Women's Water Polo 3/17/17

Water Polo Begins MAAC Conference Play With 2016 Championship Rematch Against Marist

Villanova, PA – The Wagner women's water polo team travels to Villanova, PA on Saturday, March 18 to open the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season schedule vs. Marist. The No. 17 Seahawks are slated to play the No. 24 Red Foxes at 9:00 am before taking on the Iona College Gaels at 5:00 pm.

Wagner-Marist Matchup
The Red Foxes are led by first year head coach Chris Vidale who brings extensive knowledge of the league to Poughkeepsie, having served as an assistant coach to the Iona men's and women's water polo teams from 2009-16. Meanwhile, the three-time runner-ups return 2016 All-MAAC First Team selection Amanda Amorosa and Rookie of the Year, Katie Tijerina.

Tied for first in the 2017 MAAC Preseason Poll, Wagner and Marist have developed an on-going rivalry in the water. The three-time defending champions have defeated Marist by three points or less in the conference championship each of the past three years. Juniors Kimberly Watson (Pointe-Claire, Quebec / John Rennie) and Elise Begg (Newbury Park, CA / Newbury) each tallied two goals in last year's 8-5 title win on May 1, 2016, while Watson was one of three Seahawks named to the All-Tournament Team.

Additionally, the Green & White went 2-0 against the Red Foxes in the 2016 regular season en route to a perfect 12-0 conference record and regular season championship. Wagner bested a No. 23-ranked Marist 11-9 on April 9 before edging the Red Foxes 9-8 on April 17. Senior goalkeeper Emily Riddle (Edmonton, Alberta / Dr. E.P. Scarlett) was a key performer in both contests, registering nine and 12 saves, respectively.

Wagner-Iona Matchup
The Seahawks will end the first day of league play with a 5:00 pm showdown against the Gaels of Iona College. Under the direction of head coach Brian Kelly in his 21^st season, the Gaels finished 2016 with a 13-15 record, losing to Marist by an 11-8 count in the MAAC Championship semifinal game on April 30. Iona returns 2016 All-MAAC First Team and All-Tournament Team selection Hannah Schultz who registered 29 tallies throughout the Gael's non-conference schedule.

Wagner swept the 2016 series with Iona last season, winning 17-9 on April 2 and 9-6 on April 10. Junior attack Lacey Anderson (Thousand Oaks, CA / Westlake) led the Seahawks with a game-high four goals on April 2, while Begg netted two markers on April 10.

Seahawks In The Poll
The Green & White received its highest ranking of 2017 in the ninth week of the Collegiate Water Polo Association's (CWPA) Top 25 National Poll, coming in at No. 17 after a dominant performance in the Aztec Invitational. The Seahawks upset No. 16 UC San Diego and No. 12 San Jose State University by one point each before losing to No. 23 CSU-Bakersfield by one tally. Additionally, Wagner defeated Whittier College 14-7 behind hat tricks from Anderson, Watson, and sophomore attack Abby Irving (Brentwood Bay, B.C. / Canadian Sport School [Stelly's]).

Hot Hands For The Seahawks
Reigning MAAC Offensive Player of the Week Kimberly Watson and sophomore attack Erica Hardy (Montreal, Quebec / St. Thomas) led the Seahawks offensively in San Diego, CA this past weekend. Watson registered 13 points on 12 goals and one assist, while registering three hat tricks in four contests. Her best performance came in Wagner's 5-4 upset over No. 12 San Jose State, burying four goals including the game-winner. Meanwhile, Hardy notched 16 points on nine goals and seven assists while cashing two hat tricks.

MAAC Weekly Award Winners
Six different Seahawks have been named MAAC Weekly Award winners throughout the non-conference slate. Preseason goalkeeper of the Year Emily Riddle has collected a league-high four Defensive Player of the Week honors while Preseason All-MAAC selection Watson has earned Offensive Player of the Week a season-high three times. Other award winners include:

Erica Hardy – Offensive Player of the Week, March 8
Millie Pullyblank – Rookie of the Week, February 1
Franciska Milo-Sidlo – Rookie of the Week, February 8
Jacqui Sjogren – Rookie of the Week, February 15

Conference Slate
The 2017 conference schedule will now consist of 14 games instead of 12 after La Salle University became the league's eighth member. Wagner will host three home contests including a mid-week tilt with local rival, Iona College on March 29 before welcoming Siena College and Virginia Military Institute on April 9.

The 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship will be held April 29-30 at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. The four teams with the best conference records will battle for the conference title as well as an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Championship.

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