.
CLARION SCOUTING REPORT
Clarion is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Golden Eagles finished 0-3 overall in an abbreviated 2020 season that was postponed to spring 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Golden Eagles enter Tuesday's contest with a 4-8-1 overall and PSAC record. The contest with Daemen is the program's lone non-conference matchup in 2021. This will be Clarion's first game action since a 1-0 double overtime loss at Seton Hill on Oct. 23 and are 2-7-0 in their last nine contests following back-to-back wins against California University of Pennsylvania and Pitt-Johnstown (Sept. 11 & 15.) Clarion is led by second-year head coach Alexa Ream, who took over the program in March 2020 and is the program's third coach since 2018. A former Golden Eagle student-athlete herself, Ream previously spent the 2019 season as an assistant at Mercyhurst before returning to campus. In 2019, Ream helped the Lakers finish with an 11-6-2 record, their first winning season since 2009 and make their first appearance in the PSAC tournament since 2013. Ream was also a graduate assistant coach at Wheeling during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Ream started her collegiate career at Clarion in 2012 and stayed through the 2013 season before transferring to Lock Haven in 2014 and finishing her career with the Bald Eagles in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Ream was a member of the Bald Eagles squad that won seven games in 2016, their most since the 2007 season. The Golden Eagles return 18 players from this past spring, 13 of whom were also members of a 2019 team that finished 5-12-1 overall and 4-11-1 in PSAC play. Sophomore forward Kylee Cross is currently the team leader in goals (5) and total points (15). Freshman forward Alayna Wicker is second on the team in goals (4) and total points (8) in 2021. After scoring three goals in 2019, senior forward Madison Spitko has recorded two goals and five overall points this season. In net, sophomore Alexandra Velez has started in all 13 contests for Clarion, posting a 4-8-1 record, a 2.25 GAA and a .722 save percentage.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. CLARION
Series Record: Daemen 2-0-1
At Daemen: 0-0-1
Last Meeting: Daemen 2, Clarion 0 | October 29, 2019 | at Clarion, Pa.
