April 24, 2011
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Marist water polo team won two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) games at Villanova's Pool on Saturday, defeating the Wildcats, 18-6 and St Francis (N.Y.), 11-9. The wins allowed the team to clinch the second seed in the upcoming MAAC tournament. Junior Desiree Desaulniers (Orlando, Fla.) was the top scorer, with six goals in two games for the Red Foxes, who elevated their record to 19-20 on the season and 7-3 in the MAAC.
In the first game, against Villanova, the Red Foxes dominated from the opening sprint and won by a score of 18-6. Marist was able to get their whole roster into the game and 11 athletes into the scoring column. Senior Kirsten Siegel (San Diego, Calif.). Senior Rosie Pauli (Sacramento, Calif.), juniors Jaclyn Puccino (San Diego, Calif.) and Desaulniers and sophomores Shelby Rinker (Lansdale, Pa.), Mackenzie Maynes (Newcastle, Wash.) and Heather Fellmeth (North Wales, Pa.) all notched single goals versus Villanova.
Rinker also had a team-high five assists.
Defensively, the Red Foxes had eleven steals with Puccino and Maynes leading the way with two steals a piece. The defense also came up big, as they denied five of Villanova's seven 6-on-5 advantages.
In goal, freshman Alexis Solaro (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) recorded 11 saves and had one assist.
Game two saw the Red Foxes and St. Francis Terriers faceoff in a closer affair. After the action was final, Marist was victorious by a score of 11-9. Four Red Foxes took care of all of the scoring as Desaulniers led the squad with five goals. Crabtree was second on the team with three goals. Konopka with two and Puccino with one goal completed the scoring.
Crabtree also had an effect in the pool outside of goal scoring as she had team-highs with two assists and three ejections drawn, as well as one steal.
In goal, Solaro came up with another excellent effort, as she made 10 saves, stole one pass and made another assist.
After all of the action was completed on the fifth and final day of double round robin action in MAAC play, the tournament seedings were complete. The number one seed with a perfect 10-0 conference record is Iona. Marist claimed the second seed with a 7-3 conference record. The Red Foxes' first round opponent and number three seed is Wagner, who was 5-5. After winning the tie-breaker, St. Francis claimed the number four seed with a 4-6 record.
The Red Foxes come into the 2011 MAAC Championship as a four-time league champion, who has won titles in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The MAAC Championships, which will be hosted in Marist's McCann Natatorium, will begin on Saturday April 30 with Game 1 at 1:00 P.M. and Game 2 at 3:00 P.M.
