Harvard Invitational
 
Cambridge, MA – The Wagner women's water polo team, now ranked No. 19 in the nation, travels to Cambridge, MA this weekend to compete in the Harvard Invitational. Following their first weekend off since the season began on January 25 in Michigan, the Seahawks will be back in the pool on Saturday at 9:15 am taking on Connecticut College, followed by a 4:45 pm matchup with No. 25 Cal-State East Bay. The Green & White will conclude their weekend with their second matchup of the season against No. 22 Bucknell on Sunday at 2:15 pm. All three matches will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
 
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE:
Saturday, March 7
9:15 AM – No. 19 Wagner vs. Connecticut College ($ Live Video $)
4:45 PM – No. 19 Wagner vs. No. 25 Cal-State East Bay ($ Live Video $)
 
Sunday, March 8
2:15 PM – No. 19 Wagner vs. No. 22 Bucknell ($ Live Video $)

LAST TIME OUT
Competing in the Courtney Fisher Invitational, Wagner finishes with two wins over Metro Atlantic Athletic Association (MAAC) foes to set their overall record at 11-5. They began the day with a tight 12-10 victory over the No. 24 Marist Red Foxes before their offense erupted for a 21-8 win over the La Salle Explorers.

CONFERENCE RECOGNITION 
After a strong display in the Courtney Fisher Invitational, junior attacker Malia Josephson was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season.
 
Josephson led the Wagner attack to two victories over MAAC opponents, including No. 24 Marist, for an unblemished mark on the weekend in Poughkeepsie. She paced the team with 12 points, as well as in goals, with seven, including six goals and three assists in a 21-8 win over La Salle. In addition, the Mount Maunganui native recorded four goals in the first period against the Explorers to give Wagner an early lead they would never relinquish.

ABOUT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE:
The Camels will begin their season this weekend in Cambridge. They are coming off a 2019 campaign in which they finished 9-10, including a 6-2 mark in conference play en route to a seventh-place finish at the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Championships.
 
Conn. College will return six of their nine swimmers from last season, led by first-team CWPA Division III member Stephania Lopez, as well as second-team members, Brooklynn Hayes and Ginny McCool. Lopez led the Camels in goals with 81, as well as assists (30) and steals (35). Hayes placed second on the team with 39 goals, while McCool tallied 13 goals on offense, but also played a big role in cage for Connecticut, stopping 82 shots in 34 quarters. In addition to the returning six players, sixth-year head coach Matt Anderson has announced the signing of an additional six new swimmers, adding much needed depth to the Camels squad.
 
ABOUT NO. 25 CAL-STATE EAST BAY:
The Pioneers will enter the Harvard Invitational with a 5-6 record on the season. After beginning the season with a close 14-12 victory of Fresno-Pacific, East Bay went on a five-game losing streak, including four losses to top-25 teams. They would rebound with a four-game winning streak of their own, before ending the Tina Finali Invitational with a 17-10 defeat at the hands of No.14 Indiana.

The Pioneers are led by senior driver Auriel Bill, who is currently leading the team in all offensive categories, including shots, goals, and assists, for a total point amount of 44 through 11 games. Having had a hand in 44 of East Bay's 113 goals on the season, she also ranks second on the team in exclusions drawn and steals.
 
In goal, the Pioneers have relied on sophomore Daniela Passoni, who has recorded 123 saves on the season, while only allowing 133 goals, for a save percentage of 48%. The Waverly, South Africa native has also notched two goals and five assists on the offensive side of the pool.
 
ABOUT NO. 22 BUCKNELL:
The Bison are coming into the weekend with a record of 12-3, having dropped their last two games to No. 7 Michigan and No. 15 Long Beach State by a combined score of 32-20. Their lone loss outside of their previous two games came at the hands of the Green & White on February 9 in the Bison Invitational by the score of 17-8, their first loss of the season, ending a six game-winning streak to open the season.
 
Bucknell are led by the duo of Ally Furano and Kali Hyham, who have combined for 115 goals on the season, with Furano leading the team with 65. The high-scoring tandem combined for five goals in their defeat to Wagner earlier in the season.

In goal, the Bison rely on sophomore Georgia Lewis. She has recorded 80 saves on 179 shots, for a save percentage of 44.7%, while also adding three assists on the season.  

NEXT UP FOR THE SEAHAWKS:
The Seahawks will be back in action next weekend, as they head west to San Diego, CA to compete in the Aztec Invitational on Friday and Saturday. They will be taking on four top-25 ranked opponents during the two-day invitational, beginning on Friday with their third match with No. 22 Bucknell at 4:00 pm EST, followed by the hosting No. 16 San Diego State Aztecs at 7:00 pm EST. They will wrap-up play with a double-header on Saturday, first taking on No. 15 Long Beach State at 11:40 am EST, before finishing up with No. 4 Hawaii at 7:50 pm EST.