EDISON, N.J. - Marist water polo senior Jaclyn Puccino (San Diego, Calif.) was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Offensive Player of the Week while sophomore goalkeeper Rebecca Thomas (Cape Town, South Africa) earned Defensive Player of the Week honors, announced by the league on Tuesday. The awards recognize their efforts in the Red Foxes' four games this past weekend that wrapped up the regular season.
Puccino was the Red Foxes leading scorer this past weekend, scoring eight goals and assisting on eight others for 16 total points, leading Marist to a 4-0 weekend to end the season with a .500 overall record and the second seed in the MAAC Tournament. She registered a hat trick in the first games versus St. Francis (N.Y.) while adding two assists and a steal. In the Red Foxes' thrilling 8-7 overtime victory over Wagner, she scored two more goals and helped on a pair of others. In the weekend finale against Siena, she notched another hat trick and matched it with three more assists.
Thomas continues to be the leader of the Marist defense, helping the Red Foxes to a 4-0 final weekend of the regular season that gave Marist the second seed in the MAAC Tournament. She made a total of 28 saves and had a goal against average of 4.51 and save percentage of .718 while playing 78 minutes in three games. She only allowed three goals while making 13 saves and contributing offensively with her seventh assist of the season in a win over St. Francis (N.Y.). Then, in the Red Foxes' thrilling 8-7 overtime victory over Wagner, she played the entire 38 minutes allowing only seven goals and making 11 saves.
It is the first career award for Puccino and fifth for Thomas all of which have come this season, her first at Marist. Overall, the Red Foxes have won 11 weekly awards this year. Jessica Hamby and Alison Hamby (Sacramento, Calif.) have each been named Rookie of the Week twice and Kelly Kline (Reading, Pa.) also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors on Feb. 21.
The Red Foxes (18-18, 10-2 MAAC) earned the second seed in the MAAC Tournament and will play Wagner, the third seed, in the semifinals on Saturday, April 28 at the McCann Natatorium. The other semifinal will see the top seed Iona play the fourth seed, Villanova. The consolation and championship game will be played the following day, Sunday, April 29.
