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Lewisburg, PA – The #17 Wagner College women's water polo team will travel to the campus of #24 Bucknell University for four games this weekend.
Nationally Recognized
After entering the season as #23 on the College Water Polo Association (CWPA) preseason poll, the Green & White moved up six spots to #17, released by the CWPA on Wednesday.
The Seahawks remain one of two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) teams in the Top-25, with Marist checking in at #22.
Wagner reached its highest ranking in program history on February 7, 2018, while checking in at #13. Other notable rankings in program history include #14 on March 18 and March 25, 2015. The Green & White also entered the 2019 season as the #14 team in the nation.
MAAC Honors
Following two victories at the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invite this past weekend, senior
Kristina Bell, junior
Abbey Simshauser, and freshman
Carlota Alonso swept the weekly Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference awards, the league announced on Wednesday.
Bell garnered Defensive Player of the Week honors while Simshauser claimed Offensive Player of the Week and Alonso was named Rookie of the Week.
Bell stopped 38 shots on 86 shots faced in four starts over the weekend. The Atascadero, CA native swiped two steals and tallied one assist. Her assist set up the game-winning goal by
Mar Navarro in a 9-8 victory over then #9 UC Santa Barbara on Saturday.
(Swipe Through)
Simshauser received her fourth MAAC honor as a Seahawk as she claimed Rookie of the Week three times during the 2020 season. The Sydney, Australia native tallied 11 goals on 27 shots while drawing 14 exclusions, all of which were team highs.
In her first weekend as a member of the Green & White,
Carlota Alonso earns recognition after recording a hat trick on four shots while tallying four assists in her first career game at Wagner, a 19-12 victory over Azusa Pacific.
Last Time Out
At the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invite last weekend, the Green & White battled three ranked opponents: #3 UCLA, #11 UC San Diego, and #16 UC Santa Barbara. The Seahawks departed Santa Barbara, CA with a 2-2 record that included a 9-8 victory over the then #9 UC San Diego Tritons, the victory was the highest ranked win in program history.
In its first game in almost two years, the Seahawks defeated the Azusa Pacific Cougars, 19-12.
Abbey Simshauser led the Seahawks attack with six goals on nine shots to go along with three steals and three drawn exclusions. MAAC Co-Preseason Player of the Year
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 while handing of three assists.
Against #11 UC San Diego, Wagner took the lead for the first time in the final seconds of the contest as a clutch save and pass by
Kristina Bell found
Mar Navarro who scored as time expired to give the Seahawks the win.
Malia Josephson paced the Wagner attack with three goals on eight shots to go along with two blocks, two exclusions drawn and one field block.
Abbey Simshauser tallied two goals on nine shots while drawing five exclusions as goalkeeper
Kristina Bell stopped 13 shots in the win.
The Seahawks fell to #3 UCLA 15-8 in the second game of the weekend and fell to the hosts, #16 UC Santa Barbara, 16-14 in the fourth and final game for Wagner.
About Mercyhurst University
The Seahawks enter the matchup with Mercyhurst sporting a 7-0 record overall against the Lakers. Mercyhurst enters the 2022 season as #5 in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). The Division II school will open the season against the Seahawks and the team is led by Graduate Assistant coach Anna Batcheller.
About Gannon University
The Golden Knights were picked #6 in the WWPA preseason coaches' poll, one spot behind Mercyhurst. Gannon is led by fourth year head coach Shane Unger and will play against Wagner in its second game of the season as Wagner is 7-0 lifetime against the Golden Knights.
About #24 Bucknell
The hosts of the tournament stayed at #24 in the first CWPA poll of the regular season after coming in #24 in the preseason poll. The Seahawks currently hold a 14-12 edge over the Bison as these two teams will matchup again on March 12 at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego, CA.
About The Virginia Military Institute
The Keydets are the first MAAC team the Seahawks will face this season outside of conference play. This first match up against these two teams will be one of three matchups this season. The two teams will battle again during the first weekend of conference play on Sunday, March 20. The Seahawks are 19-0 lifetime against the Keydets.
Next For Wagner
Following the trip to Lewisburg, PA, the Seahawks will participate in the two-day event at the Bruno Classic in two different locations. On Saturday, February 5, the Seahawks will be in Cambridge, MA to battle #21 Harvard and #24(T) California Baptist before finishing on Sunday, February 6 in Providence, RI against #24(T) Brown and St. Francis University.
