Daemen Picked Fourth in ECC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll

1/27/2026 10:40:00 AM

By: CONTACT: Connor Griffin, Assistant Director of Athletics Communications | cgriffin@daemen.edu

AMHERST, N.Y. — The East Coast Conference released its women's lacrosse preseason poll on Tuesday, with Daemen getting picked fourth in the standings.

Mercy was selected first in the poll with 45 points and four first-place votes, followed by defending champion Molloy with 44 points and three first-place votes. Roberts Wesleyan followed with 35 points, then Daemen with 28 points, and D'Youville with 23 points. St. Thomas Aquinas (14 points) and District of Columbia (7 points) concluded the poll.

The Wildcats finished the 2025 campaign 5-11, including a 3-3 ECC mark, qualifying for the conference tournament for the first time in the program's young history.

Daemen returns its top goal scorer from the 2025 campaign, Ella Bouley, who was named First Team All-ECC after scoring 25 goals and providing nine assists for a team-high 34 points. Bouley also ranked second on the team in draw controls with 42, forced 16 turnovers, and collected 27 ground balls.

The Wildcats' top point-leader from last season, Shannen Calandra (Rome, N.Y), also returns. Calandra logged 43 points behind 15 goals and a team-leading 28 assists. Avery Castner (Penn Yan, N.Y.) logged 28 points a season ago, finishing third on the squad in goals (20) while dishing out eight helpers.

On the defensive side, Jenna Havert (Newark, N.Y.) finished tied for the team lead in caused turnovers (20) and was second in ground balls (32), collecting Second Team All-ECC honors in 2025. Kylie Miranto (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) caused 16 turnovers and picked up 16 ground balls. Sophomore goalie Molly Evans (Fulton, N.Y.) played in 14 games, making 13 starts and logging a 13.62 goals-against average and making 113 saves.

The Wildcats' season starts on Feb. 19 with a road contest at Lake Erie, followed by another trip to Ohio to play Walsh on Feb. 25. Daemen hosts Findlay on March 1 in its home opener and first game at its new field, Royal Park. The Wildcats will also host Gannon (March 11), District of Columbia (March 21), Dominican (April 2), Mercy (April 11), D'Youville (April 15), and St. Thomas Aquinas (April 25) in home contests.

2026 East Coast Conference Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Mercy University - 45 points (4 first-place votes)
2. Molloy University – 44 points (3 first-place votes)
3. Roberts Wesleyan University – 35 points
4. Daemen University – 28 points
5. D'Youville University – 23 points
6. St. Thomas Aquinas College – 14 points
7. University of the District of Columbia – 7 points

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 program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWLAX.

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