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Poughkeepsie, NY – The Co-Regular Season Champion Wagner College women's water polo team will travel to Marist to take part in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament this weekend.
Back-to-back
Senior
Abbey Simshauser earned her second consecutive MAAC Offensive Player of the Year honor. Simshausder becomes the third Seahawk to earn back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year honors as former Seahawks Kimberly Watson and Jessica Lundgren earned the honors. Watson earned Offensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016 while Watson earned the honor in 2017 and 2018.
Simshauser also becomes the fourth player in conference history to repeat as Offensive Player of the Year. This is the eighth time in program history a Wagner women's water polo player has won Offensive Player of the Year.
Along with Offensive Player of the Year, Simshauser was named First Team All-MAAC for the second consecutive season. The Sydney, Australia native was one of two players to be named unanimous First Team performers.
Seahawks Make History
Along with Abbey Simsauser, classmate
Skye Nankervis was named Defensive Player of the Year, her first individual postseason honor. Nankervis becomes the seventh Seahawk to earn the honor.
After earning MAAC Rookie of the Week three times, freshman
Francesca Sena was named MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year with Ines Sanchez of Marist.
Seven All-Conference Performers
Seven players on the Seahawks earned All-Conference honors, a program record. The Green & White also placed three players on the First Team for the eighth time in program history and the first time since 2019.
This is the first time in program history that a Wagner player has won Offensive, Defensive and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
The MAAC Standard
Since 2014, Wagner is 106-4 in MAAC regular season play, the latest loss came in the regular season finale in 2019 on a forfeit. Wagner's last regular season conference defeat came back on April 11, 2015 to Marist.
Wagner has gone unbeaten in conference play in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023.
The Green & White will be seeking its eighth title in the last 10 seasons this weekend.
National Recognition
Senior
Abbey Simshauser was named to the Cutino Award Watch List. The Award honors the late Hall of Fame coach and recognizes the best player and men's and women's water polo. Simshauser was the first player in program history to earn a place on the Cutino Award Watch List.
On February 22, Wagner came in at #12 in the College Water Polo Association (CWPA) national poll, the highest-ranking in program history. The previous highest-ranking in program history came in 2018, 2022 and this season when Wagner was ranked #13.
Tournament Schedule & Format
The 2023 MAAC Championship field will feature Wagner, Marist, LIU, Iona, Mount St. Mary's and La Salle.
Opening round competitions begins on Friday, April 29 with No. 3 LIU taking on No. 6 La Salle before No. 4 Iona takes on No. 5 Mount St. Mary's.
The winner of LIU and La Salle will take on No. 2 Marist as the winner of Iona and Mount St. Mary's will take on No. 1 Wagner.
