James P. McCoy

Daemen Hosts Findlay in Home Opener Saturday

2/27/2026 11:17:00 AM

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

HOME OPENER
The Daemen women's lacrosse team hosts Findlay in its home opener on Saturday at 5 p.m. The game was moved from Sunday to Saturday due to projected weather conditions. The Wildcats will be playing their first game at their new home, Royal Park, which opened this past fall.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen defeated Walsh 14-13 on Wednesday. The Wildcats' decisive third quarter, where they outscored the Cavaliers 8-3, proved crucial in the closely contested matchup. Despite a late rally from the Cavaliers, who tallied six goals in the final quarter, Daemen held on for the win. Avery Castner (Penn Yan, N.Y.) led the scoring with three goals on seven shots, including one from a free position. Ella Bouley (Auburn, N.Y.) contributed with three goals and an assist, converting three of her five shots on goal. She also collected five draw controls. Mikayla Myer (Geneva, N.Y.) secured the game-winning goal, finding the net with her only shot attempt. Sadie Schlesselman (Lancaster, N.Y.) added two goals and an assist, successfully scoring on both of her shots. Defensively, Bouley and Camryn Day (Hamburg, N.Y.) each caused two turnovers, with Bouley also scooping up two ground balls. Molly Evans (Fulton, N.Y.) made four saves in goal, including a big one in the fourth to prevent the Cavaliers from getting another.

EVANS EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
Evans was named ECC Goalie of the Week on Monday. She allowed just one goal, a career low, helping Daemen earn a 16-1 season-opening victory at Lake Erie on Feb 19. The sophomore made three saves in the contest, with two in the third quarter and one in the fourth. Evans posted a 75% save percentage in the game. The netminder held the Storm scoreless for the first three quarters before allowing the only goal in the fourth. This is the second time in her career that Evans has earned a weekly honor from the conference. Last season, Evans was named ECC Rookie of the Week once.

SCORING IN BUNCHES
The Wildcats have 30 goals in their first two games of the season after netting 14 against Walsh and 16 against Lake Erie. Leading the way is Castner with seven after logging three against the Storm and four against the Cavaliers. Maria Salvo (Clarence, N.Y.) sits behind her with six, including four against Lake Erie. Bouley has four goals while Schlesselman and Day have notched three each.

STARTING THE SEASON STRONG
Daemen opened the season with a 16-1 victory at Lake Erie. The Wildcats began the game with a commanding first quarter, scoring seven goals, including five on woman-up advantages. The team maintained control throughout, with nine players contributing to the scoring. Salvo scored four goals, including two woman-up tallies, from seven shots. Castner also netted four goals and provided an assist, converting all five of her shots on target. Schlesselman contributed a goal and two assists. Shannen Calandra (Rome, N.Y.) tallied two goals and added an assist, making six of her seven shots on goal. Defensively, Kylie Miranto (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) recorded a team-leading three caused turnovers. Day also collected four ground balls and caused two turnovers. Evans allowed just one goal while making three saves

RETURNING OFFENSIVE POWER
The Wildcats return their top goal scorer from the 2025 campaign in 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 (42), forced 16 turnovers, and collected 27 ground balls. Daemen's top point leader from last season, Calandra, also returns after she tallied 43 points, recording 15 goals and a team-leading 28 assists, which ranked fourth in the ECC. Castner contributed 28 points last season, finishing third on the squad in goals (20) and adding eight assists.

STRONG DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
For the defensive returners, 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. She was tied for eighth in the conference in caused turnovers per game (1.25). Miranto caused 16 turnovers and picked up 16 ground balls. In goal, Evans played in 14 games, making 13 starts and logging a 14.53 goals-against average while making 113 saves.

SCOUTING FINDLAY (1-0, 0-0 G-MAC)
The Oilers will face D'Youville on Friday before playing Daemen. Findlay opened its season with a 15-4 win at Saginaw Valley State last Saturday. Last season, the Oilers finished 9-11, including a 6-2 record in the Great Midwest Conference. The team lost to Ashland in the conference championship. Tessa Chuba is the top offensive returner for the Oilers, having led the team in goals (58), assists (19), points (77), and draw controls (81). Junior Rebecca Chmiel finished second on the squad in goals (30), assists (18), and points (48). Karissa Allbright notched 42 points with 25 goals and 17 assists, ranking third on the team in all three categories. Chmiel (2G, 2A) and Allbright (4G) both tallied four points in the last game. Chuba also led the defensive efforts last season with 57 caused turnovers and 54 ground balls. Emaly Garrett scooped up 35 ground balls and posted 22 caused turnovers. Caroline Weber recorded a 6-7 record, a .424 save percentage, and a 10.74 goals-against average between the pipes last season.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 1-2 all-time against Findlay. The teams met last year, when the Wildcats earned a 12-7 road win. The Oilers won 15-12 at Daemen in 2024 and 17-10 on their home field in 2023.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats are back on the road Wednesday, traveling to Indiana (Pa.) for a 3 p.m. contest.

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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