2018 MAAC Softball Championship Program

2018 MAAC Softball Championship

2018 MAAC Softball Championship

THE DISNEY MAAC STORY

DISNEY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017-18 Women’s Soccer | October 28 - November 1, 2017 Men’s & Women’s Golf | April 20-22, 2018 2018-19 Volleyball | November 15-17, 2018 Men’s & Women’s Golf | April 19-21, 2019 DISNEY CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), along with Walt Disney World Resorts, enters its 19th year of hosting MAAC Championships in Lake Buena Vista, FL, as part of the conference’s mission to provide the best experience for its student-athletes and its fans. For the 2017-18 academic year, the MAAC Women’s Soc- cer Championship, featuring all 11 MAAC member schools, was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from October 28-November 1. The sports included in the rotation to be held at ESPN Wide World of Sports include Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Soccer, and Volleyball. In the fall of 2016, the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country took place at the complex with Iona College claiming victory in both championships.

Men’s Golf Champions 2000 Iona 2001 Iona 2002 Iona

Men’s Cross Country Champions 2000 Iona 2004 Iona 2008 Iona 2012 Iona 2016 Iona

Women’s Cross Country Champions 2000 Marist 2004 Marist

2008 Iona 2012 Iona 2016 Iona

2003 Loyola 2004 Loyola 2005 Loyola 2006 Siena 2007 Siena 2008 Loyola 2009 Loyola 2010 Loyola 2011 Loyola 2012 Loyola 2013 Loyola

The championship operation at Disney allows the MAAC to provide its participating student-athletes, their families,

Men’s Soccer Champions 1999 Fairfield 2003 Saint Peter’s 2007 Loyola 2011 Fairfield 2015 Rider

Women’s Soccer Champions 2001 Loyola 2005 Fairfield 2009 Loyola

and fans a world-class sports championship experience. During the championship weekend in Disney, student-ath- letes have access to the playing facilities, on-site hotels, theme parks, and an awards banquet. These are designed to provide lasting memories for the student-athletes. The MAAC and ESPN have an agreement with Disney through 2018, which includes ESPN live broadcasting ele- ments for all the championships. ESPN’s state-of-the-art studios broadcast highlights of MAAC on-site tourna- ments throughout all Disney World Resort hotel properties as well as on ESPN3 and MAAC.TV. All MAAC contests for Volleyball, Women’s Soccer, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, and Men’s and Women’s Golf are broadcast by ESPN’s on-site studios. The MAAC has also co-hosted with ESPN since 2006 the Advocare Invitational (previously the Old Spice Classic) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. This eight-team tournament, which is held over Thanksgiving weekend, continues to draw elite Men’s Basketball teams to compete. One MAAC school is included in the field each year. Marist College represents the MAAC during the 2017 Advocare Invitational. During the 2015 Advocare Invitational, the two-time MAAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, Monmouth University’s Justin Robinson, set the tourna- ment scoring record with 77 points over three games to claim MVP honors. The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships are held at the Disney complex. The Men’s and Women’s Golf teams compete at PGA-caliber courses during the spring and rotate between Disney’s Palm and Magnolia Arnold Palmer managed courses. The golf hosting agreement at Disney was recently extended through the 2018 champi- onships. The MAAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) volunteers at a local charity, assists in the championship operations, and holds its fall meeting during the MAAC Championship weekend while in Disney. Two MAAC SAAC commercials are produced at ESPN studios to be used during the season on MAAC school produced broadcasts.

2013 Monmouth 2017 Monmouth

2014 Saint Peter’s 2015 Saint Peter’s 2016 Siena 2017 Saint Peter’s 2018 Iona Women’s Golf Champions 2000 Fairfield

Volleyball Champions 1998 Fairfield 2002 Manhattan 2006 Siena 2010 Niagara 2014 Siena

2001 Siena 2002 Siena 2003 Siena 2004 Siena 2005 Siena 2006 Siena 2007 Siena 2008 Siena 2009 Siena 2010 Siena 2011 Siena 2012 Siena 2013 Butler 2014 Siena 2015 Albany

2016 Quinnipiac 2017 Quinnipiac 2018 Albany

16 EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS & ATHLETICS

EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS & ATHLETICS 17