San Diego, CA – The #17 Wagner (13-6) women's water polo team split decisions on the final day of the Aztec Invitational hosted by San Diego State with a 10-7 loss to #20(T) UC San Diego (13-14) in their opening day two matchup followed by a 14-8 victory over Whittier (10-5). The Seahawks subsequently finished there California series with a 7-4 record including high profile wins over #15 Pacific, #19 Santa Clara and #12 San Diego State.
UC San Diego (
Score Sheet)
The Seahawks could never quite grasp the lead in the game as they fell down early to the Tritons who were able to hang on to hand Wagner its sixth loss of the season and fourth of the California series.
UC San Diego began the game on a 4-0 run within the first three minutes and thirty seconds of the first period. The Green & White responded with two goals of their own, the first came from junior center
Lily Doerfler (Annapolis, MD/ Broadneck) which was quickly followed by a strike from lefty
Megan Rodriguez (Danville, CA/ San Ramon Valley). Triton's junior attacker Laurel Kistler pushed UC San Diego's lead to three at the conclusion of the first stanza.
Wagner was held scoreless in the second period as the Tritons added three more goals to lead 8-2 at the break.
Wagner fought back in the second half, outscoring the Tritons 5-2 however the first half deficit proved too much as the Seahawks lost by a final of 10-7.
The Seahawks netted three goals in the third quarter, two were delivered by the reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)
Jess Lundgren (Queensland, Australia/ Mountain Creek) while freshman
Elise Begg (Newbury Park, CA/ Newbury) added the third.
Lundgren tallied again in the fourth and a score from freshman
Kimberly Watson (Pointe-Claire, Quebec/ John Rennie) brought the final score to 10-7.
Whittier (
Score Sheet)
Wagner concluded its California tour on a high note with a 14-8 victory over Whittier at the Aztec Invitational.
The Seahawks defeated the Poets 15-8 on March 12 and today's result ended in a similar fashion as the Seahawks claimed the win with a 14-8 result.
Whittier netted the first goal off a strike from sophomore attacker Isabella Gorroicino after a slow paced start to the contest. Wagner ripped off four of the next five goals of the first stanza to take a 4-2 lead after the first quarter. The Seahawks goal scoring was spread out as
Jessica Burdge (Stockton, CA/ St. Mary's), and Rodriguez found the back of the net for signle tallies and Lundgren notched two goals in the first period.
Two goals early in the second quarter from Doerfler and a second from Rodriguez coupled with a Whittier strike had the game at 6-3 in favor of Wagner at halftime.
The Seahawks played outscored the Poets 4-2 in the third quarter as
Gabryel Oloapu (Auckland, New Zealand),
Michelle Greenough (Davis, CA/ Davis) and Lundgren each tallied with the Seahawk points leader scoring twice. The Green & White rattled the cage four times in the fourth including three more from Lundgren with Begg adding a goal as well to claim the 14-8 victory.
Wagner begins Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play March 21 as it's slated to square-off with Siena and VMI.
*Note: Lundgren switched to cap 7 in the second halfHistory on the Horizon*Junior Megan Rodriguez is nine assists away from being the Wagner All-Time Assist LeaderFollow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and @WagPolo for news and updates on the water polo program.