After back-to-back losses this weekend against number two Stanford and home team twelfth-ranked Indiana Marist Water Polo fell out of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) top 25.
Marist opened the Hoosier Invitational with the same opponent they opened their season with last week at the Bruno Classic. Indiana has started their season going into the Hoosier Invitational 9-0 overall, defeating Marist in their previous matchup 14-7.
In Rhode Island two weeks ago the Hoosiers never allowed the Red Foxes to take a lead. Marist was able to equalize the score at half but when the teams returned to the pool the Red Foxes were outscored six to one.
Their most recent matchup offered a different game, with both teams trading goals. The Hoosiers quickly built a two-goal lead both from senior center Sophia Sollie.
16 seconds after Sollie’s second goal senior attacker Rachel Dean set up sophomore attacker Kendell De Beer for the Red Foxes’ first goal of the game. Marist continued with a two-goal run with junior attack Lela McCarroll sending one to the back of the net eight seconds after Indiana sophomore utility Nancy Baylor-Sefchick received an exclusion.
Junior goalie Ines Sanchez ended the first with three blocks and Marist led 5-4. The Red Foxes scored only one goal in the second quarter being outscored by four heading into the half, 9-6.
Senior attack Liana Hunt started in the third for the Red Foxes in the sixth minute with a goal shortly followed by an assist to senior attacker Rachel Dean putting Marist back within two goals.
The Red Foxes scored three more goals in the third but it wasn’t enough to take down the home team Indiana, who outscored Marist by one in the fourth, losing 14-12.
The Red Foxes finished the Hoosier Invite on the same day, facing the number two team in the nation, Stanford.
Stanford came out strong ending the first quarter ahead 7-0. The Red Foxes did not find the back of the net until Sanchez secured a steal finding freshman attack Viktoria
Kiss for her first assist at Marist, ending with a goal from De Beer making the score.
The game ended with a final score of 22-3. The Red Foxes shot nine percent and converted on one out of ten power play opportunities.
Marist will continue their season at the Bronco Invitational in Santa Clara, California on February 15th, at 1:15 against University of the Pacific.
Edited by Marley Pope
Graphic by Cara Lacey: Photo from Kira Crutcher
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