2008 Woodie Awards
Seniors make good on senior day, beat Siena in finale
Greg Hrinya
Issue date: 11/2/06 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
The Marist Red Foxes capped off its season in dramatic fashion as they beat MAAC rival Siena 1-0 in overtime on Friday night.
In a game that saw six seniors finishing their athletic careers here at Marist, the Red Foxes willed their way past the second seeded team in the MAAC.
Marist and Siena played to a 90-minute stalemate that saw neither team score a goal, but in the 96th minute, Red Fox senior, Lauren Dziedzic, buried the game-winner for her first career goal.
Dziedzic capitalized on a mistake by Siena goalkeeper Patti Carroll where she misplayed a ball in front of her own net.
Marist coach Elizabeth Roper said the team wanted to challenge Siena in the box because they believed they could cash in on a mistake similar to the one that won the game.
"Their goalie looked a little shaky and we talked at halftime about trying to put some pressure on her," Roper said. "The goalie bobbled several balls and we made the effort to challenge her inside the 18, and Lauren Dziedzic took advantage of an opportunity."
For Marist, goalkeepers Anna Case and Caitlin Nazarechuk combined for a five-save shutout to cap a season in which both goalkeepers were plagued by injuries.
"We were unlucky because both of our keepers battled injuries all season long," Roper said. "We were also inconsistent defensively which was surprising since we were so good defensively last year, but we improved offensively this season. Our goal is to get more of a balance from here on out."
The win for Marist was a satisfying end to a frustrating season where the Red Foxes had a chance to win in almost every game. It was even more fulfilling that the team could give its six seniors a proper send-off on senior night.
"It was a great testimony to the seniors, and we felt going in that we could beat a very good Siena team," Roper said. "We started and finished the game with all six seniors on the field, and they played as a cohesive unit and everyone contributed."
Despite losing some important members of the team, the Red Foxes will build on some key players to carry this momentum into next season.
"We have some players like Ashley Chase, Maria Baez, Melanie Ondrejik, and Keri Koegel returning who were instrumental in shutting down our opponents' best players," Roper said. "We have a strong core returning, and we hope to build on this in the off-season. We showed a lot of motivation and fight this year, and we want to have that carry over."
The Red Foxes ended a frustrating season that saw Marist finish at 5-12-1 and 3-5-1 in the MAAC.
"The season was frustrating more than it was disappointing because we played very well," Roper said. "We consistently played four to five freshmen, and that allowed them to gain some good experience for their future here at Marist."
In a game that saw six seniors finishing their athletic careers here at Marist, the Red Foxes willed their way past the second seeded team in the MAAC.
Marist and Siena played to a 90-minute stalemate that saw neither team score a goal, but in the 96th minute, Red Fox senior, Lauren Dziedzic, buried the game-winner for her first career goal.
Dziedzic capitalized on a mistake by Siena goalkeeper Patti Carroll where she misplayed a ball in front of her own net.
Marist coach Elizabeth Roper said the team wanted to challenge Siena in the box because they believed they could cash in on a mistake similar to the one that won the game.
"Their goalie looked a little shaky and we talked at halftime about trying to put some pressure on her," Roper said. "The goalie bobbled several balls and we made the effort to challenge her inside the 18, and Lauren Dziedzic took advantage of an opportunity."
For Marist, goalkeepers Anna Case and Caitlin Nazarechuk combined for a five-save shutout to cap a season in which both goalkeepers were plagued by injuries.
"We were unlucky because both of our keepers battled injuries all season long," Roper said. "We were also inconsistent defensively which was surprising since we were so good defensively last year, but we improved offensively this season. Our goal is to get more of a balance from here on out."
The win for Marist was a satisfying end to a frustrating season where the Red Foxes had a chance to win in almost every game. It was even more fulfilling that the team could give its six seniors a proper send-off on senior night.
"It was a great testimony to the seniors, and we felt going in that we could beat a very good Siena team," Roper said. "We started and finished the game with all six seniors on the field, and they played as a cohesive unit and everyone contributed."
Despite losing some important members of the team, the Red Foxes will build on some key players to carry this momentum into next season.
"We have some players like Ashley Chase, Maria Baez, Melanie Ondrejik, and Keri Koegel returning who were instrumental in shutting down our opponents' best players," Roper said. "We have a strong core returning, and we hope to build on this in the off-season. We showed a lot of motivation and fight this year, and we want to have that carry over."
The Red Foxes ended a frustrating season that saw Marist finish at 5-12-1 and 3-5-1 in the MAAC.
"The season was frustrating more than it was disappointing because we played very well," Roper said. "We consistently played four to five freshmen, and that allowed them to gain some good experience for their future here at Marist."
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