Game #16 – ECC Tournament Semifinals
No. 3 Daemen Wildcats (9-5-1, 7-1-1 ECC) vs No. 2 Mercy Mavericks (9-3-4, 8-1-0 ECC)
DATE: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11
TIME: 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. / Mercy Field
LIVE STREAM: Via ECC Sports Network
LIVE STATS: Via Mercy Athletics
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. BACK IN ACTION
For the first time since the 2018 season, Daemen women's soccer returns to the East Coast Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed and will visit No. 2 seed Mercy at 12 p.m. Thursday at Mercy Field on the campus of Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. This will be the ninth all-time meeting between the programs – the first since Mercy's 1-0 home victory over Daemen on Oct. 30 thanks to Dominique Bono's goal in the 59th minute. This loss ended Daemen's run as the last unbeaten team in the ECC regular season and their hopes as a top-two seed in the tournament. Daemen clinched a spot for this four-team tournament following Mercy's victory over Queens on Oct. 22.
Daemen enters Thursday following a 2-1 victory against Queens College on Senior Day on November 6 at Karrer Field to close their 2021 regular season schedule. Daemen trailed 1-0 at the half before freshman
Alyssa Diaz (Rochester, N.Y.) and junior forward
Faye Panagopoulos (Kenmore, N.Y.) took control of the game in just over a three-minute span in the second half. In the 66th minute, Diaz received a nice feed from Panagopoulos and scored the equalizer. Panagopoulos then found Diaz again at the 69:23 mark, giving the Wildcats their first lead of the contest. The lead would stand as junior goalkeeper
Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) made three saves to earn her ninth win of the season in her 15th start of 2021 (18th of career.)
Daemen enters the postseason with a 9-5-1 overall record, 7-1-1 in ECC play and have won eight of their 11 contests. The seven conference wins are the most for the Wildcats since they posted an 11-1 mark in 2011 - the program's final season as a member of the now-defunct American Mideast Conference.
The victory also marked the 110th in the career of head coach
Dan Dolan. The longest-tenured and all-time winningest coach in program history, Dolan has led the Wildcats to a 110-97-12 record since 2009.
2. MILESTONE MANIA
Through the first 15 contests in 2021, Daemen has netted 34 goals from 12 different players and 13 players have recorded at least one point (team total of 95 points.) 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, 32-11, and have allowed only 11 goals over the last 12 contests.
The strong play of junior goalkeeper
Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) has been a major factor for Daemen's strong play over the past few weeks as she has started all 15 contests in 2021. DeLappi enters Saturday with a 9-5-1 record, a 1.22 GAA (fifth best in ECC) and a .793 save percentage (fourth best in ECC.) DeLappi recorded her 10th career victory as a Daemen goalkeeper in Daemen's 2-1 victory over Clarion on Oct. 26.
The ECC Defensive Player of the Week for games played Oct. 18-24, DeLappi now joins former teammate
Maddie Flores (20 career wins) as the only goalkeepers to record 10+ wins for the Wildcats in the program's NCAA era (2015 – present.)
Leading the way offensively is junior forward
Tatyjana Scalisi (Williamsville, N.Y.) The Division I Buffalo transfer, as of Oct. 28, has recorded seven goals this season, the fourth most goals among ECC players. Scalisi was also the first ECC player to reach double-figure points this season and now stands at 19 points, which paces all Daemen players and is the fourth highest total among all conference players. Scalisi enters Thursday's contest having recorded at least one point in six of the last 11 games. Scalisi looks to reach the scoresheet again for the first time since a two-goal, four-point outing in Daemen's 3-0 win over Staten Island on Oct. 23.
By scoring twice in a three-minute span late in the second half in Daemen's 2-1 victory over Queens on November 6, freshman defender
Alyssa Diaz (Rochester, N.Y.) recorded her fifth and sixth goals of the years. The performance earned Diaz ECC Rookie of the Week for women's soccer for a second time this season
this past Monday. Diaz is the first multi-time winner for this award in program history since former player
Alyssa Mercado won a program-record three times in the 2019 season. Now at six goals on the season, Diaz is now tied with the program's all-time scorer, Jamie Boyar, for most goals scored by a freshman in Daemen's NCAA era (2015 – present.) Boyar accomplished this feat in her freshman campaign in 2016. Diaz enters Thursday with 16 points on the season and is currently sixth among ECC players. Diaz is also one of four players (Scalisi,
Faye Panagopoulos,
Brooke Amato) to reach double-digits in total points among Daemen players and is one of 11 Daemen players to appear in all 15 games this season (14 starts.)
By scoring in a 2-2 draw at 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. Entering Thursday, Hanes has recorded seven goals and eight assists and 22 points in 63 games and 62 starts.
By scoring in the 71st minute against Clarion on Oct. 26, veteran defender
Katja Meyer (Verona, N.Y.) recorded the ninth goal of her Daemen career. Meyer is one goal away from joining current teammate
Grace Stranahan (Grand Island, N.Y.) and former players Meghan Lipinoga (10 goals) and Jamie Boyar (55 goals) as the fourth player in Daemen's NCAA Division II era (2015 – present) to score at least 10 career goals. Entering Thursday, Meyer also has seven career assists for a total of 25 points in 66 games and 47 starts.
