Geoff Schneider

Women's Soccer Hits the Road for the First Time this Weekend

9/10/2026 12:15:00 PM

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

HITTING THE ROAD
The Daemen women's soccer team (1-2-1) hits the road for the first time in 2026, heading to Saint Anselm on Friday for a 2 p.m. contest. The Wildcats then head to Bentley to battle the #17 nationally-ranked Falcons at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen earned its first win of the season last Friday, defeating Post 5-3. Three freshmen scored their first career goals in the contest. Freshman Zainab Khalid (Penfield, N.Y.) made it 1-0 at the 1:15 mark. Fellow rookie Aaliyah Hein made it 2-0 in the eighth minute. A penalty kick by Macayla Hansen (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) gave the home side a 3-0 lead. The Eagles stormed back and scored three straight to tie it at 3-3. Bridey McKenzie (Amherst, N.Y.) scored back-to-back goals, including the first of her career in the 62nd minute and another in the 65th minute, making it 5-3 as Daemen secured the win. Rylee Kumer (Ambridge, Pa.) made two saves to earn her first win as a Wildcat. On Sunday, Daemen fell 2-1 at home to Tiffin. Khalid scored for the second consecutive game, giving Daemen a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute. The Dragons tied the game in the 6th minute, then pulled ahead 2-1 in the 52nd minute. Taylor Fiegel (Lockport, N.Y.) posted a team-high three shots, putting one on frame. Kumer made five saves.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Khalid and McKenzie were both named to the ECC Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. McKenzie scored twice in Daemen's 5-3 win over Post last Friday while playing 82 minutes. The freshman netted her first career goal, which was also the game-winning goal, in the 62nd minute to put Daemen ahead 4-3. She scored again three minutes later to make it 5-3, helping the Wildcats secure the win. Khalid scored in the win over Post on Friday, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 advantage. The forward also found the back of the net against Tiffin on Sunday, giving Daemen a 1-0 lead at the time.

MAKING THE SAVES
Kumer has made 18 saves thus far, ranking second in the ECC. She stopped five shots against Tiffin and two in the win over Post. She also made eight stops in the season opener against Malone.

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.

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 this weekend, the Wildcats open ECC action on Sept. 19 with a road contest at Molloy. Following a non-conference match at AIC on Sept 22, the first home conference match will be on Sept. 26 against Mercy.

SCOUTING SAINT ANSELM (2-0-1)
The Hawks are coming off a 3-0 win over Wilmington (Del.) last Sunday at home. Saint A's also tied Jefferson 2-2 on Sept. 4 and defeated Post 5-1 on Aug. 30. Scarlett Flint leads the team in goals (3) and is tied with Connie Patturelli (2G, 2A) for the team lead in points (6). Amarys Jimenez has logged a goal and two helpers, while Meghan Deneen has two goals, and Nicole Schneider has two assists. Goalie Samantha Swidorski has started two games, posting a 2-0 record, an .833 save percentage, and a 0.50 goals-against average.

SERIES HISTORY
The two sides have met four times, with Saint Anselm winning all four meetings. Last season, the Hawks won 3-2 at Melucci Field. In 2024, the squads met in Amherst, with Saint A's earning a 2-0 victory.

SCOUTING BENTLEY (4-0)
The Falcons are ranked #17 in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Poll after winning their first four games. Bentley has defeated Molloy (4-0), Wilmington (Del.) (3-0), Queens (6-2), and D'Youville (2-0). Abi Hennessey leads the Falcons in points (7) with two goals and two assists. Cami Ayandele, Sydney DeRoche, and Olivia Matthews have each tallied two goals and an assist. Maddy LePage is tied for second on the team in assists (2) and has scored once. Goalie Holly DiPaolo has started all four games, logging a 3-0 record, a .917 save percentage, and a 0.29 goals-against average.

SERIES HISTORY:
Daemen and Bentley have only met twice. Last season, the Wildcats defeated the Falcons 3-1 at Royal Park. In 2022, Bentley earned a 1-0 home victory.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats kick off ECC play on the road next Saturday, Sept. 19, heading to Molloy 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.

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