Women's Soccer Returns To League Play Saturday at St. Thomas Aquinas

9/30/2022 11:09:00 AM

By: CONTACT: Tom McDermott, Director of Athletics Communications | tmcdermo@daemen.edu

Game #10
Daemen Wildcats (0-8-1, 0-2-0 ECC) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans (2-6-1, 1-2-0 ECC)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 1
TIME: 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Sparkill, N.Y. | Spartan Soccer Field
LIVE STREAM BROADCAST: via ECC Network
LIVE STATS: via STAC Athletics

BACK IN ACTION
Daemen travels to Sparkill, N.Y. for an East Coast Conference game at St. Thomas Aquinas Saturday (Oct. 1).

LAST TIME OUT
Mercyhurst snapped a scoreless tie early in the second half and held on for a 1-0 victory over Daemen this past Wednesday in Erie, Pa. Mercyhurst, which is ranked eighth in the Atlantic Region by the United Soccer Coaches, improved to 6-2-2 on the year. Daemen out shot the Lakers 8-2 in the first half, but the Wildcats managed just two shots on goal and the teams headed into halftime tied at 0-0. Mercyhurst scored what would prove to be the game-winner at 56:52 when sophomore Teagan Mehalko scored off a pass from junior Alyssa Poleski. It marked the first goal of the year for Mehalko. Mercyhurst tightened up on defense the rest of the half and Daemen managed just four total shots (two on goal) the rest of the half. The Wildcats finished with a 12-7 edge in total shots for the game, while the Lakers held a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) went the distance for Daemen and made four saves.

RETURNING VETERANS
Daemen returns 20 players from its 2021 team, including six who collected All-ECC honors last year. Experience is abundant, as the team features two graduate students, seven seniors and five juniors. The team's top five scorers from last year all return to the pitch this fall. Senior Tatyjana Scalisi (Williamsville, N.Y.) and sophomore Alyssa Diaz (Rochester, N.Y.) accounted for 13 of the team's 34 goals last year and both earned first team All-ECC honors. Scalisi also earned all-region honors, while Diaz became the first player in program history to be named the ECC Rookie of the Year. All-conference defenders Julia Eichel (Grand Island, N.Y.) and Baylin Tighe (Tonawanda, N.Y.) return after heading up a backline that surrendered just 20 goals in 16 games last year. Senior goalkeeper Tori DeLappi (Medina, Ohio) is coming off an all-conference junior season in which she averaged five saves a game and posted a 1.27 goals against average. Graduate students Grace Stranahan and Katelyn Sidoti will serve as teams captains for 2022.

ROAD WARRIORS
Daemen is in the middle of a stretch of seven-straight road games. The Wildcats will travel nearly 2,500 miles by the end of the stretch, with the longest trip being Southern New Hampshire in Manchester N.H. (438 miles) and the shortest trip being Mercyhurst in Erie, Pa. (83 miles). After STAC, the Wildcats close out the stretch with games at Assumption and Molloy.

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen returns to non-conference play Tuesday (Oct. 4) when it travels to Worcester, Mass. to play Assumption University.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
St. Thomas Aquinas is 1-3-1 over its last five games and is coming off a 0-0 draw with Bloomfield on Tuesday. The Spartans picked up their first league win of the year following a 2-1 victory over Staten Island last weekend. STAC's two league losses have come against Roberts Wesleyan (3-2) and Molloy (4-0). The Spartans went 4-11-0 overall and 2-7-0 in the ECC last year and were picked seventh in the 2022 ECC preseason coaches' poll. Freshman Natalie Oden scored in the loss to RWU and has totaled a team-high two goals. Seniors Alessan Santoriello and Colleen Stevens have shared the goaltending duties. Santoriello (2.89 GAA) has started five games and made six saves in an early season loss to Shepherd. Stevens (1.86 GAA) has started four of the last five games and made a season-high 14 saves in the loss to Molloy. She stopped four shots in Tuesday's 0-0 tie with Bloomfield.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. STAC
Record: Daemen, 6-2-1
At Daemen: 2-2-1
At STAC: Daemen, 4-0-0
Last Meeting: Daemen 2, STAC 1 | Oct. 9, 2021 | at Amherst, N.Y.

Daemen University 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.

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

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