BALTIMORE, Md. - The Marist Women's Soccer earned their first-ever MAAC Championship and NCAA bid with an exciting 1-0 victory over Loyola on Sunday afternoon at Loyola's Ridley Athletic Complex. In a hard-fought, physical battle, a goal by freshman Amanda Epstein (Jericho, N.Y.) in the 43^rd minute stood up over the final 47 plus minutes as the game-winner. Junior Caitlin Landsman backstopped a stout Red Fox defense to earn her fifth shutout of the season.

Marist began the championship contest with a series of strong offensive possessions during the first 15 minutes of play. From 9:42 to 10:30, the Red Foxes had their best scoring opportunities as junior Jackie Frey (Monroe, N.Y.) and sophomore Alycia Cartica (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) registered three shots, with Frey's attempt being blocked and Cartica's second effort testing Loyola's goalkeeper Didi Haracic.

The next 10 minutes saw play flow from end to end with no shot attempts by either team registered.  Frey tested Haracic again in the 27^th minute for the Red Foxes' second shot on goal.

For a seven minute span of play from the 32^nd minute through the 39^th Loyola put together their first successful offensive possessions that resulted in shots. After back-to-back shots off of a corner kick, Loyola's dangerous striker Nichole Schiro registered her first shot of the game on a header that sailed wide.

Marist finally broke through on the scoreboard with a three-part play involving Red Fox freshmen. Off of a Jamie Strumwasser (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) pass in, Marjana Maksuti (Delmar, N.Y.) flicked a header onto a wide-open Epstein, who controlled the ball and volleyed it into the back of the net.

This scoring play was significant for all of the players. For Maksuti this was her first career point, for Strumwasser this was her first career assist and for Epstein it was her 28th point of the season, a mark that puts her in a tie with Jamie Beirwirth for the most points in a single season. Also a freshman, Beirwirth notched 28 points in 1997.

At the half, Marist held leads in shots at 5-3 and shots on goal at 3-0.

Coming out of the locker room just 45 minutes from securing the MAAC crown, the Red Foxes had to withstand a stronger Loyola offensive effort that began with two Greyhound shots in the 49^th and 51^st minutes.

Shortly after that series of shots, the Red Foxes took their turn on offense. Sophomore Rycke Guiney (Naperville, Ill.) headed a shot wide before Epstein and sophomore Samantha Panzner (Livingston, N.J.) tested Loyola's new goalkeeper Danielle Ippolito.

From this point in the 56^th minute through the game's conclusion the pressure of what was at hand had an overwhelming effect on the play on the field. Hectic and rushed passing hindered Loyola's offense, while Marist turned their focus to defense and the quality of offensive possessions suffered a bit. In the final 34 minutes, the teams combined for three total shots.

Landsman was tested with Loyola's only shot on goal at 79:17 when Kelsey Donohue fired a shot from close-in that the junior goalkeeper shut down on the doorstep of the goal.

With a dramatic countdown from the bench, the Red Fox athletes, coaches and fans exploded as the clock went to 0:00 and the 2011 MAAC Women's Soccer Championship was Marist's.

Post-match, four Red Foxes were named to the MAAC All-Tournament team: junior defender Jessica Arabia (Naperville, Ill.), Guiney, Landsman and Epstein. For her two-goal effort at the tournament Epstein was named the 2011 MAAC  All-Tournament MVP.

For the game, Marist outshot Loyola 9-7 with a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal.

The starting defensive alignment of juniors Chelsea Botta (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and Melanie Rigo (Huntington, N.Y.), freshman Marissa Mertens (Hicksville, N.Y.), Arabia and Cartica helped Landsman secure the shutout on just one shot allowed.

The Red Foxes' helped collect their first-ever title by posting a perfect 3-0 record at Loyola's Ridley Athletic Complex this season.

The team now awaits word of who they will play in the NCAA Tournament with the announcement of the 2011 NCAA Bracket on Monday at 4:30 p.m.