POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The third-seeded Marist water polo team defeated fourth-seeded Villanova 12-9 on Sunday in the consolation match of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championship at McCann Natatorium. Senior Shelby Rinker (Lansdale, Pa.) was named to the All-Tournament after scoring six goals in the Red Foxes two games over the weekend.
Sophomore Jessica Hamby (Sacramento, Calif.) led Marist with four goals. Rinker, Hannah Levien (Davis, Calif.) and Anna-Lena Hathaway (Pasadena, Calif.) each scored twice. Yuriria Chavez (Chicago, Ill.) and Ellie Hoffman (Pasadena, Calif.) each found the back of the net as well. Rebecca Thomas (Cape Town, South Africa) made four saves while playing the first three quarters. Senior Elise Humphries (Anaheim, Calif.) played the fourth quarter and made three saves.
Villanova scored the first two goals of the game, taking a quick 2-0 lead just 2:36 into the first quarter.
Rinker and Hathaway each scored just 1:08 apart from each other to even the score at 2-2 with 3:16 left in the opening quarter. Rinker buried a low shot on a man-advantage and Hathaway sniped a shot from outside the five-meter area that snuck in just below the crossbar and beneath the far post.
After the Wildcats scored to take the lead back at 3-2, Hamby and Levien scored 19 seconds apart to put Marist up 4-3 at the end of the first quarter. Levien's goal came as she was swimming away from the goal towards the corner. Her face was nearly under water when she shot as she was being heavily pressured by a defender.
Villanova scored three times in the second quarter, wrapped around a man-up goal from Hoffman, to take a 6-5 lead at halftime.
The Wildcats scored again just 25 seconds into the third quarter, on a man-up advantage, to open up a two-goal advantage at 7-5.
The Red Foxes would score the next six goals however, taking a four-goal lead at 11-7 with 4:02 left in the first quarter. Rinker started the run, then after a Marist timeout, Hamby scored two goals in a 31-second span to give the Red Foxes a lead they would not relinquish. Hathaway, Chavez and Hamby closed the run with the final three goals, the last one coming a five-meter penalty shot.
Levien would score Marist's final goal on another penalty shot.
The Red Foxes ended their season with a record of 25-12.
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