For the third year in a row, Marist water polo has a date in the MAAC Championship against Wagner, as they defeated La Salle in the semifinals, 11-6.
Both of the previous two games saw Wagner defeat Marist in the McCann Natatorium, by scores of 14-11 and 9-8. This year, Marist looked to avenge those losses and beat them three times in the regular season.
“They’re physical, they’re fast, they’re strong and I think that they’ve finally found their stride right now at this point in the season, so they’re going to be just as tough as anybody to be,” said Marist head coach Chris Vidale, who was awarded the MAAC Coach of the Year award. “They are the champions. In order for us to get it, to get to our goal, we have to go through the champion, and I guess you wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Marist won the regular season MAAC title by going a perfect 8-0 in conference games. Overall, they move to 25-5 on the season.
This was the second time this season that the Red Foxes handily beat La Salle, as they bested them 9-3 in the regular season.
La Salle was a surprise this year. They were projected to finish sixth in the MAAC, but earned a spot in the tournament. They were led by the MAAC Rookie of the Year, Nadya Azzopard, who scored two goals in the regular season game vs Marist.
Today, Marist was dominant from the opening minute. All-MAAC first team junior attacker Kendell De Beer scored on the opening possession, and the Red Foxes never looked back.
The first quarter saw Marist add three more goals, including one more from De Beer on a penalty shot. They held La Salle scoreless to end the quarter, leading 4-0.
MAAC Goaltender of the Year, senior Ines Sanchez, continued her dominant play for the Red Foxes. She allowed only 8.99 goals per game in the regular season, but was even more impressive today, holding La Salle scoreless the entire first half with five saves.
The Explorers began to add some points in the third quarter. First Team All-MAAC junior attacker, Martina Bonet Saez, scored the first La Salle goal to cut the lead to five. They added two more goals in the quarter, but still trailed 10-3 by the end of it.
La Salle began to stage a comeback in the fourth, but it was too little too late. They scored three straight goals to cut the lead to four, but Marist pulled away with a goal from junior attacker Emily Scheerer.
“ It was 0-0, they crawled their way through, having a buffer is always helpful. Good to have different lines, do a couple of different things. Defense, it’s the cliche, but it wins championships,” said Vidale on the importance of the early lead.
De Beer added two more goals to bring her total to four on the day. Fellow MAAC first team attacker, junior Anita Radaelli, scored two more goals.
Wagner will now host Marist for the third year in a row, with a spot in the NCAA tournament on the line. The game is scheduled for 1 pm.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Graphic and photo from Jaylen Rizzo
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