2017 NEC Preseason Poll
 
2017 Roster I 2017 Schedule
 
Wagner (0-0, 0-0 NEC) vs. Iona (0-0, 0-0 MAAC)
Live Stats / Live Video (via necfrontrow.com)
 
Staten Island, NY – The defending Northeast Conference (NEC) champion Wagner women's lacrosse team will kick off the 2017 season on Wednesday, February 15 with a 3:00 p.m. matchup vs. the Iona Gaels of the MAAC at Hameline Field.

The Seahawks were picked second in the 2017 NEC Preseason Coaches Poll, behind Bryant, the team that Wagner defeated by an 11-7 count in last year's championship game, while Iona was picked sixth in the 2017 MAAC Preseason Poll
 
Having graduated 10 seniors from last year's title team, which dropped a 17-7 decision at the University of Pennsylvania in the 2016 NCAA Championships, second-year head coach Katie Rowan welcomes back 18 players along with 11 newcomers, 10 of whom are freshmen.
 
While the NCAA Championship was new territory for Wagner, which was picked second in the 2017 NEC Preseason Poll, it was not so for Rowan, as 2016 marked the 10th consecutive season that she has been a part of the NCAA's as either a player or coach. Rowan previously made the NCAA's three times during an All-American playing career at Syracuse, and has now reached seven NCAA's as a coach - four as an assistant at Syracuse, two as an assistant at Albany, and now one in her lone season at Wagner. 


 
As the Seahawks look to fill the void left by the graduation of those 10 seniors, including all-time great Shea Gegan, a number of vital pieces are back in their quest to repeat. Rowan will be looking for leadership out of her upperclassmen, headed by newly-minted senior co-captains Amanda Rey (Turnersville, NJ / Washington Township) and Olivia Streilein (Mt. Laurel, NJ / Lenape).
 
Rey, who has earned Second-Team All-NEC honors in each of the last two seasons as a defender, started all 19 games for the Seahawks a year ago, ranking second on the team with 36 draw controls and 16 caused turnovers, and has compiled 27 ground balls. The fourth-year Seahawk had a season-high five draw controls vs. Delaware State and won three or more draw controls in eight different games. She also collected a season-high three groundballs on six different occasions.
 
The Seahawks' leading returning scorer from her attack position, Streilein finished third on the team in points with 32 which came on 18 goals and 14 assists. Those 18 goals, which ranked sixth on the team, came on 40 shots which computes to a .800 shooting percentage, which No. 2 among all Seahawks, while her 14 assists ranked second.
 
The explosive attacker recorded three hat tricks on the season – vs. Columbia (3/30), Mount St. Mary's (4/23), and Bryant (5/8), and enters her senior season having scored 106 career points on 70 goals and 36 assists. Those 70 goals have come on 175 shots for a career shooting percentage of .731. For her career, the South Jersey native has also amassed 40 groundballs, 22 caused turnovers and 17 draw controls.
 
During preseason camp, Rowan, along with assistant coaches Leah Gallagher and Katherine Sweeney, have been looking to blend Wagner's returnees with the infusion of young talent.
 
"It's been really exciting. Losing 10 seniors, we really miss them but at the same time it gives so many people a new opportunity," said Rowan. "Our veterans are really stepping up as well as the freshmen, so we're really excited for a new look this year."
 
While not dwelling in the past, Rowan remains proud of her 2016 team, which went 10-9 overall during its championship season.
 
"We're really just proud of how the team came together, especially during our regular season conference play and that run at the end, winning the NEC championship and then getting a chance to play Penn in the NCAA's", she said. "It was just an incredible experience and just a huge accomplishment for the program."

Following the opener vs. Iona, the Seahawks face a three-game road stretch at Hofstra (2/21), Bucknell (2/25) and Lehigh (3/4). The Green & White then return to Staten Island for home games vs. Albany (3/9) and Saint Mary's College of California (3/13) before hitting the road for four straight games.
 
This four-game road stretch begins with a pair of games in Florida, with the Seahawks playing at Stetson (3/16) and at Jacksonville (3/18). Wagner then returns north to play road tilts at Saint Joseph's (3/25) and at Columbia (3/29).
 
The Green & White then kick off the month of April with the first of its six NEC games, vs. Saint Francis U (4/7), followed by Robert Morris (4/9). After a road trip to Mount St. Mary's (4/14), the Seahawks return to the friendly confines of Hameline Field to meet Sacred Heart (4/21) and LIU Brooklyn (4/23), before closing out the regular season with games at Central Connecticut (4/28) and at Bryant (4/30).
 
The NEC Championship semifinal round will be held on May 5, followed by the championship game on May 7.
 
"We really schedule tough opponents for our non-conference schedule to help us prepare us for the NEC," said Rowan. "We open up with a really strong opponent in Iona and then Hofstra and Bucknell. We bring Albany to campus this year, which is really exciting, so we're really looking forward to the non-conference schedule helping us prepare for the NEC."