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Bear-Able: Brown Stops Marist 10-8 in Double Overtime in 2009 ECAC Title Game
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Led by junior Lauren Presant's (Poway, Calif.) three goals, the Brown University women's water polo team of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA)defeated Marist College of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) 10-8 in double overtime to claim the 2009 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship at Marist's McCann Natatorium.
The Red Foxes scored just 11 seconds into the game after a goal by Katelin McCahill, and went on to score two more goals for Marist in the first quarter. The Bears went goal-for-goal, as junior Sarah Glick (Bonita, Calif.) tied the game at 3-3 with 50 seconds remaining in the opening period. Brown then took the lead in the second quarter after rookie Bethany Kwoka (San Mateo, Calif.) tallied a goal. Marist then had two 6-on-5 opportunities to tie the game in the second quarter, but Brown's hard-nosed defense didn't allow it. Bruno notched one more goal at the 1:35 mark of the second quarter to gain a 5-3 advantage heading into halftime.
"We survived foul trouble and a comeback to win this championship," said Head Coach Felix Mercado. "Our girls fought hard and I'm glad they can enjoy a 3-0 weekend."
Marist brought it within one at the 1:50 mark in the third quarter, but Brown increased its lead back up to two, 6-4, with 1:10 to go in the quarter when senior Rory Stanton (Danville, Calif.) found the back of the cage. The Red Foxes got back within a goal with 14 seconds left in the third quarter when Samantha Swartz scored her lone goal of the game. The Bears clawed right back and went ahead by two early in the fourth, but Marist gained control from there.
Marist tallied a goal with 4:50 remaining in the last quarter, followed by another just 42 seconds later to tie the game at 7-7. The Red Foxes then took the lead for the first since the first quarter with a goal by Rachel Sunday making the score 8-7. Junior Sarah Glick (Bonita, Calif.) then tallied a power play goal with just five seconds left to force the game into overtime for the second week in a row.
The Bears out-scored Marist 2-0 in overtime, as Kwoka added Brown's first goal with 1:56 remaining in the period and Presant then scored with 32 seconds remaining to put the game away and defeat the Red Foxes, 10-8.
Brown's defense was outstanding, as junior goalkeeper Stephanie Laing (Ann Arbor, Mich.) tallied 10 saves and finished the tournament as the Outstanding Player. Also giving a great defensive effort was Stanton, who handed out three assists and picked up four steals.
Marist was led in scoring by senior Katelin McCahill who scored three goals.
Brown's victory vindicates the Bears decision to bypass an invitation to the Elite Six Tournament at Bucknell University featuring the six best teams, including No. 14 University of Michigan, No. 15 Hartwick College and No. 20 University of Maryland, from last year's Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship.
Marist, the No. 1 seed and host for the championship, advanced to its second straight ECAC title game as the Red Foxes became the first MAAC institution to advance to the title game last year, but fell 8-7 to host Bucknell University.
The loss continues a string of frustration for the home team as the host team has won only four women's ECAC titles in the history of the championship. Overall, Bucknell became the fourth team and only the second program in nine championships to win the title at home last year. Three-time winner Princeton is the only team to have a perfect 3-0 mark in home ECAC Championship tournaments as the Tigers took the 2000 (8-5 W vs. University of Massachusetts), 2001 (9-6 W vs. Brown) and 2003 (10-8 W vs. Hartwick).
Futher, Brown's win continues a pattern of success by the CWPA in the ECAC Championship title field as a MAAC program has never won the title. Princeton University (2000-01, 2003, 2005-07), Hartwick College (2002, 2004) and Bucknell University (2008) were the only teams to take the title prior to this season.
In addition, this marks the first ECAC Championship hosted by a MAAC team as the previous championships were hosted by Bucknell (2008, 2005), Harvard University (2007, 2002), University of Maryland (2006), Brown (2004) and Princeton (2003, 2001, 2000).
2009 ECAC Champion - Brown University
Release by Brown Athletic Communications & CWPA
