Madita Zeitz keeps the ball away from D'Youville Defenders

Women's Soccer Prepares for Home Semifinal Bout Against Queens

11/8/2024 1:19:00 PM

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

BACK AT HOME
The Daemen University women's soccer team welcomes Queens College to Karrer Field for the semifinal round of the East Coast Conference Women's Soccer Championship Sunday (Nov. 10) at 11 a.m. Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased through the ECC Online Ticket Portal. The winner of the match will advance to the final where they will face either No. 1 seeded Molloy University or No. 4 seeded Mercy University.

ECC BRACKET
ECC Women's Soccer 2024 Semifinal Bracket

ECC Women's Soccer 2024 Semifinal Bracket

LAST YEAR IN THE POSTSEASON
Last season, the Wildcats had a campaign to remember, going 9-5-3 overall and 6-1-1 in East Coast Conference Seeded second in the ECC Championship tournament, the Wildcats defeated Mercy in the tournament semifinals to earn their first-ever appearance in the ECC championship game. Zeitz and Carpenter each scored to propel the Blue and White to the final. In the final, the historic season came to an end following a 2-0 loss to Molloy in the title game. In net, Schultz made nine saves across two matches with five stops against Mercy and four versus Molloy.

GOAL SCORING MACHINE
After getting named the ECC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, junior Kylie Miranto (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) was tabbed the ECC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Miranto repeated as the ECC's Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in points (27) and goals (11), both of which ranked in the top 20 nationally. The North Tonawanda, N.Y., native tallied an ECC-leading 19 points with a conference-best eight and three assists. The two-time ECC Offensive Player of the Week recorded a least one point in nine of a possible 16 matches this fall, highlighted by a streak of four-or-more points in three consecutive games from Sept. 21 at the College of Staten Island through Sept. 28 at St. Thomas Aquinas College. The junior forward became the fourth player in program history to surpass 30 goals with her goal against Queens (Oct. 19) and sits four away from third all-time for career goals.

TOP HONORS
The Daemen University women's soccer team landed seven players on the 2024 All-East Coast Conference team. Miranto and sophomore Magda Carpenter (Lebanon, Conn.) were each both tabbed to the first team for the second consecutive year. Graduate student Madita Zeitz (Malsch, Germany), seniors Ramone Trentin (Sãl Leopoldo, Brazil) and Alyssa Diaz (Rochester, N.Y.) and juniors Becca Schultz (Grand Island, N.Y.) and Nevada Hahn (Lancaster, N.Y.) were All-ECC Second Team honorees. The seven total selections are tied with the 2023 and 2021 squads for the most All-ECC selection in a single season in program history.

THE STAR IN NET
Schultz compiled a season to remember in net, ending the year as he conferences leader in total saves with 138, Schultz ended the year ranked third in the nation for total saves and fifth nationally in saves per game with an average of 8.63. Her 138 saves are the most by a Daemen goalkeeper during the Wildcats' NCAA Division II era (2015-present). The Grand Island product started all 16 games in net for the Blue and White this season, collecting five clean sheets in the process. The junior keeper made a career-high 16 saves on 41 shots against No. 7 ranked Gannon on Oct. 23 and was named the ECC Defensive Player of the Week three times this season, most recently for the week of Oct. 28.

SCOUTING QUEENS
The Knights entered the postseason as the third overall seed and defeated sixth seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College, 3-2, to advance to the semifinal round for the first time in program history. Queens had six players earn all-conference honors, highlighted by Julia Ragone and Sarah Anderson getting tabbed to the first team. The Knights ended the year with a 10-6-1 recorded and have won four of their last five matches as well.

SERIES HISTORY
The all-time series, which dates back to the 2013 season, is tied, 5-5-1, with the Wildcats having won four of the last five matches. The Blue and White defeated Queens, 2-1, earlier this year on Oct. 19 with sophomore Amanda Nilsson (Malmö, Sweden) scoring the game-winning goal in the second-half. Their semifinal bout will also mark the first meeting between Daemen and Queens in the postseason as well.

UP NEXT
The winner of the match will advance to the final where they will face either No. 1 seeded Molloy University or No. 4 seeded Mercy University on Nov. 16. The winner of the final will earn the leagues automatic bid the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament.

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 University women's soccer program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @DaemenWSOC.

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