Marist water polo got off to a solid start in MAAC conference play last weekend in Lexington, VA.
The Red Foxes (13-14, 2-1 MAAC) ended the weekend with a 2-1 conference record; they split their Saturday slate with an 11-7 loss to 20th-ranked Wagner (18-3, 3-0 MAAC), followed by an 18-3 win against Virginia Military Institute (2-7, 0-4 MAAC). Play ended on Sunday with a comeback one-goal win over Villanova (6-2, 2-1 MAAC).
Senior utility Kaylee Brard led the Red Foxes in the team’s first game against Wagner, scoring the first goal of the game with 3:38 left in the quarter. By halftime, Brard had scored each of her team’s three goals, yet Marist trailed 6-3. Brard ended the game with five of the seven Marist goals.
Wagner never allowed Marist to gain a lead during the duration of the game, and when it was all said and done, the Seahawks prevailed 11-7. Senior center Andrea Arias scored seven goals for Villanova, ultimately earning MAAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in a row. She ended the VMI Tournament weekend with 14 goals, two assists, four steals and 11 draw exclusions.
Marist ended the game outshooting Wagner 33-29, but Seahawks sophomore goaltender Francesca Sena tallied ten saves. Sena received MAAC Defensive Player of the Week for the fifth straight weekend, totaling 30 saved shots, six assists and four steals in three games.
Wagner now sits at 17th in the CWPA polls and will try to extend their six-game winning streak this weekend.
Marist dominated their second game of the weekend against home team VMI. From the first whistle, it was evident that Marist had control of this game.
Sophomore attack Lela McCarroll won the sprint, gaining Marist the first possession and within the first minute of the game, scored off a pass from fellow attacker Rachel Dean. 30 seconds later, Dean then scored one of her own.
By the half, Marist led 9-4, paced by a strong second quarter in which they outscored VMI 4-0. Marist refused to ease up after halftime, scoring nine more goals comparted to just one for the Keydets.
Sophomore goaltender Inés Sánchez recorded 10 saves and fellow sophomore goaltender Zoë Seaboch made her first appearance of the season for Marist, recording her first save.
Both Dean and Sophomore utility Paige Naegle scored four goals apiece, while McCarroll recorded a hat trick in the Red Foxes’ 18-3 victory.
Marist ended MAAC weekend play with a comeback win over Villanova. Trailing at halftime 5-3, the Red Foxes came alive in the third quarter. The first goal came from junior utility Victoria Padilla off a pass from junior attack Liana Hunt. Less than a minute later, Hunt assisted junior center Ella Baumgarten, who found the back of the net to tie the game up 5-5.
Later in the third quarter, Hunt set up McCarrol for a score; she notched her third assist of the game in doing so, and the strike gave the Red Foxes their first lead since the first period. Villanova answered with a five-meter penalty shot from junior center Emily McKenzie, and a penalty shot from senior attack Stella Byles to reestablish a 7-6 Wildcat lead heading into the fourth quarter.
With 6:29 left to play, Dean found the back of the net for the second time off a pass from Naegle. Villanova answered back yet again a minute later, but Marist continued to keep pace, as Dean helped Baumgarten get off a successful shot to even the score at 8-8.
Graduate student Shinae Carrington then found her fellow utility player in Padilla for the game-winner with less than three minutes remaining. Sánchez ended this matchup with another 10-save game for Marist.
The Red Foxes will continue MAAC play on Friday, March 29; they are set to travel to Emmitsburg, MD to take on Siena and the home team in Mount St. Mary’s.
Edited by Luke Sassa
Photo from Kira Crutcher
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