Women's Water Polo Opens Conference Season 2-0

Pictured Above: Sophomore Erica Hardy who netted four goals in Wagner's first triumph over Marist (photo credit: Jeremy Hawkes)

Villanova, PA – The Wagner women's water polo team won its first two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) matches of 2017, defeating co-preseason favorite, Marist College 10-6 and Iona College 13-8.

Wagner 10 Marist 6
The Seahawks bested No. 24 Marist 10-6 in a wire-to-wire victory for their first league win of the season. Senior goalkeeper Emily Riddle (Edmonton, Alberta / Dr. E.P. Scarlett) held the Red Foxes scoreless in the first eight minutes while amassing a season-high 11 saves throughout the contest.

Sophomore attack Erica Hardy (Montreal, Quebec / St. Thomas) continued her offensive streak, capitalizing on a man-up opportunity to give the Green & White a 1-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Red Foxes tied the tilt midway through the second stanza, however junior attack Elise Begg (Newbury, CA / Newbury) dished her second assist less than ten seconds later as reigning MAAC Offensive Player of the Week, Kimberly Watson (Pointe-Claire, Quebec / John Rennie) regained the lead for the Seahawks. Watson's goal ignited a 4-0 run for Wagner that was snapped by Marist's Jocelyn McQuade with three seconds remaining in the half as the Green & White entered intermission leading 5-2.

Watson completed her fourth consecutive hat trick on a power play opportunity only one minute into the second half before the Red Foxes countered with their third marker of the bout. However, Wagner ended the quarter with three unanswered goals from Hardy and freshman attack Franciska Milo-Sidlo (2) (Budapest, Hungary / Pasareti Gimnazium) to extend its lead 9-3.

Marist attempted a late comeback, outscoring the Seahawks 3-1 in the final eight minutes of the contest. Nevertheless, Milo-Sidlo's third tally was enough to withhold the Red Foxes as Wagner collected its 15^th consecutive MAAC regular season victory.

Wagner 13 Iona 8
Junior utility Kimberly Watson registered her fifth consecutive hat trick while netting a team-high five goals as Wagner downed local rival, Iona 13-8. The victory secured a perfect 2-0 start to league play, stretching the Seahawks MAAC regular season win streak to 16 games.

Watson put the Green & White on the board with less than one minute into the bout. However, the Gaels outscored Wagner 4-2 in the first stanza, including back-to-back penalty shots.

Sophomore attack Erica Hardy ended Iona's first quarter 3-0 run, netting a five-meter shot with 7:38 on the second quarter clock. After another strike by the Gaels, Watson and junior attack Elise Begg buried two consecutive markers to tie the matchup 5-5 at the half.

MAAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, Emily Riddle held the Maroon & Gold scoreless in the third stanza as Wagner scored four unanswered tallies to extend its lead 9-5. Freshman center Millie Pullyblank (Victoria, Australia / Haileybury Girls School) ignited the streak before Watson sandwiched two goals around Lacey Anderson's (Thousand Oaks, CA / Westlake) first marker of conference play.

Freshman attack Jacqui Sjogren (Queensland, Australia / St. Andrews Anglican College) recorded a hat trick in the final eight minutes of the contest alongside Watson's fifth marker to defeat the Gaels of Iona College 13-8.

The 2-0 (11-10 overall) Seahawks return Saturday, March 25 for a noon match-up against Siena College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

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