Lexington, VA – The Wagner (16-7) women's water polo team defeated Marist (12-12) 15-9 in the opening game of a four-game weekend slate for the Seahawks then dropped the second contest to Villanova (15-11) 9-8. In the process junior attacker
Megan Rodriguez (Danville, CA/ San Ramon Valley) surpassed Chelsea Beck to become the Seahawk's All-Time assist leader having accumulated more than 238 career helpers.
Marist (Score Sheet)The Seahawks and Red Foxes are familiar with one another having seen action in the pool this season with Wagner claiming a 9-5. The Green & White were also victorious over Marist in last year's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship game.
Today's contest was a very competitive game that saw back and forth action in the first half. Wagner controlled play in the second half of the game as it outscored Marist 8-3.
The first quarter tilted ever so slightly in Marist's favor, outscoring the Seahawks 4-3 in the opening stanza. Marist's Amanda Amorosa netted two goals to lead the Red Foxes. Wagner received a balance scoring attack with single goals from
Jessica Burdge (Stockton, CA. St. Mary's),
Jess Lundgren (Queensland, Australia/ Mountain Creek), and
Elise Begg (Newbury Park, CA/ Newbury).
The Seahawks grabbed the lead with two quick goals to open up the second quarter as
Kimberly Watson (Pointe-Claire, Quebec/ John Rennie) tallied off an assist from senior co-captain
Rachel Burns (Auckland, New Zealand/ Diocesan). Lundgren followed shortly after with a strike off a pass from Burdge to put the Seahawks up 5-4, a lead they would never relinquish. Marist and Wagner exchanged two goals apiece with Lundgren flashing her scoring touch again and
Lily Doerfler (Annapolis, MD/ Broadneck) notching her first of the contest off a man-up opportunity. Wagner entered the half leading 7-6.
Wagner dominated play in the second half netting eight of the eleven goals scored between the two MAAC foes. Lundgren tallied three second half goals to bring her total to six, Begg netted her second of the contest, Rodriguez netted a score, Doerfler entered the scoring column again and Burdge registered two more scores to bring the final score to 15-9.
Rodriguez lead the team with five helpers tying her for the most assists in Wagner water polo history.
Sophomore goalie
Emily Riddle (Alberta, Edmonton/ Dr. E.P. Scralett) was big in the net as she saved 10 of the Red Foxes shots.
Villanova (Score Sheet)The Seahawks and the Wildcats battled in the late-afternoon contest that saw Villanova clip the Seahawks 9-8.
Villanova outscored Wagner 3-2 in the opening period in a physical affair to open the game. Lundgren found the back of the net first to open up the scoring which was then followed by three Villanova goals. It didn't take Rodriguez long to earn her one assist to take sole possesion of the Wagner assist record as she was credited the assist on Lundgren's score.
Alexey Chandler (Sacramento, CA/ Saint Francis) rattled the cage with only 55 seconds remaining to decrease Wagner's deficit to one.
The Green & White would register three of the four goals in the second stanza to grab hold of a 5-4 lead heading to halftime. Watson notched a man-up score which was followed by Doerfler and Lundgren tallies.
Lundgren recorded a goal early in the third quarter off an assist from Rodriguez. Watson struck the net for the only other score of the period as the Seahawks held a 7-4 lead with only the fourth quarter left.
Villanova rallied off five of the six scores in the fourth quarter to edge past Wagner 9-8. Rodriguez scored with 5:14 left in the game off a pass from Lundgren as the scoreboard read 8-6. The Wildcats netted three goals in the next three minutes of the game to take the one goal advantage. The Seahawks offensive opportunities at the end of the game came up just short.
The Green & White are back in the pool tomorrow as they square-off with Iona at 9:00 a.m. and St. Francis Brooklyn at 4:00 p.m.
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