Women's Water Polo Looks To Extend Its 6-0 Conference Record At VMI

Pictured Above: Sophomore attack Abby Irving (photo credit: Sandy Spicer)

Staten Island, NY – The No. 17 Wagner women's water polo team travels to Lexington, Virginia April 1-2 for matchups with No. 24 Marist College, La Salle University, and Virginia Military Institute (VMI). The Seahawks enter the weekend 15-10 on the season and 6-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

Sixth Straight Victory:
The Green & White secured its sixth straight victory on March 29, narrowly defeating the Iona Gaels 9-8. After taking an early 3-0 lead, the Gaels scored three consecutive goals to ignite a back-and-forth battle for the remainder of the contest. Junior Kimberly Watson (Pointe-Claire, Quebec / John Rennie) and sophomore Erica Hardy (Montreal, Quebec / St. Thomas) buried back-to-back markers late in the fourth quarter to secure Wagner's undefeated conference record. In the cage, senior goalkeeper Emily Riddle (Edmonton, Alberta / Dr. E.P. Scarlett) logged a season-high 12 saves, while making a key steal midway through the second stanza that led to a goal by freshman attack Jacqui Sjogren (Queensland, Australia / St. Andrews Anglican College).

Previewing Wagner-Marist:
The Seahawks bested No. 24 Marist 10-6 in a wire-to-wire victory for their first league win of the 2017 season on March 18. Riddle held the Red Foxes scoreless in the first eight minutes while amassing 11 saves throughout the contest. Offensively, three Seahawks recorded hat-tricks including Watson, Hardy, and freshman attack Franciska Milo-Sidlo (Budapest, Hungary / Pasareti Gimnazium). The Red Foxes are in the midst of a four game winning streak, including a 13-11 2OT triumph over Iona on March 26.

Previewing Wagner-La Salle:
Newcomer La Salle University was picked to finish last by the league's eight coaches in the preseason poll. The Explorers are 1-8 on the season and 0-6 in the MAAC, with their lone victory coming in on February 26 by a count of 12-8 over Penn State Behrend. Saturday's 4:00 pm matchup with La Salle marks the first meeting between the two programs.

Previewing Wagner-VMI:
The Keydets are also 4-1 in league play with a 15-4 overall record. Led by Ryan Pryor in his third season, VMI is 2-0 on the season against Siena, who Wagner best 19-2 on March 25. The Keydets have also defeated La Salle, 22-5, and Villanova, 13-10, while losing to the Red Foxes, 15-8. The squad is led by freshman goalie Isabel French who has collected two MAAC Rookie of the Week honors thus far.

In The Cage For The Seahawks:
Senior goalie Emily Riddle has been a force in the cage for the Green & White. Named Walsh Electric Student-Athlete of the Month, Riddle helped lead Wagner to an 11-3 record and perfect 6-0 MAAC record throughout the month of March. Of these wins, five were over nationally-ranked programs, including a 5-4 victory over No. 12 San Jose State University on March 12. A major asset to the Seahawks' defense, Riddle has logged 153 saves on the season to propel her to third on the all-time saves list in Wagner women's water polo history, as she enters April with 904. Since the start of league play, Riddle leads the MAAC with 78 saves, while her 153 on the season puts her in second.

Rookie Of The Week:
Freshman center Millie Pullyblank (Victoria, Australia / Haileybury Girls School) was named MAAC Rookie of the Week for the second time in her career on March 29. Pullyblank registered 12 points on ten goals and two assists as the Seahawks swept Siena, St. Francis, and Villanova this past weekend. The rookie's best performance came in Wagner's 19-5 victory over St. Francis, burying a team-high five goals and cashing a hat trick before the first quarter's end. Additionally, she collected a team-high four steals while forcing the Terriers to three exclusions.

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