Score Sheet
Highlights

Poughkeepsie, NY – The #19 Wagner (29-9, 12-0 MAAC) women's water polo squad defeated Marist (16-18, 9-3 MAAC) 8-5 to capture their third straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship.

It was the Seahawks who bested the Red Foxes the two previous seasons by scores of 10-8 and 9-7.

The title game was a close contest from the opening sprint with neither team having ever created a secure lead in the game till the final whistle.

Marist opened the scoring by tossing in the only goal of the first period off a strike from Brooke Else in an otherwise defensive quarter of play.

The Red Foxes would score two of the next three goals to extend their lead after recently named MAAC Rookie of the Year Katie Tijerina added a score along with a second from Else. The Seahawks entered the scoring column off the arm of sophomore Kimberly Watson (Pointe-Claire, Quebec/ John Rennie) as the Red Foxes held onto a 3-1 advantage. Wagner would rally off three goals before the halftime break as MAAC Offensive Player of the Year Jess Lundgren (Queensland, Australia/ Mountain Creek) found the back of the net twice with sophomore Elise Begg (Newbury Park, CA/ Newbury) adding a score herself. The Seahawks led the Red Foxes by a count of 4-3 at the half.

The slower scoring pace would continue in the third quarter as the teams combined for only three goals. The Green & White rattled the cage twice as Watson and senior Megan Rodriguez (Danville, CA/ San Ramon Valley) helped extend Wagner's lead to 6-4 with only one quarter of play remaining.

Tijerina tallied early in the fourth for the Red Foxes setting up a dramatic last few minutes of play as the Seahawks fought desperately to maintain their one goal advantage. Junior goalie Emily Riddle (Edmonton, Alberta/ Dr. E.P. Scarlett) was a major factor in net, compiling many key saves. The Seahawk defense was stifling late in the fourth quarter smothering and dispersing many of Marist's scoring opportunities.

Senior Lily Doerfler (Annapolis, MD/ Broadneck) and Begg would each add a score a piece in the final two minutes of the contest to firmly but the game out reach as the Seahawks would claim their third consecutive MAAC title by a score of 8-5.

With the victory the Green & White have automatically qualified for the 2016 NCAA Women's Water Polo Tournament. Wagner will discover their opponent and seed tomorrow, Monday May 2 during the selection show slated for 8:00 p.m. on NCAA.com.

Seahawk Goals
Jess Lundgren 2
Elise Begg 2
Kimberly Watson 2
Lily Doerfler 1
Megan Rodriguez 1

All-Tournament Team
MVP - Jess Lundgren (Wagner)
Megan Rodriguez (Wagner)
Kimberly Watson (Wagner)
Julie Conrath (Villanova)
Hannah Shultz (Iona)
Brooke Else (Marist)
Katie Tijerina (Marist)

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