Geoff Schneider

Women's Soccer Wraps Regular Season Against Saint Anselm and D'Youville

10/29/2024 11:56:00 AM

By: CONTACT: Max Sacco, Assistant Athletics Communications Director | msacco@daemen.edu

ON THE PITCH
The Daemen University women's soccer team concludes their regular season against RV Saint Anselm before facing D'Youville on Nov. 2 to conclude to regular season. Kick-off for both contests is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Karrer Field.

TICKET PUNCHED!
A goal by sophomore midfielder Magda Carpenter (Lebanon, Conn.) in the 15th minute proved to the be the difference as Daemen held on for a 1-0 victory over Mercy University back on Oct. 26. With the win, the Wildcats secured their berth into the 2024 ECC Women's Soccer Championship and a first round bye as the second overall seed. Molloy University secured the regular season title and the top overall seed with a 3-1 win over Roberts Wesleyan University on Oct. 26. Daemen has qualified for the ECC Women's Soccer Championship the past three seasons and five of the last six years as well. Not including 2020, the Wildcats have finished with a .500 or better record in conference play each year since 2018.

BRICK WALL
For the third time this season and eighth instance since last year, junior goalkeeper Becca Schultz (Grand Island, N.Y.) was named the ECC Defensive Player of the Week. Schultz amassed 23 saves across two matches while earning her seventh win of the year. Against No. 10 Gannon University, Schultz made a career-high 16 saves, passing her previous high of 15 which she set against nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire University on Sept. 17. Against ECC rival Mercy this past Saturday, the Grand Island product tallied seven saves for her fourth clean sheet of the season to help Daemen win, 1-0 and clinch a first round bye in the ECC Women's Soccer Championship. Currently, Schultz leads the ECC and is third in the nation for total saves with 121 and fourth for saves per game with an average of 8.64. She also leads the ECC and is ranked 38th nationally in save percentage at .846.

HISTORY MAKER
With her goal against Queens College on Oct. 19, junior Kylie Miranto (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) became first player since Jaime Boyar to amass 30 career goals. Both Boyar and Miranto notched their milestone during their junior year. This season, Miranto has totaled nine goals and 23 points, punctuated by a hat trick at the College of Staten Island (Sept. 21). Now at 30 career goals, Miranto is six away from tying Samantha Engel for third all-time in career goals with 36.

HELPING HANDS
Graduate student Madita Zeitz (Malsch, Germany), senior Alyssa Diaz (Rochester, N.Y.) and Miranto are all ranked within the top ten of the ECC for total assists. Miranto and Diaz are tied with Jana Strait of Molloy for the second in total assists with five while Zeitz sits one behind with four on the year. For Zeitz, her three assists against Staten Island (Sept. 21) represent the most assists by a Daemen player in a single game this season. As for Diaz and Miranto, they are both two assists away from tying Rachel Golonka, Kim Walker and Kacey Bougard for tenth all-time for assists in a single season with seven.

SCOUTING RV SAINT ANSELM (4-3-7)
The Hawks, who were also ranked eighth in the East Region in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, fell to Bentley, 1-0, in their last match back on Oct. 25. Saint Anselm has only won one of their last five matches while also earning three draws. Riley DiGillo has led the Hawks attack in 2024 with nine goals and 23 points, both of which lead the Northeast-10 (NE-10) and rank 28^th and 24^th in the nation, respectively. In net, Samantha Swidorski has served as the primary starter with 11 starts and leads the Hawks with 43 saves and a 1.00 GAA.

SERIES HISTORY
Saint Anselm has won both prior meetings against Daemen by identical 3-1 scorelines with the series dating back to the 2021 campaign.

SCOUTING D'YOUVILLE (1-10-2, 1-5 ECC)
The Saints currently sit in seventh place in the ECC with three conference points. Leading D'Youville on offense has been Laoise O'Haodha with two goals and four total points in just two appearances. In net, Katie Liljenquist and Haley Pompeo have shared starting duties with Liljenquist making seven starts and Pompeo six. Liljenquist, however, has started the last three matches, earned the Saints lone win of the year over Staten Island and is ranked sixth in the ECC for saves per game with an average of 4.14.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 7-0 all-time against D'Youville with the series dating back to Oct. 14, 2000. In seven prior meetings, the Wildcats have only allowed one Saints goal while scoring 38 of their own.

UP NEXT
With a first round bye secured, the Wildcats are idle until Nov. 10 when they will host the semifinal round of the ECC Women's Soccer Championship. Time, opponent and location are still to be determined but will be announced on a later date.

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 and Instagram at @DaemenWSOC.

Print Friendly Version