Daemen And Molloy Square Off For ECC Championship Sunday

Winner Earns An Automatic Bid To The NCAA Division II Tournament

11/9/2023 11:04:00 AM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. – Second-seeded Daemen hosts fourth-seeded Molloy in the championship game of the 2023 East Coast Conference Championship tournament Sunday (Nov. 12) at 12:30 p.m. at Williamsville South High School. Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased through the ECC Online Ticket Portal. Daemen advanced to the championship game with a 2-0 win over third-seeded Mercy University last weekend, while Molloy upset top-seeded Roberts Wesleyan University, 1-0, in the other semifinal match.

WHAT'S AT STAKE
The ECC Tournament champion earns an automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division II Championship tournament. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced during the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship section show Monday at 6:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. Daemen is looking to make its second all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, while Molloy is looking to make its third appearance in the NCAAs.

DAEMEN IN THE ECC TOURNAMENT
Daemen is making its third-straight and fourth overall appearance in the ECC Championship tournament. Daemen made its first-ever ECC Tournament appearance in 2018 and suffered 4-0 loss to Bridgeport in the semifinal. The Wildcats did not qualify for the tournament in 2019 and the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wildcats suffered a 2-0 loss to Mercy in the semifinals in 2021 and 2022. Last Sunday's semifinal match against Mercy marked the first time the Wildcats have won an ECC Tournament game and the first time they hosted an ECC Tournament game.

MOLLOY IN THE ECC TOURNAMENT
Molloy is making its fourth-straight and ninth overall appearance in the ECC Championship tournament. The Lions will be making their fourth-straight appearance in the ECC Tournament championship game. The Lions suffered a loss to Mercy in the title game last year and and claimed the title in 2019 and 2021 (tournament was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

THE WILDCATS (9-4-3)
Daemen had its program record 11-match unbeaten streak snapped following a 2-0 loss at Mercy in the the 2023 regular-season finale, but rebounded with a 2-0 win over Mercy in the ECC Tournament semifinals last weekend. Daemen had never won or hosted an ECC Tournament game prior to last weekend. Daemen has netted a league-high 35 goals this season, while ranking second in fewest goals allowed (15). The Wildcats feature seven all-conference players. Sophomore Kylie Miranto (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) was named the ECC Offensive Player of the Year and leads the league in goals (16) and points (37). Freshman Magda Carpenter (Lebanon, Conn.) is the ECC Rookie of the Year. She netted Daemen's second goal during the semifinal win over Mercy and has totaled six goals and 15 points on the year. Senior Brooke Amato (Grand Island, N.Y.) and Tatyjana Scalisi (Williamsville, N.Y.) both scored in a win over STAC and have both totaled two goals and four assists on the year. Sophomore Becca Schultz (Grand Island, N.Y.), a second-team All-ECC pick, has played every minute in goal and made five saves en route to her sixth shutout of the year during the ECC Tournament semifinal. Among the league leaders she ranks first in save percentage (.877), second in total saves (107), third in shutouts (6) and fourth in goals against average (0.94). The Wildcats were picked fourth in the 2023 ECC preseason coaches' poll. Head coach Dan Dolan is in his 15th season at Daemen.

POST SEASON HONORS
Seven Wildcats have earned All-ECC honors this year, while sophomore Kylie Miranto was voted Offensive Player of the Year and freshman Magda Carpenter was named Rookie of the Year. Collecting first-team All-ECC honors were Miranto, Carpenter, Alyssa Diaz and Madita Zeitz. Becca Schultz was a second team selection, while Brooke Amato and Nevada Hahn were named to the third team. The seven selections ties the program record for most selections ordinally set in 2021. Molloy is also well represented on the All-ECC team, as the Lions had eight selections.

WILDCATS RETURN TO USC REGIONAL RANKINGS
Daemen's victory over Mercy in the ECC Tournament semifinals last weekend vaulted the Wildcats back into the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Division II East Region poll. The Wildcats made their debut in the 2023 regional rankings on Oct. 10 and were also ranked in the Oct. 17 and Oct. 24 polls. Molloy is ranked ninth regionally by the USC.

THE LIONS (10-4-5)
Molloy enters the championship game riding a four-game winning streak. Molloy ranks second to Daemen in goals scored (33) and has surrendered just 17 goals on the year. The Lions feature eight all-conference players, including senior defender Sarah Tappeto who was named the ECC Defensive Player of the Year. Sophomore Olivia Ingenito has scored a team-high 10 goals, while additional offense has come from Tappeto (7 gls, 5 asts) and graduate student Caitlin Kennedy (7 gls, 2 asts). Freshman Elyse Muñoz has started 12 games in net and made six saves in the 1-0 ECC Tournament semifinal win over Roberts Wesleyan. Among the league leaders she ranks fourth in save percentage (.800), ninth in total saves (36), fourth in shutouts (4) and second in goals against average (0.78). The Lions were picked second in the 2023 ECC preseason coaches' poll. Head coach Steve Price is in his seventh season at Molloy.

SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's contest will mark the 11th all-time meeting between Daemen and Molloy, and the first time the teams have met in the post season. Daemen has prevailed in three of the last five meetings, but the Lions own a 6-4-0 advantage in the all-time series. Daemen posted a 4-1 victory over the Lions earlier this season at Karrer Field in Amherst, N.Y. Carpenter netted two goals, while Schultz stopped four of five shots on goal.

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.

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