AMHERST, N.Y. – Making their third consecutive postseason appearance, the No. 5 Queens College women's soccer team traveled to Amherst, N.Y., to take on the No. 4 Daemen University Wildcats in the First Round of the East Coast Conference Championship at Royal Park Thursday evening.
The Wildcats struck early in each half, but a late goal from junior midfielder
Anna Tavantzis (Holbrook, N.Y.) in the 87th minute gave the Knights life. However, Daemen's defense stood tall in the final minutes to close out a 2–1 win and end Queens' 2025 season.
MATCH RECAP
Daemen opened the match with an early chance in the third minute before Queens began to find their rhythm
Junior midfielder
Ashley Kieblesz (Middle Village, N.Y.) tested the defense with a shot that went just high, while Tavantzis forced the first save of the contest from Daemen keeper Becca Schultz.
Despite Queens controlling much of the early possession, the Wildcats capitalized on a penalty opportunity as Macayla Hansen converted from the spot in the eighth minute to give the hosts a 1–0 lead.
Sophomore goalie
Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Plainview, N.Y.) kept the Knights close with a big stop in the 10th minute, denying Kylie Miranto from close range. Queens continued to apply pressure throughout the first half, outshooting Daemen 6–2 with five shots on goal, but entered halftime trailing 1–0.
The Knights came out strong after the break, as Kieblesz registered two shots in the opening minutes, both turned away by Schultz. However, Daemen doubled their advantage in the 49th minute to make it 2–0.
Queens continued to push forward, with freshman midfielder
Mia Goicochea (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.) forcing another save in the 50th minute. Hines-Hirsch stayed sharp on the other end, recording multiple saves to keep the Knights within striking distance.
In the final 10 minutes, Queens mounted a late surge, earning three consecutive corner kicks. On their third attempt, rookie forward
Avery Shreffler (Westlake, OH) slipped a perfect through ball to Tavantzis, who finished from the middle to cut the deficit to 2–1.
Despite the late momentum, the Wildcats held off the Knights' final push to advance to the ECC semifinals, ending Queens' season with a hard-fought defeat.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Tavantzis tallied her first goal of the season.
- Rookie Shreffler notched her team-leading third assist of the year.
- In goal, Hines-Hirsch tallied three saves.
- The Knights outshot the Wildcats 21-13 and 13-6 in shots on goal.
Head Coach
Thomas Paris and the Knights conclude the season with an overall record of 2-9-6 and 1-3-3 in ECC play.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), Instagram (qcknightsny), women's soccer (qcwsoccer)
