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Tournament Central
Cambridge, MA – The Wagner women's water polo team will continue its season at the Bruno Classic on the campus of Harvard University this weekend.
National Recognition
After entering the season as the #23 ranked team in the College Water Polo Association (CWPA) preseason poll, the Green & White moved up nine spots after winning 12 of the first 14 games of the season.
The latest poll, released on Wednesday, March 3, saw the Seahawks check in at #15 after spending three consecutive weeks at #14. Despite moving down one spot in the poll, Wagner remains the highest ranked east coast club in the top-25 and the highest ranked Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) team. The Green & White are one of three MAAC teams in the poll, with LIU checking in at #22 and Marist at #24.
Wagner In The Poll
The highest ranking in program history came when Wagner checked in at #12 in 2018, other notable rankings in program history include #13 on February 7, 2018, and #14 on March 18 and 25 of that same year. During the 2015 season, Wagner began the season not ranked and climbed all the way to #14 that season.
Last Time Out
This past weekend at the Courtney Fisher Invitational, the Seahawks extended the team's winning streak to ten games with two conference victories. To open the weekend, the Seahawks defeated La Salle 14-5. Senior goalkeeper
Kristina Bell stopped nine shots in the contest while tallying two steals, senior
Sofia Diaz Alvarez led the Wagner attack with four goals while junior
Abbey Simshauser and sophomore
Andrea Arias tallied hat tricks. Fifth-year senior
Malia Josephson found the back of the net twice while dishing out four assists, swiping two steals, and drawing two exclusions.
In the second game of the weekend, Wagner defeated St. Francis Brooklyn, 20-5. The Green & White put a stamp on the contest when they outscored the Terriers 16-1 in the opening half.
Andrea Arias tallied seven on 11 shots to go along with five steals. Freshman
Carlota Alonso found the back of the net on all three of her shots to go along with five steals.
Bell Claims Third MAAC Honor Action
Bell is the third goalkeeper in program history to claim multiple MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors in the same season as former Seahawk Emily Riddle accomplished this feat in 2017 when she claimed five honors, including a three-peat on February 1, 7, and 15, 2017, en route to a MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honor. Former Seahawk goalkeeper Katherine Campbell claimed back-to-back honors on February 1 and 7, 2018.
The Seahawks have claimed at least one MAAC weekly honor in all four weeks of competition this season. The last time came on February 9 when and
Kristina Bell sophomore
Andrea Arias home Defensive and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively. Bell's first weekly recognition from the conference on January 26 along with freshman
Carlota Alonso and junior
Abbey Simshauser. The first week recognition for Alonso was her first of back-to-back MAAC Rookie of the Week honors.
This past weekend at the Courtney Fisher Invitational, Bell stopped 13 shots in two starts for Wagner while also recording 2 steals, she stopped nine shots in a 14-5 victory over La Salle before stopping four shots in three quarters against St. Francis Brooklyn. The Atascadero, CA native has started all 14 games for Wagner this season and is sporting a .506 save percentage with 90 saves on 178 shots faced.
Team Effort
Through the first 14 games of the season, Wagner has tallied 234 goals, a program record through the first 14 games of the season. The 12-2 mark by the Seahawks through the first dozen contests in program history, the second-best start occurred in 2020 and 2015 when the Green & White began 10-4 through the first 14 games.
Kristina Bell has 90 saves through 14 starts this season to go along with 7.49 goals against average and a .506 save percentage. The Atascadero native also has seven steals and one assist so far this season.
Andrea Arias leads Wagner with 39 goals while
Abbey Simshauser has tallied 37 and
Sofia Diaz Alvarez has 36.
Malia Josephson leads the Seahawks with 33 assists and is tied with
Sofia Diaz Alvarez with a team-leading 58 points. Along with leading Wagner in goals,
Andrea Arias has drawn a team-leading 23 exclusions while junior
Skye Nankervis leads the team with 29 steals and 38 sprints won.
About The Harvard Invitational
All three of the Wagner contests will be available via ESPN+ this weekend as Wagner is set to take on three teams who received recognition from the CWPA in the week six poll. Wagner will open the tournament against California State East Bay who received votes in the poll before finishing the first day of the tournament against #14 Indiana. Sunday's lone contest will take place against #23 Brown.
Entering this weekend, Wagner has battled six ranked opponents this season and is sporting a 4-2 record. The first victory over a ranked opponent this season came at the opening weekend of the season on January 22 at the UCSB Winter Invite when Wagner defeat the then #9 UC san Diego Tritons. The victory was the highest ranked win in program history.
About Cal State East Bay
The Pioneers enter the Harvard Invitational sporting a 6-5 overall record and will look to snap a three-game losing streak as they are slated to take on Marist, Wagner, LIU, and Harvard, all of which enter the tournament nationally ranked.
About #14 Indiana
The Hoosiers are led by former Wagner women's water polo graduate assistant and director of operations, Taylor Dodson. From 2015-17, Dodson led the Seahawks to their second consecutive MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. In her second season, Dodson help Wagner claim another championship and played a pivotal role in former Seahawk Kimberly Watson claim All-American and MAAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Entering the Harvard Invitational, the Hoosiers are ranked #14 in the CWPA poll after defeating the then #18 Loyola Marymount and #11 UC San Diego this past weekend at the Kalbus Invite.
These two squads squared off last on January 25, 2020, at the Michigan Invite. That day,
Sofia Diaz Alvarez found the back of the net eight times for the Green & White.
About #23 Brown
The Bears enter the Harvard Invitational with an 11-6 record and winners of five out of their last six contests. This is the second time these two teams will battle as Wagner defeated Brown 8-6 at the Bruno Classic on February 6. Brown will take on Mount St. Mary's, #25 Harvard, #14 Indiana, and #15 Wagner.
What's Next
Following the Harvard Invitational, the Green & White will make their second trip to California this season for the Aztec Invitational at San Diego State University, there the Seahawks will battle Saint Francis University, San Diego State, UC San Diego, and Austin College.
