Nov. 11, 2009

The Marist women's soccer team started the season with a cross-country plane trip to California, and wrapped it up by travelling to Walt Disney World for the 2009 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship. The Red Foxes set a number of records during the 2009 season, as a team and individually.

As a team, the Red Foxes matched the program's record for longest unbeaten streak at six matches. The team compiled a record of 4-0-2 from Sept. 18 - Oct. 2. During the stretch, Marist posted back-to-back shutouts against Lafayette and Manhattan at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field. The Red Foxes scored five goals two times this season, the first time this happened since the team began competition in the MAAC prior to the 1997 season.

Individual Accolades

Senior Kate Fox (Franklin, Mass.) set all-time records in goals and points during the opening round of the MAAC Tournament on Oct. 29 against Saint Peter's. She holds both records with 61 points and 26 goals. She also ranks in the top-10 in career assists with 10, tied for fifth with Maria Baez (Levittown, N.Y.).

Juniors Amy Tillotson (Islip, N.Y.) and Lauren Tillotson (Islip, N.Y.) were named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District teams. Lauren Tillotson was named to the second team as a back, while Amy Tillotson was named to the third team as a midfielder. The pair became the fourth and fifth all-time selections from the women's soccer program.

Senior Teresa Ferraro (Floral Park, N.Y.) and freshman Jaclynn Sabia (Wayne, N.J.) were named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team. Ferraro started all 20 matches as a back. She is tied for fourth on Marist's career games played list with 75. Sabia finished her freshman campaign with 14 points, behind six goals and two assists. During the MAAC Tournament she had a goal and an assist, including Marist's only tally in its semifinal loss to Niagara.

Sabia and Nicole Kuhar (Oceanview, N.J.) were named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team at the end of the regular season, the fourth consecutive year Marist has been represented on the squad. Sabia started 19 of 20 matches, while Kuhar started the last 10 matches of the season and played in 15 total contests in the midfield. Additionally, 10 Red Foxes were named to the MAAC All-Academic team, eight of which have won the award in previous seasons. The final two earned the award in the first season they were eligible.

Marist took two of the three MAAC Player of the Week awards on Sept. 28 as junior Jamie Balzarini (Holbrook, N.Y.) and Jackie Frey (Monroe, N.Y.) were named Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively. After the first week of conference play, Balzarini had her squad off to a 2-0 start in the MAAC as she made six stops in wins over Manhattan and Saint Peter's. Frey totaled a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win over Saint Peter's on Sept. 27.

The Season

The Red Foxes opened the season at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field for the first time since 2003, Marist improved to 3-2 in home openers in its 14-year history. The women's soccer team defeated Youngstown State 2-0 on Aug. 21, just four days after the team assembled for preseason. Frey and Amy Tillotson scored goals for the Red Foxes.

After three straight setbacks against San Francisco, UC Davis and #10 Boston College, Marist began its six-game unbeaten streak. It started with a 1-1 draw with Colgate, the first of three straight contests against Patriot League opponents. Marist then took to Lewisberg, Pa., and defeated Bucknell 3-2, behind first half goals from Sabia, Fox and Merrilynn Esteve (Morristown, N.J.).

The Red Foxes pitched consecutive shutouts against Lafayette (3-0) and Manhattan (1-0). Balzarini was in goal for both matches and notched four clean sheets for the year, including two in the MAAC Tournament.

Following the six-game unbeaten streak, Marist won one more regular season contest, a 4-2 decision over the Canisius Golden Griffins at Tenney Stadium on Oct. 16. With Fox's second two-goal game of the season, she tied the all-time record for goals with 24. Marist finished the season with a 5-2-1 record at home, the best record at home in program history.

The Championship

Marist entered the 2009 MAAC Championship and faced the 10th-seeded Saint Peter's Peahens in the opening round. The Red Foxes cruised through the match with a 5-0 statement victory. Fox and Frey each scored two goals, while Amy Tillotson scored a fifth marker.

The opening round victory set up a rematch with the second-seeded Siena Saints, who beat Marist just six days earlier in the regular season finale. The Red Foxes struck in the first half for the second straight match, as Amy Tillotson scored the only goal in the 33rd minute off a feed from Alexandra Lauterborn (Farmingdale, N.Y.). Balzarini pitched her second shutout in as many days, and made two saves against the Saints.

The Red Foxes were one of three teams remaining in the draw that were not seeded in the top-four positions when the semifinals began. Marist met with sixth-seeded Niagara in the final four. Sabia put the visiting Red Foxes in the lead in the ninth minute. The Purple Eagles pulled even in the 87th minute, and won the game in the 99th minute to end the Red Foxes run to their first conference championship.

Looking Ahead

Marist will return eight of its 11 starters to the lineup for next season, and returns 71 percent of its offensive production, as well as both goalkeepers. Eight seniors will return to the lineup next season to give the Red Foxes a wealth of playing experience during the 2010 campaign.