POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - In front of a raucous Tenney Stadium crowd, the top-seeded Marist women's soccer team (15-6) earned a hard-fought, physical 2-0 win over the fourth-seeded Iona Gaels (7-9-3). In a trend that has played out for the Red Foxes in their past three games, a game-winner by sophomore Amanda Epstein (Jericho, N.Y.) and a shutout in goal was the story of the second MAAC semifinal on Friday night. Andrea Wicks (East Northport, N.Y.) was the victorious goalkeeper as she finished with four saves. Senior Melanie Rigo (Huntington, N.Y.) netted Marist's insurance score in the 85^th minute.

After physical play dictated the beginning of the game, Marist broke onto the scoreboard in the 18^th minute when junior Samantha Panzner (Livingston, N.J.) swung a cross in from the left wing to a waiting Epstein. The sophomore forward calmly took down the ball and ripped a one-timer on net through the Iona goalkeeper.

Each team had few quality scoring chances over the next 20 minutes.

It wasn't until late in the first half that Iona would begin making significant in-roads offensively when they would connect through balls from the defensive third to the offensive third. In a matter of three minutes between the 40 and 43^rd minute, junior Kylee McIntosh (Cheshire, Conn.) denied three scoring opportunities, one on a toe-poke and two on headers of crosses. A fourth scoring chance was denied when Leah Taylor rang a shot off of the cross bar.

At the half, Marist outshot Iona 9-6 with a 3-1 advantage in shots on goal. Fouls were Iona 11 - Marist 8.

In the second half, the Red Foxes settled in defensively and looked to hold Iona scoreless and pocket the 1-0 advantage. Over the first 30 minutes of the period, the teams combined for four total shots; two each. Wicks came up huge in denying Iona's one shot on goal; in the 59^th minute, Christina Tesoriero took a loose ball 40 yards out and dribbled up the middle of the field before taking a straight-on shot from just inside the box.

Rycke Guiney (Naperville, Ill.) restarted Marist's offense in the 78^th minute when she caught a Panzner cross and took a close-in shot from the left side of the box. Her attempt required a kick save out of Iona's keeper Trista Rivera.

Less than six minutes later, Guiney started the Red Foxes' second scoring drive as she hit a streaking Jackie Frey (Monroe, N.Y.) with a throw in, a few jukes of Iona defenders later, the senior forward hit a waiting Melanie Rigo along the 6-yard box. Rigo then controlled the ball and placed an easy, undefended shot into the back of the net for her first career goal as a Red Fox.

Wicks would earn her fourth clean sheet and 12^th win of the season as she snagged a Leah Taylor shot in the 87^th minute.

Epstein's 18^th minute marker would stand up as her sixth game-winner of the season and 14^th of her career.

For the game, the Red Foxes outshot the Gaels 13-10, with a 6-4 advantage in shots on goal. The fouls finished at 15-12 Iona.

With the win, Marist advances to the 2012 MAAC Championship game where the Red Foxes will face off with the Loyola Greyhounds in a rematch of the 2011 title game on Sunday, Nov. 4. The Greyhounds advanced as defeated they the second-seeded Fairfield Stags 1-0 in the first semifinal. Kick-off for the Championship is scheduled for 1 p.m.