Tempe, AZ – The Wagner women's water polo team opened up the 2017 season with two hard-fought defeats, an 11-10 loss against the No.8-ranked University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and an 8-6 setback against No. 15 San Diego State University (SDSU).
Wagner 10, UCSB 11:
Despite three late tallies in the final quarter from freshman center
Millie Pullyblank (Victoria, Australia/Haileybury Girls College), junior utility
Kimberly Watson (Pointe-Claire, Quebec / John Rennie), and junior attack
Lacey Anderson (Thousand Oaks, CA / Westlake), the Seahawks were edged 11-10 by the Gauchos.
The contest was scoreless over the first 4:30 of the quarter until Watson, who was tabbed to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Preseason squad drilled the first of her two goals into the back of the net. UCSB's Sophie Trabucco put the Gauchos on the board with a counter goal before Pullyblank netted her first collegiate goal, putting the Seahawks ahead 2-1. The Green & White extended its lead 3-1 before the quarter's end after Watson capitalized on a man-up opportunity with 18 seconds remaining.
The Gauchos took the lead in the second period, outscoring Wagner 6-3. Watson had completed her first hat-trick of the season before UCSB went on a 3-0 run. Sophomore attack
Erica Hardy (Montreal, Quebec / St. Thomas) ended Santa Barbara's run with her first marker of the season at the 2:46 mark. Pullyblank then cashed in her second goal of the year. The Gauchos scored twice more, giving UCSB a 7-6 advantage at the half.
When play resumed for the third quarter, the contest mirrored the first period in which both teams were held scoreless over an identical 4:30 before Hardy ripped her second goal to tie the contest 7-7. The Gauchos responded with back-to-back scores to pull ahead 9-7 entering the final quarter.
Despite Watson winning her third sprint of the day, UCSB sank two more goals to extend its lead over the Seahawks 11-7. A late 3-0 run from the Seahawks was not enough to secure a victory for the Green & White as UCSB handed them their first loss of the season by a count of 11-10.
Wagner 6 SDSU 8:
San Diego State University took an early 2-0 lead, which secured an 8-6 victory before three stanzas of even play. Caroline Israels and Alyssa Diacono each registered two tallies for the Aztecs over the first two quarters of play. Wagner answered as Watson struck again for two goals to put the Seahawks on the board with just two minutes remaining in the first half. Hardy cashed in a goal of her own to close the Aztecs' lead to 5-3 entering intermission.
Both teams traded a goal apiece in the opening two minutes of the second half before remaining scoreless for the remainder of the third quarter. Wagner's lone goal came off a shot from freshman attack Franciska Miló-Sidló who notched her first collegiate goal.
Watson registered her second hat-trick of the day, opening up the fourth quarter with a goal after winning her third sprint of the contest. Freshman attack
Jacqui Sjogren (Queensland, Australia / St. Andrews Anglican College) followed with her first-ever collegiate goal, but two late goals from Alyssa Diacono protected No. 15 San Diego State's lead as the Aztecs defeated Wagner 8-6.
