Lexington, VA - The No.19 Wagner women's water polo team began their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule this weekend at the VMI-MAAC Showcase defeating No. 22 Marist, 10-7, VMI, 20-11 and Iona, 19-8.
Last season the Seahawks went 12-0 in conference regular season play en route to defeating Marist 9-8 in the championship game. The Green & White are looking to repeat as MAAC Champions and win their ninth title in the last twelve years.
Game 1 Results - #19 Wagner 10, Marist 7
The game began with senior Carlota Alonso scoring the first goal, but Marist quickly tied it at 1-1. Wagner regained the lead with 1:06 left in the first quarter when junior Magali Ogg scored, making it 2-1. The Seahawks started the second quarter strong, adding two back-to-back goals to extend their lead to 4-1. They continued to dominate, finishing the quarter with a 6-3 advantage.
Neither team was able to score in the third quarter, as both defenses stepped up and kept the score at 6-3 heading into the final period. In the final quarter, Marist scored first, narrowing Wagner's lead to 6-4. However, Wagner responded quickly, tacking on two goals to extend their lead to 8-4. Wagner continued to add pressure and finished the game with two more goals to secure a 10-7 victory.
Goals: Alonso (3), Ogg (2), Sampedro-Tarela (2), Coleman, Koerper, Arias
Game 2 Results - #19 Wagner 20, VMI 11
In the first quarter, Wagner quickly took control, leading 10-2 by the end of the period. Five different Seahawks scored during this stretch, with Alonso and sophomore Catherine Mentz each contributing three goals. Their offensive depth was on full display, while their defense stifled any attempts by VMI to generate momentum. By halftime, Wagner had built an even larger lead, outscoring VMI 6-2 in the second quarter to take a commanding 16-4 advantage into the break.
The third quarter saw VMI attempt a comeback, but Wagner maintained their composure and kept up the pressure, outscoring their opponents 2-4 to extend their lead to 18-8 going into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, Wagner finished strong, adding two more goals to cruise to a 20-11 victory as twelve different Seahawks scored a goal.
Goals: Alonso (3), Mentz (3), Arias (2), Bland (2), Pike (2), Parker (2), Coleman, Ogg, Parisi, Kocak, Friedlander, Dean Fayls
Game 3 Results - #19 Wagner 19, Iona 8
Iona stunned Wagner early on, jumping out to a 3-0 lead, putting Wagner on the back foot in the first quarter. However, Wagner quickly responded, narrowing the gap to 4-3 by the end of the period. In the second quarter, Wagner flipped the script, outscoring Iona 5-0 to take an 8-4 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw Wagner continue to build on their momentum, extending their lead to 13-5. Junior Genevieve Bland scored Wagner's 19th goal in the final quarter as the Seahawks secured a 19-8 victory.
Goals: Sampedro Tarela (4), Alonso (4), Koerper (2), Parisi (2), Coleman, Ogg, Taylor, Arias, Bland, Friedlander, Hyde
Next Up: The Seahawks are back in action next weekend against La Salle on Saturday March 22 at 2:00 PM and on Sunday March 23 against VMI at 9:00 AM and Villanova at 1:00 PM. All games will be hosted by La Salle in Kirk Pool.
