EMMITSBURG, Md. (April 15, 2023) – Taking the final contest of the 2023 regular season against Siena, the Mount St. Mary's women's water polo team clinched a spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship at the end of April.
 
Coupling the win with a defeat against ranked Marist the same day, the Mount finishes the regular season with a record of 15-10 overall (7-6 MAAC).  
 
Heather Lock was the key on offense with five goals, adding four steals on defense. Across the two games, Annefleur ten Bloemendal and Ana Luisa Cotta struck for four goals each. Cotta was also active on defense, finishing with seven steals.
 
Strong defensive play as a unit helped the Mount gain the upper hand on the Saints, posting a first quarter shutout. The offense made it a runaway in the second and third quarters, outlasting Siena 9-4 in the goals column. With the lead safe in hand, the team added three insurance tallies to secure their clinching win.
 
Earlier in the day, the Mount jumped out to a 3-1 lead against Marist with goals by Cotta, ten Bloemendal and Rebecca Valentine. They would extend the advantage to three at 5-2 before the Red Foxes climbed back, scoring four unanswered goals to grab the lead before halftime. From then on, the Mountaineers tried to play catch up, but the ranked opponents used physicality to pull away late.
 
Marist is the host for the 2023 MAAC Championships, which begin April 28^th. Mount St. Mary's will know its opponent after games wrap up this weekend.
 
#25 Marist 14, Mount St. Mary's 9
 
Team                 1    2    3    4
Mount St. Mary's     3    2    2    2
Marist               2    4    3    5   
 
Goals: ten Bloemendal 3, Kegel 3, Valentine 2, Cotta 1
 
Saves: Piper 6
 
Mount St. Mary's 14, Siena 9
 
Team                 1    2    3    4
Mount St. Mary's     2    5    4    3
Siena                0    3    1    5   
 
Goals: Lock 5, Cotta 3, Kegel 2, Vieira 1, Currie 1, ten Bloemendal 1, Valentine 1  
 
Saves: Bright 9; Keyser 2