Marist water polo thoroughly handled Iona by a score of 15-6 to advance to the MAAC championship.
“Iona moves a ton, so being able to move backwards to prevent kickouts, one of their biggest weapons. The beauty of it is when your defense is pressing, we’re closer to out offense,” said Marist head coach Chris Vidale.
The Red Foxes controlled play on both ends of the pool with lethal offense and swarming defense. Sophomore utility Paige Naegle tied a new career high in goals with six and junior utility Victoria Padilla and graduate student utility Shinae Carrington each added hat tricks.
“We have been working for this and its always been in the back of my mind. To have it [the MAAC Championship] back at home for my last year is amazing,” said Carrington.
Iona’s two leading scorers, sophomore utility Lola Trujillo and sophomore center Sadie Sallas, were held to zero goals and assists on seven shot attempts. Marist’s aggressive defense limited the Gaels to a .182 shooting percentage. Sophomore goaltender Inés Sanchez closed the door with 11 saves.
“She [Sanchez] is phenomenal. She is even-keeled and understands how to move on to the next play, that was one of the best gets this programs got,” said Vidale.
After the Gaels beat no. 3 seed of the Red Division LaSalle 12-9 one day ago to advance to the semi-final, they faced a tough test against Marist, who they lost to twice this season. The Red Foxes have lost to Iona just twice in the last 10 years, winning 21 of 23 matches against the Gaels.
Naegle opened the scoring for Marist on their first possession following an Iona exclusion. Freshman center Bella Morquecho responded with the Gaels’ first score two minutes later.
Both teams committed several turnovers during the feeling-out process, with blocked shots being a frequent occurrence. Neither offense found any rhythm during the first quarter, with both teams being held scoreless over the final 5:30 of the opening quarter.
Iona senior utility Kaya Hart gave the Gaels their first lead with 6:46 remaining in the second quarter. 26 seconds later, Naegle netted her second to tie the match at two.
Padilla then sent a rocket past the Gaels’ goalie, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Naegle completed a hat trick with 3:44 left in the first half with another finish from the left wing.
Sanchez nailed a long-range pass to freshman attacker Kendell De Beer, who finished a breakaway chance and extended the Red Foxes’ lead to three.
“We have to teach them [the freshman] and you could see the pieces come along,” said Vidale.
Padilla again sniped from long-range and with 1:17 left in the first half, Marist led 6-2, having held Iona scoreless for over five minutes.
The Red Foxes shot an ultra-efficient 66% in the opening half and Sanchez recorded five saves to establish a four-goal Red Fox lead. Marist prevented Iona from generating quality chances and kept the Gaels from scoring on their six power play opportunities.
After an Iona shot clock violation in the third quarter, Dean scored on the breakaway to cement Marist’s hold on the match. Iona finally responded after freshman utility Kaitlyn Williams scored with 3:50 left in the third quarter.
Once again, Marist responded in lightning quick fashion as Padilla finished her hat trick with a clever chip shot over Iona senior goalie Lily Morris.
Marist upped the tempo with two scores in thirty seconds to force an Iona timeout and the Red Foxes extended their lead to 10-3 with 2:01 remaining in the third quarter. Carrington tacked on another goal before the end of the period to all but seal a Marist win.
“You can feel the energy shift within ourselves and gives us a confidence boost,” said Carrington on the momentum Marist built.
The Marist offense kept their foot on the gas and Naegle scored her sixth of the day.. Iona could not swing the momentum at any point in the quarter and the game was too far out of reach to mount a comeback.
“A lot of my goals came from counter attacks and that’s because my teammates did a really good job on defense. I was amped and really locked in today,” said Naegle.
Marist now moves to the MAAC championship game for the first time since 2021. They face no.1 seed and nationally ranked Wagner College, who beat the Red Foxes 11-7 on Mar. 16. Marist has not beaten Wagner since 2015, and the Seahawks are 114-1 in MAAC play since joining the conference.
“Pressure, they [Wagner] need to have pressure. They are a talented, confident team but they are human. If we show up like today with a little more umph, it can be a one or two goal game either way,” said Vidale.
The opening tip for the MAAC final is set for 1 p.m. in the McCann Natatorium.
Edited By Luke Sassa
Photo Credit: Kira Crutcher
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