Geoff Schneider

#6 Seed Daemen Takes on #3 Seed Queens in ECC First Round Wednesday

10/27/2026 10:13:00 AM

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

ECC TOURNAMENT TIME
The Daemen women's soccer team (3-10-3, 2-3-2 ECC) earned the #6 seed in the ECC Women's Soccer Championship and heads to #3 Queens in a first-round matchup Wednesday evening.

'CATS IN THE CONFERENCE POSTSEASON
The Wildcats are making their sixth straight trip and seventh overall appearance in the ECC tournament. Daemen defeated Queens 2-1 in the first round in 2025 but fell 4-1 to Mercy in the semifinals. The Wildcats finished as runners-up in 2023 and 2024. Daemen also competed in the semifinals in 2022, 2021, and 2018.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen closed out the regular season defeating rival D'Youville 4-2 in a non-conference road game last Wednesday. Marisa Rickard (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) scored Daemen's first two goals in the 11th and 33rd minutes, putting her team ahead 2-0. Kaitlin Mettler (Royalton, N.Y.) assisted the second. In the 62nd minute, four minutes after D'Youville scored, Taylor Fiegel (Lockport, N.Y.) made it 3-1 for Daemen off a pass from Victoria DiCarlo (North Tonawanda, N.Y.). After the Saints scored again, Bridey McKenzie (Amherst, N.Y.) sealed the deal off an assist from Rickard in the 85th minute, making it 4-2. Rylee Kumer (Ambridge, Pa.) made 11 saves over 90 minutes, with three in the first half and eight in the second. It marked her third game this season with double-digit saves.

RICKARD EARNS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The ECC released its final set of women's soccer weekly awards on Monday, with Rickard earning Offensive Player of the Week. She logged a career-best five points (2G, 1A) to lead Daemen past rival D'Youville in a non-conference game last Wednesday. Rickard scored the first two goals in the first half, making it 2-0 Daemen. It was her first career multi-goal game. The sophomore also assisted Daemen's fourth goal.

MAKING THE SAVES
Kumer has made 96 saves, leading the ECC and ranking 22nd nationally. The junior is averaging 6.40 saves per game, ranking third in the conference and 24th nationally. Kumer posted 11 saves in the season-finale win over D'Youville. She stopped eight shots against Roberts Wesleyan last Friday. Kumer made seven saves in a clean-sheet draw at Roberts Wesleyan and six in a 2-2 tie against Queens. She stopped eight shots against Molloy and made seven saves against AIC. Kumer logged a career-high 12 saves against Saint Anselm and registered 11 saves at #17 Mercy. The keeper also made eight stops in the season opener against Malone.

DISHING IT OUT
Mettler has four assists this season, ranking tied for fifth in the ECC. The midfielder recorded a helper last Wednesday at D'Youville. She assisted the game-winning goal against D'Youville on Sept. 30. The sophomore also logged her first multi-assist game with two helpers against Queens on Oct. 10.

CAREER FIRSTS
Several Wildcats have logged their first career goals this season. Natalie Krelie (Bath, N.Y.) scored against D'Youville, marking the senior's first career goal. Freshman Aliyah Hien (Kenmore, Wash.), McKenzie, and Zainab Khalid (Penfield, N.Y.) scored their first career goals in the win over Post University. Mia Wright (Liverpool, N.Y.) netted her first career goal against #17 Bentley. Mia Dickens (Boise, Idaho) notched her first point with an assist against Post.

SCOUTING QUEENS (8-4-4, 3-1-3 ECC)
The Knights closed the regular season with a 1-0 victory at D'Youville after falling 2-1 at Mercy last Wednesday. Ashley Kieblesz has recorded a team-leading 10 goals and 22 points, also having two assists. Anna Tavanzis has logged 14 points with five goals and four assists. Mia Hanson leads the squad in assists (5) and has two goals for nine points. Ana Impellizzer has posted two goals and an assist, while Kayla Camacho has three helpers. Goalkeeper Samantha Hines-Hirsch has started 15 games, posting an 8-4-4 record, a 0.81 goals-against average, and an .829 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
The all-time series, dating back to 2013, is narrowly led by Daemen (8-5-2), with the Wildcats having won eight of the last 10 matches. The two teams tied 0-0 in Amherst during the regular season. Daemen defeated Queens 2-1 in the ECC Championship first round last year. The Wildcats won the 2025 regular-season meeting 3-1. Daemen also ended Queens' season in the 2024 ECC semifinals, defeating the Knights 4-1.

UP NEXT
If Daemen advances, it will play an ECC semifinal match at Molloy on Saturday at 12 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 soccer program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @DaemenWSOC.

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