ECC Championship First Round – #4 Daemen vs #5 Queens | Nov. 6 | 4:30 p.m. | Royal Park | Amherst, N.Y.
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POSTSEASON PLAY
The Daemen University women's soccer team earned the No. 4 seed in the East Coast Conference Women's Soccer Championship and hosts No. 5 seed Queens in the first round on Thursday. Tickets must be purchased for the game and can be bought through the ECC website, HERE. Daemen has reached the ECC Championship game in the last two seasons. It also marks the fourth consecutive year Daemen has qualified for the conference tournament.
THREE-PEAT
The ECC announced its major awards on Wednesday, with Kylie Miranto earning ECC Offensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. The senior finished the regular season with a league-leading 34 points and 14 goals, also tallying six assists (tied for third in the ECC). She led the league and the nation in game-winning goals (9), while falling in the top five nationally in goals and points. Miranto became the second player in ECC history to win a major award in three consecutive seasons.
ALL-CONFERENCE WILDCATS
The ECC also announced its all-conference teams on Thursday, with seven Wildcats getting recognized. Kaitlyn Wright (Geneva, N.Y.) and Macayla Hansen (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) joined Miranto on the first team. Kaitlin Mettler (Royalton, N.Y.), Ava Thompson (East Amherst, N.Y.), and Becca Schultz (Grand Island, N.Y.) were named to the second team. Nevada Hahn (Lancaster, N.Y.) rounded it out, grabbing a spot on the third team. This marks the second straight season and fourth time overall that the Wildcats have had seven all-conference selections, tying the program record once again.
LAST TIME OUT
Daemen ended the regular season with two straight wins last week. The Wildcats scored three goals in the second half to erase a two-goal deficit and defeat Southern New Hampshire 3-2 last Wednesday. Miranto scored twice, including the game-winner, and Taylor Fiegel (Lockport, N.Y.) also found the back of the net. Schultz recorded 12 saves, including eight in the first, to secure the win. The Wildcats then downed Staten Island 3-0 on senior day last Saturday. Wright scored twice, and Miranto also notched a goal.
ROOKIE RACKING UP
Hansen has started her college career strongly. She has logged 11 points with four goals and three assists, sitting third on the squad in goals and helpers. The freshman found the back of the net in four different matches. She notched her first career goal to help the Wildcats defeat St. Thomas Aquinas. Hansen also notched the game-winning goal in a 2-0 non-conference win over Roberts Wesleyan.
SUPER SCHULTZ
Schultz currently leads the ECC in saves (146), saves per game (9.13), and save percentage (.896). She finished the regular season ranking second nationally in saves and third in saves per game. The senior has recorded double-digit saves in nine contests, including posting a season-high 13 stops on three occasions, against Assumption, St. Michael's, and Roberts Wesleyan.
BACKLINE BOSSES
The Wildcats' backline has been led by Hahn and Thompson. Hahn leads the team in minutes (1,440) after starting all 16 matches in the regular season and playing the full 90 minutes in them. Thompson is second among field players in minutes (1,398), playing the full 90 minutes in 11 contests. Both players helped Daemen record shutouts against St. Thomas Aquinas, Roberts Wesleyan, Tiffin, D'Youville, and Staten Island. The Wildcats have also surrendered just 17 goals.
SCOUTING QUEENS (2-8-6, 1-3-3 ECC)
The Knights finished fifth in the ECC after posting a 1-3-3 conference mark. Queens closed out the regular season going winless in its final six games (0-2-4), after dropping its last game to Roberts Wesleyan 1-0 last Saturday. Mia Golcochea is tied for the team in goals (2) with Ava Lekanides and also leads the squad in points (5). Samantha Hines-Hirsch has started 16 games between the pipes, logging a 1.40 goals–against average and a .763 save percentage.
SERIES HISTORY
The all-time series, which dates back to the 2013 season, is led narrowly by Daemen (7-5-1), with the Wildcats having won seven of the last eight matches. Daemen won the regular-season meeting 3-1 on Oct. 4 at Royal Park, with two goals from Wright and one from Miranto. This will be the second straight year the teams have met in the postseason. The Wildcats ended Queens' season in the ECC semifinals last year, defeating the Knights 4-1. The semifinal contest marked the first postseason meeting between the programs.
UP NEXT
If Daemen advances, it will play an ECC semifinal match at Mercy on Sunday at 1 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 University women's soccer program on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @DaemenWSOC.
