Feb. 28, 2009

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist water polo team advanced to the semifinals of the 2009 ECAC Championships on Saturday morning, defeating Mercyhurst 12-6 at the McCann Natatorium. Senior Katelin McCahill (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) led the Red Foxes with four goals.

Marist (5-5) got on the board early when Kristen Barnett (Houston, Texas) found the back of the cage within the first minute of action. The Red Foxes then got back-to-back goals from Angie Rampton (Simi Valley, Calif.) to go ahead 3-0. Senior Caitlin Hopkins (Beaverton, Ore.) put one more goal on the board to give Marist a 4-0 lead after one quarter. Mercyhurst scored twice to start the second quarter to close within two, but Marist got the lead back up to four with goals by McCahill and Hilary Schroeder (Santa Barbara, Calif.) to go ahead 6-2 at halftime.

The Lakers got within three goals twice in the third quarter as a Rachel Griepsma goal made the score 7-4 with 4:49 to go in the quarter. The Red Foxes put the lead back up to five by the end of the quarter, getting tallies from McCahill and Emily St. Omer Roy (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) to go ahead 9-5. Marist outscored Mercyhurst 3-1 in the fourth quarter to put the Lakers away. Barnett had a pair of goals in the final period with McCahill also finding the back of the net.

Marist will take on the winner of the George Washington/St. Francis (NY) game at 7 p.m. at the McCann Natatorium.