April 26, 2008
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - In a game that featured eight ties and nine lead changes, the Marist women's water polo defeated Siena 11-9 in double overtime at the McCann Natatorium on Saturday to advance to the MAAC Women's Water Polo championship game on Sunday. Junior 2M Katelin McCahill (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) led all scorers with five goals.
Siena (11-19) scored first in Saturday's semifinal, as Lauren Biehle scored from in front of the net at the 6:34 mark of the opening quarter. The Red Foxes responded 20 seconds later with McCahill's first tally of the day. Marist took their first lead with 1:24 left in the first quarter, as Hilary Schroeder (Santa Barbara, Calif.) rattled the cage with her only goal of the game giving Marist a 2-1 lead which held to the end of the quarter.
The Saints dominated a very defensive second quarter. They tied the game at two with a goal from Jackie Crosby with 6:31 to go in the half. Siena's defense, led by goalie Lisa Reilly, shutout Marist in the second quarter, taking the tiescore into halftime. Marist took back the lead in the third quarter, as sophomore Kristen Barnett (Houston, Texas) scored 2:29 into the quarter to make the score 3-2. With the game tied 5-5 late in the third, the Red Foxes got goals from McCahill and Maggie Hatcher (Evanston, Ill.) to take their largest lead of the game, 7-5, with 1:56 to go in the third.
The lead would not last long. Siena scored three straight goals to take an 8-7 lead with 4:54 to go in the fourth. With 2:23 to go, Hatcher scored her second goal of the game to tie the game at eight. The Saints took the lead back with Devan Ragg's second goal of the game with 1:16 left. McCahill tied the game at nine with 58 seconds left. Marist had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Rachel Sunday (Carlisle, Pa.) could not get off a shot after racing Siena up the pool.
The two teams traded scoreless possessions to start the first overtime. Marist took the lead with 1:22 left in the first overtime as Hatcher scored her third goal of the game, making the score 10-9. McCahill scored her fifth goal 12 seconds into the second overtime to give the Red Foxes an 11-9 lead. Marist's defense and goalie Elizabeth Davis (Albuquerque, N.M.) shut down Siena from there, allowing no goals in the overtime periods.
Angie Rampton (Simi Valley, Calif.) and Samantha Swartz (Harleysville, Pa.) each had two assists in Marist's win. Hatcher led the defense effort with seven steals. Davis made 11 saves in the win and also had three steals.
The Red Foxes (26-7) advance to Sunday's MAAC Championship game to take on second-seeded Iona at 2 p.m. at the McCann Center Natatorium. The Gaels defeated third-seeded Wagner 14-10 in Saturday's first semifinal. For ticket information for Sunday's MAAC Championship, log on to GoRedFoxes.com or call the Marist Ticket Office at 845-575-3553.
#1 Marist 11, #4 Siena 9 (2 OT)
Goals: Schroeder 1, M. Hatcher 3, Barnett 1, Rampton 1, McCahill 5
Assists: Sunday 1, Barnett 1, Rampton 2, McCahill 1, Swartz 1
Steals: M. Hatcher 7, Sunday 1, Barnett 2, Rampton 2, Swartz 1, Davis 3
Ejections: M. Hatcher 1, Sunday 1, Swartz 1
Ejections Drawn: Schroeder 3, M. Hatcher 1, Rampton 1, McCahill 2
Saves: Davis 11
