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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
WSOC SENIOR DAY 2021
Sam Hanes & Katja Meyer (first row center) were honored prior to today's game - the final home regular season game of their careers.
1
Queens (NY) QUEW (3-8-2, 2-6-1)
2
Winner Daemen DAEW (9-5-1, 7-1-1)
Queens (NY) QUEW
(3-8-2, 2-6-1)
1
Final
2
Daemen DAEW
(9-5-1, 7-1-1)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Queens (NY) QUEW 1 0 1
Daemen DAEW 0 2 2

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate. A.D. for Communications/Operations | 716-839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

Diaz Leads Second Half Comeback As Wildcats Win Regular Season Finale

Daemen knocks off Queens, sets sights on upcoming conference tournament

AMHERST, N.Y. - Senior Day was a success, thanks in large part to a freshman. 

Freshman Alyssa Diaz (Rochester, N.Y.) scored a pair of second half goals, helping Daemen erase a halftime deficit en route to 2-1 victory over visiting Queens in East Coast Conference women's soccer action at Karrer Field today.

It marked the final regular season contest for the Wildcats, as they improve to 9-5-1 overall and 7-1-1 in ECC play. 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.

With 22 points in the ECC standings, the Wildcats have at least temporarily moved into first place as they await other game results to determine the final seeds for the upcoming conference tournament. Both Mercy and Molloy are in action this afternoon after starting the day with 21 points. The ECC Championship tournament will feature the top four teams in the final conference standings with semifinal round games on Thursday, November 11. Those contests are hosted by the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. The highest seed remaining will host the ECC Championship final on Sunday, November 14. Daemen clinched a postseason berth last month and will make its first appearance in the ECC Championship tournament since 2018. 

Queens ends its season with a 3-8-2 overall record and a 2-6-1 mark in conference play following today's loss.

SENIOR SALUTE
Midfielder Sam Hanes (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) and defender Katja Meyer (Verona, N.Y.) were honored in a brief pre-game ceremony as today's game represented the final home regular season contest of their careers. Both players have been integral to the Wildcats' success since they arrived on campus in the fall of 2017, helping the program to a 39-26-6 record, two ECC tournament berths and an NCAA tournament berth. 

Hanes has appeared in 63 games and made 62 starts in her career. She has totaled seven goals, eight assists and 22 points. Hanes is the professional phase of the Daemen Physical Therapy program with an anticipated graduation date of May 2023.

Meyer will graduate next May with a degree in Health Promotion. She has appeared in 66 games and made 47 starts for the Wildcats while totaling nine goals, seven assists and 25 points. 

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Julia Ragone put the underdog Knights on the board. Her strike from the top of the box found its way to the upper right corner of the goal in the game's 16th minute.
  • Ragone's tally would stand as the only score of the contest, until Diaz evened the score with her fifth goal of the season. The Daemen freshman found the back of the net after taking a feed from junior Faye Panagopoulos (Kenmore, N.Y.) in the 67th minute.
  • Less than three minutes later, Panagopoulos found Diaz again, giving the Wildcats their first lead of the contest.
  • The lead would stand as goalkeeper Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) made three saves between the pipes while earning her ninth win of the season. 

GAME NOTES
  • Daemen improved to 3-4-1 in the all-time series with Queens. The Wildcats have won three straight in the series. 
  • Since midfielder Grace Stranahan scored in the second half of a 3-1 loss at St. Anselm on Sept. 15, Daemen has outscored their opponents, 32-11.
  • Daemen has netted 34 goals from 12 different players and 13 players have recorded at least one point (team total of 95 points).
  • Diaz has totaled six goals and 16 points this season. She ranks in the top five for both categories among the ECC leaders, and has the most goals and points for a Daemen freshman since Jamie Boyar netted six goals and recorded 16 points in 2016.
  • Panagopoulos entered the game with one assist in the first 30 games of her career. Her two assists today increase her career-best point total to 13 this season.
  • Today's win 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. 
  • 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.).

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen returns to action Thursday, November 11 in the ECC Championship semifinals. Their opponent and the game site is dependent upon outcomes of later games today. 

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 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.

Follow the Daemen College women's soccer program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @DaemenWSOC.
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