Women's Soccer 2026 Preview

8/24/2026 2:00:00 PM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. — Daemen University women's soccer will open its 2026 season at home on Thursday, hosting Malone at 3 p.m. Prior to the start of the season, head coach Dan Dolan and senior captains Lily Macfarlane (Murcott, England) and Natalie Krelie (Bath, N.Y.) spoke about the newcomers, expectations, and the 2026 squad as a whole.

The Wildcats enter the season under 18th-year head coach Dolan, who led Daemen to an 11-6-1 record in 2025, including a 4-2-1 mark in East Coast Conference play. The Wildcats defeated Queens 2-1 in the first round of the ECC Tournament, before falling 4-1 to Mercy in the semifinals.

"I think we're building on last year. We had a pretty young team. A lot of young starters, including about six freshmen from last year, who are coming back." Dolan said. "We also have a really good freshman class coming in this year, with some really good depth and senior leadership."

Daemen was picked third in the 2026 ECC preseason poll with 45 points. Mercy was selected first with 62 points (six first-place votes), followed by Molloy with 52 points (one first-place vote). Roberts Wesleyan trailed the Wildcats in fourth with 40 points, followed by Queens in fifth with 37 points (one first-place vote). D'Youville (27 points) was selected sixth, St. Thomas Aquinas (14 points) was picked seventh, and Staten Island (11 points) rounded out the standings in eighth.

Twenty players return from last year's squad, including four All-ECC selections. Macayla Hansen (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Kaitlyn Wright (Geneva, N.Y.) both garnered first-team accolades, while Kaitlin Mettler (Royalton, N.Y.) and Ava Thompson (East Amherst, N.Y.) earned second-team honors.

Hansen logged 13 points with five goals and three assists, finishing third on the squad in all three categories. Wright registered 22 points last season, tallying eight goals and six assists. She finished tied for fourth in the ECC in points, fifth in assists, and sixth in goals.

Mettler earned second-team accolades after starting all 18 of the Wildcats' games and logging 1,315 minutes, the fourth-most among field players. She also posted two assists. Thompson helped anchor the Wildcats' backline, starting all 17 games she played last season and logging 1,462 minutes, the fourth-most among field players. Daemen recorded five clean sheets last season, not allowing a goal against St. Thomas Aquinas, Roberts Wesleyan, Tiffin, D'Youville, and Staten Island.

Other prominent returners include junior Taylor Fiegel (Lockport, N.Y.), who recorded six points (2G, 2A), and senior Victoria DiCarlo (North Tonawanda, N.Y.), who finished third on the team in assists in 2025 with five. Macfarlane and Marisa Rickard (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) each tallied one goal and three assists last season.

The Wildcats will have a new face in goal. Allie Dimitrovski (Lancaster, N.Y.) is the lone returning keeper, while junior transfer Rylee Kumer (Ambridge, Pa.) and freshman Sam Hite (Tucson, Ariz.) joined the squad.

Daemen welcomed 11 new players, with 10 freshmen and one transfer. The newcomers hail from six states and include three defenders, three midfielders, three forwards, and two goalkeepers.

"I feel like a lot of people have stepped up. Some of the returners from last year and the freshmen seemed to have been really comfortable coming in, so I'm excited to see that," Krelie said.

"I think it's super important for the team to be super cohesive because there are so many new players, and we're so young," Macfarlane said. "It's so important to build those relationships early on, and I think we're doing a good job already. It will definitely make it easier to stack wins, and that's the main goal of our season."

The Wildcats will play 16 games this season, including eight at home and eight on the road. Daemen begins the year with four straight contests at Royal Park. Following Thursday's game against Malone, the Wildcats welcome Thomas More on Saturday for an 11 a.m. contest. Post visits on Sept. 4, and the homestand wraps up against Tiffin on Sept. 6. ECC action opens on Sept. 19 with a road contest at Molloy. The first home conference match will be on Sept. 26 against Mercy.

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.

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