Feb. 28, 2009
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Behind two goals each from Kristen Barnett (Houston, Texas) and Caitlin Hopkins (Beaverton, Ore.), the Marist water polo team advanced to the championship game of the ECAC Championships with a 7-5 win over George Washington at the McCann Natatorium Saturday night. The Red Foxes are now 6-5 on the season.
The Colonials got on the board first as Amy Moren put a shot past Jessica Getchius (Simi Valley, Calif.) at the 6:38 mark of the first quarter. In a low-scoring opening period, Marist tied the game with 56 seconds left in the first as Barnett found the back of the net. The Red Foxes then took the lead at the 4:36 mark of the second quarter when sophomore Agnes Konopka (Simi Valley, Calif.) put one past George Washington goalie Charlotte Schou, making the score 2-1. Barnett followed it with her second goal of the night with 3:45 to go in the half, making the score 3-1. The Colonials would get within a goal before halftime as Marissa Stamler scored with 2:24 left in the second quarter.
Marist came out on fire in the third quarter scoring the first three goals to take a 6-2 lead. Hopkins started the run with a goal at the 7:29 mark and capped it with her second goal at the 4:14 mark. Katelin McCahill (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) also scored during that stretch for Marist. GW would not go away quietly, scoring three straight goals of its own to make the score 6-5 with 2:20 to go in the game. Marist, though, put away the Colonials with 2:01 to go in the fourth as Angie Rampton (Simi Valley, Calif.) found the back of the cage to make the score 7-5.
Getchius made 11 saves in the win for Marist. Rampton led the field defense with three steals as McCahill and Samantha Swartz (Harleysville, Pa.) added two steals of their own.
The Red Foxes will take on Brown on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in the McCann Natatorium for the ECAC Championship.
Marist 7, George Washington 5
Goals: Barnett 2, Rampton 1, McCahill 1, Konopka 1, Hopkins 2
Assists: Barnett 1, Rampton 1, McCahill 2, Swartz 1
Steals: Barnett 1, Rampton 3, McCahill 2, Swartz 2, Getchius 1
Field Blocks: Barnett 1, Swartz 1
Ejections: Scroeder 1, Sunday 2, Barnett 1, Rampton 1, Pauli 3, Hopkins 1
Ejections Drawn: Schroeder 1, Sunday 1 5M, Barnett 1 and 1 5M, Pauli 1, McCahill 1, St. Omer Roy 1
Saves: Getchius 11
