By Jonah Bronstein
BUFFALO — The third team was the charm.
Niagara captured the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship Monday night, providing a euphoric finish to what was a frustrating fall, with the men’s and women’s soccer squads falling short in the MAAC final.
The Purple Eagles, in their third season under coach Susan Clements, swept Marist in three games at Canisius’ Koessler Center, and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.
“It’s awesome,” said Hannah Hedrick, the tournament’s most valuable player. “It really shows that hard work pays off.”
Hedrick was joined on the all-tournament team by sophomore classmate Michelle James and freshman Amanda Wilken. Hedrick and Wilken both had 10 kills in the win over Marist, and James had 34 assists.
Niagara controlled the first game to win 25-20, and then scrapped for 27-25 victories in the second and third games.
“It’s an unreal feeling to finally accomplish everything you’ve ever wanted,” James said.
It seems as if the Purple Eagles are poised to be the top team in the MAAC next year, with no seniors and just three juniors on the current roster.
Predicted to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll, Niagara set a school record with 14 conference wins and entered the four-team playoff as the No. 2 seed.
Niagara beat third-seeded Siena, the four-time conference champions in five games on Sunday, and caught a break when top-seeded Fairfield was upset by Marist.
Last year’s team was the youngest in the nation and won just six games. The Purple Eagles’ 17-win improvement this year was the best in Division I.
“When we set out this season, we just wanted to improve, get better than what we were last year and give ourselves an opportunity to be in the tournament,” said Clements, the MAAC’s coach of the year.
“I can say it’s beyond my expectations that we could win it right away.”
Niagara will find out its destination and first-round opponent for the NCAA tournament at 3 p.m. Sunday when the selection show airs on ESPNNews.