By scoring against Roberts Wesleyan on Sept. 29, Stranahan scored her 10th career goal. She enters Thursday as only the third player in Daemen's NCAA Division II era (2015 – present) to score at least 10 career goals (Lipinoga, Boyar.) Stranahan recently recorded her 10th career assist in Daemen's victory against Clarion on Oct. 26. Stranahan joins former players Celina de Pablo Esteban (17 assists), Lindsay Ciaramella (14 assists) and Jamie Boyar (11 assists) as the fourth player in Daemen's NCAA Division II era (2015 – present) to record at least 10 career assists. Previously, Stranahan had netted a career-high six goals and totaled 17 points during the 2019 season. Entering Thursday, Stranahan has recorded 10 goals, 10 assists and 30 points in 51 games and 40 starts.
Junior forward
Faye Panagopoulos (Kenmore, N.Y.) played a huge role in Daemen's most recent 2-1 victory over Queens November 6 as she assisted on both Daemen goals in the 66th and 69th minutes. Panagopoulos entered the game with one assist in the first 30 games of her career. Her two assists increased her career-best point total to 13 this season. Earlier this season against St. Thomas Aquinas on Oct. 9, Panagopoulos scored her seventh career goal while wearing the blue-and-white. She is now one of five current players to score at least five career goals with Daemen (Amato, Hanes, Stranahan, Meyer.)
By scoring in the 40th minute against Clarion on Oct. 26, sophomore forward
Brooke Amato (Grand Island, N.Y.) recorded her fifth goal in 2021 and has scored in consecutive appearances. The goal surpasses her four-goal mark she set as a freshman in the unorthodox season. Through just 11 games of her Wildcat career, Amato has now recorded nine goals (19 total points.) Like Meyer, she is also one goal away from joining Daemen's "10 Goal Club" in the program's NCAA era (2015 – present.)
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 returned to conference play this fall. Daemen women's soccer was picked fourth in ECC play this season, according to the league's preseason poll which was released on August 27. Following their abbreviated spring season, Daemen earned 63 total points. Following Mercy's victory over Queens on Oct. 22, Daemen clinched a spot for the 2021 ECC Tournament. Thursday is Daemen's second conference tournament appearance in program history since gaining full NCAA Division II membership in 2015. Following the conclusion of regular season play on November 6, the four teams who qualified for the ECC Tournament was finalized. The ECC Tournament begins with semifinal games on Thursday, November 11. No. 3 seeded Daemen visits No. 2 Mercy starting at 12 p.m. Then, No. 1 Molloy hosts No. 4 Roberts Wesleyan for a 7 p.m. start in Rockville Centre, NY. The highest remaining seed between the two contests hosts the tournament finals on Sunday, November 14.
5. ON THE HORIZON
With a victory Thursday, Daemen women's soccer would advance to the East Coast Conference Tournament Championship game, which will be played on Sunday, November 14. The highest remaining seed between the winner of Daemen-Mercy and Molloy-Roberts Wesleyan contests would host the tournament finals.
MERCY SCOUTING REPORT
Mercy College is a member of the East Coast Conference. The Mavericks saw their 2020 season cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Their season-opening 1-0 victory over Southern Connecticut State on Sept. 3 was the program's first game action in 647 days. The Mavericks enter Saturday's contest with a 9-3-4 overall record. Mercy enters the ECC Tournament as the No. 2 seed after an 8-1-0 in league play this fall. This will be Mercy's first game action since a 2-1 victory over Queens on November 6, which helped them clinch a share of the ECC Regular Season championship with Molloy. Mercy is also 6-2-2 over their last 10 contests, including three straight wins heading into Thursday. Mercy is led by Danny Leon Jr., who is in his third season with the program. Mercy has had previous postseason success with Leon Jr. before as he led the Mavericks to a 13-3-4 finish in his first season (2019), a season that ended with the program's third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. As a program, Mercy has made the ECC Tournament in eight straight seasons, including 2021, and are looking to advance to the championship game for the first time since 2017, also the last time they won the title. Mercy is also looking to reach their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and their sixth overall dating back to 2013. A familiar face on campus, Leon Jr. was previously an assistant coach with the women's program for four seasons, including Mercy's run to the Final Four in 2017. Leon Jr. also was a four-year member of Mercy's men's soccer team, appearing in 68 games and contributing 14 goals and 10 assists. The Mavericks return 10 players from the 2019 team. Offensively, Mercy has a flurry of playmakers as their top seven goal scorers in 2021 tallied two or more goals each heading into Thursday (23 goals, 53 points combined.) Graduate student midfielder Nikki Bermudez leads the Mavericks with five goals and 12 points while senior midfielder Claudia McKail has contributed four goals and 10 points. Dominique Bono, who scored the lone goal in Mercy's 1-0 win over Daemen on Oct. 30, has also contributed four goals and eight points. Sophomore forward Kayla Camacho and junior forward Carli LoNigro have scored three goals apiece. Junior midfielder Alexa Billingham and sophomore midfielder Skyler Schwenkler have tallied two goals each. Senior defender Sydney Cooper was named Third Team All-Region and First Team All-ECC in 2019 after a four-goal season and now has four points in 2021 (one goal, two assists.) Collectively, Mercy has recorded 32 goals and 89 points so far in 2021. In net, graduate student and the 2019 ECC Goalkeeper of the Year, Melissa Torres, has started in 14 contests, posting an 8-2-4 record, an 0.55 GAA and a .826 save percentage. As a goalkeeping unit, Mercy has allowed only 10 goals this season, only behind Molloy in this category (8) but five of these goals have been tallied over their last five contests (3-2-0.)
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. MERCY
Series Record: Mercy 7-1-0
At Mercy: Mercy 4-0-0
Last Meeting: Mercy 1, Daemen 0 | October 30, 2021 | at Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
