April 27, 2008

MAAC Championship Game Photo Gallery

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Ahead 5-2 at halftime, the Marist women's water polo team withstood a late charge from Iona to win the 2008 MAAC Women's Water Polo Championship on Sunday at the McCann Natatorium. This is the Red Foxes' second MAAC Championship in three years, winning the 2006 Championship which was also held at Marist. Junior 2M Katelin McCahill (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while Angie Rampton (Simi Valley, Calif.) and goalie Elizabeth Davis (Albuquerque, N.M.) were named to the MAAC All-Tournament team following Sunday's game.

Marist (27-7) started the game on the right foot as Rampton scored 52 seconds into the game to give the Red Foxes a 1-0 lead. Iona tied the game with 4:32 on Lauren Peterson's first goal of the game. The Red Foxes took over from that point, getting four straight goals from McCahill, Maggie Hatcher (Evanston, Ill.), and Hilary Schroeder (Santa Barbara, Calif.) to take a 5-1 lead with 2:10 to go in the second quarter. Amanda Brucia got Iona to within three before halftime, scoring with 1:13 left in the half to make the score 5-2.

Brucia scored 20 seconds into the third quarter to get the Gaels within two, 5-3. The Red Foxes would get a lift off the bench as freshman Kristen Barnett (Houston, Texas) made the lead four goals as she put a shot past Iona goalie Kathleen Link with 7:06 left in the fourth quarter. Iona would not go away quietly.

Lauren Peterson scored two goals 35 seconds apart to get the Gaels back within two, 7-5, with 4:03 left in the game. Alicia Keating would add a goal at the 1:44 mark to get Iona within one, and that would be as close as the Gaels would get. Iona had one last chance at goal with three seconds left, but the desperation toss went wide of the goal.

Marist now takes the MAAC's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Women's Water Polo Tournament, to be held at the Avery Aquatic Center on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. The tournament bracket will be announced Monday night at 7 p.m. on CBS College Sports Television. The Red Foxes will host a Selection Show gathering on Monday night in the Cabaret of the Marist Student Center.

2008 MAAC Water Polo All-Tournament Team
Lauren Garrigan, Siena
Billy Hoelck, Wagner
Amanda Brucia, Iona
Lauren Peterson, Iona
Angie Rampton, Marist
Elizabeth Davis, Marist

Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Katelin McCahill, Marist