Nov. 11, 2007
Final Stats
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.- A dream season ended for the Marist women's soccer team on Sunday afternoon at the hands of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference powerhouse Loyola. The Greyhounds scored two first half goals and held off a furious second half attack from the Red Foxes, on route to a 2-0 MAAC Tournament Championship Game victory.
Loyola controlled the action for the entire first half. They out-shot Marist 9-3 and scored two goals just 69 seconds apart.
The first goal came from Lea Day. She headed in a beautiful cross off the foot of Lina Staropoli. One minute and nine seconds later the Greyhounds' Christina Gomez capitalized on a Penalty Kick for the final margin.
In the second half, the Red Foxes took it to Loyola. They out-shot the Greyhounds 11-1 and out-shot them 14-10 in the match. The Red Foxes took ten corners in the second half after getting zero in the first. Loyola took three on the match.
Marist was in the Loyola zone for the entire second half but could not find the back of the net. Katie Zasly (Foster City, Calif.) got off six shots for the Red Foxes. She put two on goal. Kate Fox (Franklin, Mass.) took three shots in the match. All three were on goal and all three were saved by Loyola keeper Brittany Henderson. She had six saves on the day and was named the MAAC Tournament MVP.
"(Loyola) dictated the action the entire first half, and the way we played in that second half was the way we needed to come out from the start," Marist Head Coach Elizabeth Roper said after the loss. "We were knocking on the door that whole second half and really played well, but (Brittany) Henderson did a great job in net for (Loyola). We couldn't get it past her."
Allison Lane was in net for Marist. The freshman made four saves on the day. Her record for the season fell to 8-4-3.
The win was the sixth MAAC Tournament Championship in eight years for Loyola. Marist finishes their season with a program record eleven wins. It was their second appearance in the MAAC Tournament Championship Match. They both ended in a loss to Loyola.
"Loyola's experience showed and I know they will represent the MAAC well in the NCAA's," Roper added.
Zasly, Maria Baez (Levittown, N.Y.), and Melanie Ondrejik (Manalapan, N.J.) were all named to the 2007 All-Tournament team.
In a season that the Red Foxes set program records in both wins and consecutive games unbeaten (6), the Marist women have a lot to be proud of.
"It was a tremendous season and a tremendous run," the head coach said. "Though we will miss two great players and leaders in Mel and Keri (Melanie Ondrejik and Keri Koegel), we know that we have a bright future ahead. We will expect nothing less in the future."
