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Santa Barbara, CA – The Wagner women's water polo team split the first day of the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invite on Friday as the Seahawks defeated Azusa Pacific and fell to #3 UCLA.

#23 Wagner (19) vs. Azusa Pacific (12)
Sophomore Andrea Arias scored the first goal in almost two years for the Seahawks 28 seconds into the contest before Azusa Pacific found the back of the net twice to take their first lead of the contest. Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Co-Preseason Player of the Year Sofia Diaz Alvarez scored her first goal of the season 3:18 into the contest to knot the score at two.

Freshman Carlota Alonso found the back of the net for the first time in her Wagner career to give the Seahawks a 3-2 lead following Diaz Alvarez's goal. The Cougars outscored the Seahawks 3-1 in the final 3:32 of the frame to hold onto a 5-4 lead after the first eight minutes of the contest.

The Green & White put a stamp on the contest in the second quarter as they outscored their opponents 6-3 in the frame led by Junior Abbey Simshauser who tallied a hat trick to give the Seahawks a 10-8 lead at the intermission.

Goals from Diaz Alvarez, Simshauser, Arias, sophomore Grace Coleman and Alonso propelled the Seahawks to outscore the Cougars 5-3 in the third to take a 15-11 lead going into the final eight minutes.

The Seahawks held on in the final stanza to claim a 19-12 victory, the first victory for the program since March 8, 2020.

Abbey Simshauser led the way with six goals on nine shots to go along with three steals and three drawn exclusions. In her first game as a member of the Seahawks, Carlota Alonso tallied a hat trick and dished out four assists to go along with four steals. Sofia Diaz Alvarez tallied a hat trick on six shots while fifth year Malia Josephson found the back of the net twice on four shots and handed out three assists. Senior Kristina Bell stopped nine shots in her first victory of the season.

#23 Wagner (8) vs. #3 UCLA (15)
The Bruins put a stamp on the contest in the opening stanza as they outscored the Seahawks 6-1. Sofia Diaz Alvarez tallied the lone goal in the quarter for Wagner on a 5-meter penalty that was drawn by junior Abbey Simshauser. UCLA outscored Wagner 2-1 in the second quarter as they took an 8-2 lead into the intermission. Sophomore Mar Navarro tallied her first of four goals in the contest on a 5-meter penalty goal.

The Bruins outscored the Green & White 7-6 in the second half and held on for a 15-8 victory. Mar Navarro had her best game as a Seahawk as she tallied four goals on six shots while dishing out one assist and drawing four exclusions. Diaz Alvarez was the only other Seahawk to score more than one goal in the contest. Malia Josephson and Abbey Simshauser accounted for the two other goals for the Green & White.

Kristina Bell tallied five blocks and one steal in the contest while senior Mikaela Wells saw action for the first time this season and stopped three shots.

The Seahawks will be back in action tomorrow to close out their first trip to California this season against #9 UC San Diego and #18 UC Santa Barbara.