Game #6
Daemen Wildcats (2-3-0, 1-0-0 ECC) vs Lincoln Lions (0-4-0, 0-1-0 ECC)
DATE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
TIME: 11 a.m.
LOCATION: Lincoln, Pa. / Lincoln University Auxiliary Fields
LIVE STATS: Via Lincoln University Athletics
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
1. BACK IN ACTION
Daemen resumes their 2021 campaign when they once again cross the state line and face the Lincoln (Pa.) Lions in an East Coast Conference matchup at 11 a.m. at the Lincoln University Auxiliary Fields in Lincoln, Pa. Sunday is the fourth all-time meeting between the programs. The Wildcats defeated the Lions in their last matchup, 7-0, on Nov. 2, 2019 at Williamsville South High School in Williamsville, N.Y. Daemen leads the all-time series, 3-0. This will be Daemen's first contest since their 4-1 victory against ECC opponent, D'Youville, on Sept. 18. Junior
Tatyjana Scalisi (Williamsville, N.Y.) netted her first goal of the season off a feed from sophomore
Demi McCalliog (Wolverhampton, England) in the 24th minute to give Daemen a 1-0 lead. Scalisi later assisted on goals for freshman defender
Baylin Tighe (Tonawanda, N.Y.) in the 31st minute and junior forward
Faye Panagopoulos (Kenmore, N.Y.) shortly before the buzzer to give the Wildcats their first conference win of the season. Junior goalkeeper
Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) contributed one save in her fifth consecutive start of the season. This marked the fourth all-time meeting between the '716' programs and their first-ever meeting as conference foes. The teams did face each other twice last spring as part of their independent schedules after the ECC canceled the 2020 fall sports season due to COVID-19.
2. THREE'S COMPANY
Daemen's 3-1 victory at D'Youville on Sept. 18 were the most goals the team has scored in a contest since a 5-0 win against this same Saints program on April 17, 2021 at Karrer Field. The meeting in April would eventually result in Daemen's final game of an abbreviated 2020 campaign due to COVID-19 protocols. Junior forward
Tatyjana Scalisi (Williamsville, N.Y.) scored her first goal of the season in the 24th minute against the Saints and is now the team's leading point getter with four points on the season. Freshman defender
Baylin Tighe (Tonawanda, N.Y.) recorded her first collegiate goal in the 31st minute and later received Rookie of the Week honors from the East Coast Conference for games played Sept. 13 – 19. Tighe became the first Daemen player to receive the award since former Wildcat
Alyssa Mercado, who received the honor a program-record three times in the 2019 season. Junior forward
Faye Panagopoulos (Kenmore, N.Y.) rounded out Daemen's scoring shortly before the final buzzer. This was also her first goal of the season and the third of her Daemen career. Through the first five contests, Daemen has netted six goals from six different players.
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. D'Youville has been picked to finish ninth in ECC play with 24 total points and enter Saturday's contest with a 1-2-0 record following a 1-0 victory over Malone on Sept. 11. As of Sept. 23, Mercy is at the top of the ECC standings with a 2-0 record followed closely behind by Molloy and Daemen, who are tied for second place at 1-0 each. St. Thomas Aquinas currently rounds out the top four at 1-1 overall. 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 host their long-time rival, the Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks, in an East Coast Conference matchup on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 1 PM at Karrer Field.
LINCOLN SCOUTING REPORT
Lincoln (Pa.) University is its third year of being a member of the East Coast Conference and saw their 2020 season cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Lincoln (Pa.) is led by sixth-year head coach Emmanuel Awotula and are off to an 0-4-0 start in 2021 following their most recent loss against Bloomfield College (3-1 on Sept. 21.) In their full season back in 2019, Awotula and the Lions finished 1-14 overall and 0-8 in ECC play – their lone win against University of Valley Forge (5-1 on Oct. 8.) Prior to taking over the Lincoln program in 2016, Awotula spent two seasons at Oakland City University, where he posted a 16-14-1 record and still holds the program record for highest winning percentage in a single season (9-4-1 in 2014.) Awotula also spent five seasons coaching the women's soccer program at his alma mater, Tennessee Temple. This fall, Lincoln (Pa.) returns five players for their 2019 roster, most notably two returning seniors in forward Sarata Bello and defender Tamara Evans. Freshman midfielder and defender Theresa Schmid scored the team's lone goal to date in their 3-1 loss against Bloomfield College on Sept. 21. Freshman Saige Samuels has started in all four contests so far in 2021 and is still searching for her first win in net with the Lions. Samuels enters Sunday with a 5.58 GAA and a .728 save percentage.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. LINCOLN
Series Record: Daemen 3-0
At Lincoln: Daemen 2-0
Last Meeting: Daemen 7, Lincoln 0 | November 2, 2019 | at Williamsville, N.Y.
