MAAC Announces 2008 Water Polo All-MAAC Awards
MAAC Sports
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. ? Iona College junior Lauren Peterson has been selected as the Water Polo Offensive Player of the Year, while Iona freshman Kathleen Link and Marist College senior Maggie Hatcher earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors to headline the 2008 Water Polo All-MAAC Teams, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
Additionally, Iona freshman Maggie Wood earned Rookie of the Year honors and Siena College head coach Ellen Howe was selected Anaconda Sports Coach of the Year.
Peterson, a native of Homewood, Illinois, finished second in the MAAC with 92 goals scored, an average of 2.79 per game. She was a big part of Iona’s high-powered attack that saw the Gaels lead the league in goals scored (396) and goals per game (12.00). Peterson was named Offensive Player of the Week two times, on April 1st and April 8th.
Link, the Gaels’ first year goaltender, led the conference in both saves (317) and saves per game (9.61). She earned Defensive Player of the Week honors two times. Hatcher, a 5-7 driver, was a big part of Marist’s league-leading 7.53 goals against average. She was named Defensive Player of the Week on February 26th.
Wood, a rookie driver from Illinois, finished fifth in the league in goals scored (67) and eighth in goals per game (1.93). She was selected as the Rookie of the Week on three separate occasions.
Second year head coach Howe led the Saints to their first MAAC Championship appearance in program history. The team compiled a 4-6 league record, including two crucial victories on the last day of the regular season, to qualify for the tournament.
Earning First Team All-MAAC selections are Iona’s Peterson and Amanda Brucia, Marist goaltender Elizabeth Davis, Siena’s Lauren Garrigan, St. Francis’ (NY) Andrea Dolnay, Villanova’s Carla Martinez, and Wagner’s Billy Hoelck.
All-MAAC First Team
Lauren Peterson, Iona
Amanda Brucia, Iona
Billy Hoelck, Wagner
Lauren Garrigan, Siena
Andrea Dolnay, St. Francis (NY)
Carla Martinez, Villanova
Elizabeth Davis, Marist
All-MAAC Second Team
Angela Rampton, Marist
Samantha Swartz, Marist
Maggie Hatcher, Marist
Katelin McCahill, Marist
Hadar Berger, St. Francis (NY)
Nicole Maichrowicz, Wagner
Maggie Wood, Iona
Lisa Reilly, Siena
Offensive Player of the Year
Lauren Peterson, Iona
Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Kathleen Link, Iona
Maggie Hatcher, Marist
Rookie of the Year
Maggie Wood, Iona
Anaconda Sports Coach of the Year
Ellen Howe, Siena