POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist women's water polo team opens up their 2012 season this weekend as they take part in the Terrapin Invitational at the University of Maryland. The Red Foxes are searching for their fourth Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship in five years and fifth overall since 2006. Last season they finished the regular season 18-21 overall and 7-3 in the MAAC before falling to Wagner in heartbreaking fashion, 11-10 in sudden death overtime, in the conference semifinals.
While the Red Foxes graduated their two leading goal scorers in 2011 All-MAAC First Team selection Agnes Konopka (65 goals) and Second Team member Rosie Pauli (62 goals), the team returns more than 65% of their scoring for this year. Senior captains Desiree Desaulniers (Orlando, Fla.) and Jaclyn Puccino (San Diego, Calif.) return to lead the offense. Last season, Puccino was third on the team in scoring and second in overall points with 51 goals and 36 assists. Desaulniers finished fourth on the team with 49 goals and was named to the postseason All-Tournament Team.
Senior Kelly Kline (Reading, Pa.) and junior Shelby Rinker (Lansdale, Pa.) return to anchor the Marist defense. Kline led the Red Foxes in 2011 with 24 blocks and added 42 steals. She was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week for the week of March 29 - Apr. 5 for her efforts against Harvard and Connecticut College both on defense and also in two quarters as the Marist goalie. Rinker finished with a team-high 47 steals, while contributing on the offensive end with 42 assists, which led the team. Additionally, junior Robyn Crabtree (Cutler Bay, Fla.) (14 steals, six blocks) and sophomore Yuriria Chavez (Chicago, Ill.) (14 steals, four blocks) will also play large roles for the Red Foxes on defense.
The Red Foxes will have two new faces in goal this year as the team welcomes in two transfers at the goalie position. Junior Elise Humphries (Anaheim, Calif.) joined the program in September from Fullerton Community College and sophomore Rebecca Thomas (Cape Town, South Africa) came to the Marist campus at the beginning of this semester after transferring from the University of Cape Town. Thomas most recently played for the South African National Team, competing in the FINA World Cup in Russia for the 18-and-under team and in Italy for the 20 and under team.
Four freshman have also joined the squad for the 2012 season and will be looked upon for immediate contributions. Twins Alison and Jessica Hamby (Sacramento, Calif.), Anna-Lena Hathaway (Pasadena, Calif.) and Hannah Levien (Davis, Calif.) all bring impressive resumes to Poughkeepsie. A fifth newcomer, Chauncey Hirose-Hulbert (Honolulu, Hawaii), will be forced to redshirt this season after injuring her shoulder in fall practice.
"I am very excited for this season," said fifth year head coach Ashleigh Huckins. The attitude, energy, and effort has been amongst the top of any of the teams I have coached at Marist. The returning athletes remember what happened last year and the incoming players have matched this mindset with a very high standard of success. I am very excited to see the production value of our newcomers throughout the season."
