Marist Monday: 2008 Water Polo

POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The 2008 Marist water polo team consisted of many of the greatest players in school history that still hold records to this very day. With a record of 27-7, the squad went undefeated in the MAAC and won their first of three straight conference championships and set a record for wins in a season. The Red Foxes went on to earn victories over NCAA tournament opponents in the following two years as well. Performance Highlights

• Senior driver Maggie Hatcher was named the 2008 MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year by leading the team with 72 steals during the regular season. She was a key contributor to Marist's defense which gave up a mere 7.53 goals per game. Hatcher also led the team in goals with 57.

• Senior goalie Elizabeth Davis was named to the All-MAAC First Team for the second straight season with 273 saves and a save percentage of .570. This season was the culmination of Davis' stellar career as the all-time saves leader at Marist (1,067).

• Junior Katelin McCahill earned Second-Team All-MAAC honors for scoring 54 goals on the season. The offensive star stands today as No. 2 on the career goals list with 273, as well as No. 5-7 on the single season goals list.

• Sophomore Samantha Swartz earned Second Team All-MAAC honors for recording 43 goals and a team-leading 39 assists. She would go on to put her name in the books as No. 5 in career goals (179), No. 6 in career assists, and No. 2 in career steals.

• Sophomore Angie Rampton tallied 34 goals and 33 assists, for which she was named Second-Team All-MAAC. Rampton remains on the All-Time lists as No. 6 in career assists (133) and No. 8 in career steals (128).

• Marist had six players selected to the MAAC All-Academic Team as well. Joining Hatcher and Swartz were Kristen Barnett, Hilary Schroeder, Emily St. Omer Roy and Rachel Sunday.

MAAC Championship In 2008, Marist (27-7) went undefeated in conference play to earn the first seed and home field for the 2008 MAAC Championships. The Red Foxes' first round matchup was a nail-biter against Siena, going to double overtime with eight ties and nine lead changes. Marist ended up on top with a score of 11-9, and advanced to the finals for a showdown second seed Iona. Marist started the championship game strong with Angie Rampton scoring the first goal of the day in just 52 seconds. Iona retaliated for the tie a few minutes later, but Marist opened up a gap by earning four-straight points from Katelin McCahill, Maggie Hatcher and Hilary Schroeder. While the Red Foxes led 5-1 for the moment, they would go into a scoring drought as Iona clawed back into contention for the championship by putting themselves within one point of Marist. But when it was needed most, clutch goals from Agnes Konopka and Kristen Barnett staved off the Gaels' surge and helped Marist win the day with a final score of 7-6. The Red Foxes earned the MAAC's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA tournament, while Katelin McCahill earned Tournament Most Outstanding Player and Angie Rampton and Elizabeth Davis were named to the tournament team. Marist would go on to win three-straight MAAC Championships, marking four in five years. NCAA Tournament While the Red Foxes would not earn an NCAA win in their first tournament, they would have success in the following years. Maggie Hatcher would be named a 2008 Honorable Mention All-American by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches for her strong performances in the tournament. In 2009, Marist would defeat Cal Lutheran 16-11 to win the seventh place game and earn their first ever NCAA Tournament victory. Samantha Swartz would score five goals as Katelin McCahill added four. Katelin McCahill would earn Honorable Mention All-American distinctions by the ACWPC for her offensive play. In 2010, the No. 20 Red Foxes finished seventh yet again with a 6-5 win over Pomona-Pitzer. Senior Samantha Swartz scored four goals, including all three of Marist's second half points. She was named Honorable Mention All-American by the ACWPC for her eight goals throughout the tournament, and was the third Red Fox to earn this award in as many years. Past Marist Mondays Week One: 2008 Men's Tennis | Week Two: 2014 Women's Swimming & Diving | Week Three: 2015 Men's Lacrosse | Week Four: 1998 Women's Cross Country | Week Five: 2004 Men's Soccer | Week Six: 2013 Women's Tennis | Week Seven: 2002 Men's Rowing | Week Eight: 2011 Women's Soccer | Week Nine: 2013 Football | Week 10: 2008 Women's Lacrosse | Week 11: 2002 Baseball