Geoff Schneider

Women's Lacrosse Hosts Findlay Friday

3/14/2024 4:15:00 PM

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

OPENING DRAW
The Daemen women's lacrosse hosts the University of Findlay in a non-conference game Friday (March 15) at Coyer Field on the campus of Buffalo State University.

SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN
Last season marked the inaugural season for Daemen women's lacrosse. Daemen officially announced it was adding women's lacrosse as a varsity sport in June of 2021. The Wildcats made a successful debut on Feb. 26, 2023 when they posted a 14-10 victory at Lake Erie College in the first game in program history. Daemen would go on to post a 7-9 record in its inaugural season.

GUIDING THE SHIP
Second-year head coach Dominique Hamman will head up a 21-player roster that includes six freshmen, nine sophomores, three juniors, two seniors and one graduate student. Prior to Daemen, Hamman spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Grand Valley State and played collegiately at Division I Central Michigan, where she was a member of CMU's inaugural team in 2016.

SEASON OUTLOOK
Coach Hamman returns 12 players and welcomes nine newcomers to the 2024 roster. The Wildcats must overcome the graduation of all-conference attack Casey Decatur who ranked second in goals (37) and led the team in assists (37) and points (74) last year. Senior Dana Bacher (Hamburg, N.Y.), junior Camryn Day (Hamburg, N.Y.) and sophomore Ella Bouley (Auburn, N.Y.) will serve as team captains. Bacher earned second team All-ECC honors last season after leading the team in goals (43) and ranking second in points (52). Day led the ECC and ranked 18th nationally in draw controls per game (6.31) last year and also contributed 25 goals and 33 points. Bouley ranked third on the team in goals (28) and points (34). Sophomores Avery Castner (Penn Yan, N.Y.) and Kylie Miranto (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) also return. Castner netted 20 goals as a rookie, while Miranto totaled 16 points. Sophomore goaltender Blair Pfohl (Lockport, N.Y.) is back after starting all 16 games in goal last year and averaging seven saves per game.

POLL POSITION
Daemen was picked to finish fifth in the East Coast Conference preseason poll following a vote of the league's seven head coaches. Two-time defending champion Mercy University collected five of the seven first place votes and topped the poll with 47 points. Roberts Wesleyan University earned the other two first place votes and placed second with 42 points.

THE 2024 WILDCATS (1-6, 0-0 ECC)
Daemen capped a week long trip to the State of Missouri with a 13-10 win over William Jewell College Tuesday. Ella Bouley scored four goals in a loss to Dominican and leads the team in goals (11), assists (7) and points (18). Camryn Day scored three times in the loss to Gannon and has totaled seven goals and nine points. Freshman Mikayla Myer (6 gls, 1 ast) scored her first career goal during the loss to Walsh. Dana Bacher scored three times during the win over WJC and has totaled eight goals. Additional production has come from freshman Cadence Baron (6 gls) and sophomores Avery Kastner (4 gls, 3 asts) and Kylie Miranto (4 gls, 3 asts). Blair Pfohl has started five games in net and made a career-high 21 saves in a loss to Missouri Western State. Senior transfer Tatiana Wright has started two games in net. She made her first start for Daemen against Lock Haven and made 10 saves.

SCOUTING FINDLAY (3-3, 0-0 G-MAC)
Findlay is a NCAA Division II affiliate and a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). The Oilers fell to 3-3 on the year following a 16-12 loss to Lewis yesterday. Findlay posted a 9-10 overall record (5-3 G-MAC) and lost to Walsh in the championship game of the G-MAC Tournament. Findlay was picked to finish second in the G-MAC preseason poll. Six all-conference players return this season. Senior attack Madeline Shewbridge is back after totaling 35 goals and 62 points last year and earning first team All-G-MAC honors. She scored five times in a 13-12 win over Quincy last week and leads the team in goals (17), assists (11) and points (28). Additional production has come from sophomore Tessa Chuba (16 gls), junior Olivia Alvarado (8 gls) and seniors Paige Falk (5 gls, 2 asts) and Erin Kodger (5 gls, 2 asts). Chuba was voted the G-MAC Freshman of the Year last year. Findlay must overcome the graduation of goaltender Rachel Bornstein, who earned G-MAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors last year. Senior Olivia Bakowski (15.13 GAA) has started all six games in goal this year and made 13 saves in an 11-9 win over Colorado State-Pueblo.

SERIES HISTORY
Friday's game marks the second all-time meeting between the Wildcats and the Oilers. Findlay posted a 17-10 victory over Daemen last year in Ohio.

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen returns to Coyer Field on Tuesday (March 19) to take on Alfred University in a non-league game at 5 p.m.

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 lacrosse program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWLAX

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