April 29, 2007

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist Women's Water Polo team fell 8-7 on Sunday afternoon to Wagner in the MAAC Water Polo League Championship game in the McCann Natatorium. Sophomore Katelin McCahill (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) scored four times for Marist in the game and added two assists. Billy Hoelck led Wagner by scoring five of its eight goals.

McCahill opened the scoring in the game with 7:33 left in the first quarter to give Marist an early 1-0 lead. The two teams would alternate goals the rest of the quarter and were tied 2-2 after the first eight minutes.

Hoelck gave Wagner a short lived 3-2 lead in the second frame on a goal with 5:45 remaining in the half. McCahill answered that with her second tally of the game at the 5:22 mark and the teams went to the intermission tied at three goals apiece.

Wagner opened the second half by outscoring Marist 4-1 in the third quarter, with Hoelck scoring half of the Seahawks goals in the period. Marist cut the deficit to 7-4 with 1:10 left in the third when McCahill recorded her third goal of the game.

Wagner scored just one goal in the final period, but it proved to be the game winner as Marist scored three times. Hilary Schroeder (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Samantha Swartz (Harleysville, Pa.) joined McCahill in the scoring column in the period but the Foxes came up just one goal short.

McCahill added two assists and a steal in the game, with Kari Weston (Chino Hills, Calif.) adding a goal, an assist and a steal. MAAC Rookie of the Year Kristen Barnett (Houston, Texas) recorded an assist and collected two steals in the game. Maggie Hatcher (Evanston, Ill.), Weston, Angie Rampton (Simi Valley, Calif.) and Emily St. Omer Roy (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) all drew ejections for the Foxes in the contest.

Junior captain Elizabeth Davis (Albuquerque, N.M.) played the full game in goal for Marist and made 10 saves. Davis also collected two steals in the game.

Following the contest, McCahill and Davis were named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team for their efforts in Marist's two games. On the weekend, McCahill scored seven goals, had three assists, three steals and two drawn ejections. Davis made 24 saves in two games, had three steals and blocked a 5M penalty shot against Villanova on Saturday.

Marist concluded the season with a 24-14 record, a program best for wins in a season.

(2) Wagner 8 - (1) Marist 7

Goals: McCahill 4, Schroeder 1, Weston 1, Swartz 1

Saves: Davis 10