Daemen Hosts Malone, Thomas More to Open 2026 Season

8/26/2026 3:00:00 PM

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

NEW SEASON
The Daemen women's soccer team opens the 2026 season with two home games this week. The Wildcats will kick off the year hosting Malone at 3 p.m. on Thursday before welcoming Thomas More to Royal Park for an 11 a.m. match on Saturday. The Wildcats enter the season under 18th-year head coach Dan 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.

PRESEASON POLL
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.

ALL-ECC
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.

MORE RETURNING TALENT
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. Lily Macfarlane (Murcott, England) and Marisa Rickard (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) each tallied one goal and three assists last season.

THE NEWCOMERS
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.

SCHEDULE OUTLOOK
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.

SCOUTING MALONE
The Pioneers posted a 5-9-3 mark in 2025, including a 4-8-2 record in Great Midwest Conference action. Alyssa Schofield is the top returning scorer after posting four points with a goal and two assists last season. Morgan Kandel, Raegan Radel, and Emmilina Miller all logged a goal and an assist during the 2025 campaign. Senior goalkeeper Amelia Henderhan started all 17 of Malone's games last year, logging a 5-9-3 record, a 1.42 goals-against average, and a .793 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen and Malone will play for the first time as NCAA Division II members. The Wildcats are 3-4 against the Pioneers and have won four of the last five meetings. The last matchup came in 2010 when Daemen fell 2-1 on the road.

SCOUTING THOMAS MORE
The Saints finished 7-10-2 last year, including a 6-6-2 mark in Great Midwest Conference play. Ivy Hoffman led the team in goals (8) and points (19) last season, also tallying three assists. Alexis Harden finished second in goals (6) and points (13), registering one helper. Josie Gruber scored five goals for 10 points and was third on the squad in both categories. Iris Ungur is the Saints' only returning goalkeeper. She saw action in three games last season, making one start and posting a 2.45 GAA, a .556 save percentage, and a 0-2-1 record.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the first meeting between the programs.

UP NEXT
Daemen continues its season-opening homestand next week, hosting Post on Sept. 4 and Tiffin on Sept. 6.

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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