MAAC Announces 2009 Water Polo All-MAAC Awards
MAAC Sports
Poughkeepsie, NY ? Siena College’s Lauren Garrigan has been selected as the Water Polo Offensive Player of the Year, while Marist’s Jessica Getchius and Wagner’s Kelsey Rodgers earned Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors to headline the 2009 Water Polo All-MAAC Teams, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
Additionally, Iona freshman Cecilia Leonard earned Rookie of the Year honors and St. Francis (NY) head coach Jesse Gunderson was selected Anaconda Sports Coach of the Year.
Garrigan, a senior utility player out of Kailua, Hawaii, led the MAAC with 83 goals scored and an average of 3.07 goals per game. She was named Offensive Player of the Week two times, on March 17th and April 7th.
Getchius, a junior college transfer in her first season with the Red Foxes, was second in the league with 258 saves. She earned Defensive Player of the Week honors four times. Rodgers, also a junior college transfer, was a big part of Wagner’s league-leading 7.41 goals allowed per game. She led the MAAC in both saves (289) and saves per contest (11.12) She was named Defensive Player of the Week twice.
Leonard, a freshman utility player from Plantation, Florida, was sixth in the conference with 1.89 goals per contest. She registered 53 goals on the year to help lead the Gaels to a share of the regular season championship. Leonard was named Rookie of the Week three times.
Gunderson led the Terriers to their first MAAC Championship appearance in program history. The team compiled a 4-6 league record (8-11 overall) and finished third in the league in both goals per game and goals against per game.
Earning First Team All-MAAC selections are Iona’s Lauren Peterson and Cecilia Leonard, Marist’s Getchius, Katelin McCahill, Angela Rampton, and Samantha Swartz, Siena’s Garrigan, St. Francis’ (NY) Andrea Dolnay, and Wagner’s Rodgers and Nicole Maichrowitz.
All-MAAC First TeamLauren Peterson, Iona
Andrea Dolnay, St. Francis (NY)
Cecilia Leonard, Iona
Lauren Garrigan, Siena
Katelin McCahill, Marist
Nicole Maichrowitz, Wagner
Angela Rampton, Marist
Samantha Swartz, Marist
Jessica Getchius, Marist
Kelsey Rodgers, Wagner
All-MAAC Second TeamAmanda Brucia, Iona
Natalie Pyrz, Wagner
Maggie Wood, Iona
Camille Norman, Siena
Thalita Paladino, St. Francis (NY)
Kathleen Maloney, Villanova
Sara Olguin, Wagner
Kathleen Link, Iona
Offensive Player of the YearLauren Garrigan, Siena
Co-Defensive Players of the YearJessica Getchius, Marist
Kelsey Rodgers, Wagner
Rookie of the YearCecilia Leonard, Iona
Anaconda Sports Coach of the YearJesse Gunderson, St. Francis (NY)