STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Wagner Women's Water Polo has finalized its 2026 slate, head coach
Josh Hower announced on Monday.
The first half of the season features 13 games across five locations over four weekends, along with one midweek contest. The season is split in half by a trip to California for the Claremont Convergence, before the Seahawks return to the East Coast for nine additional games. Eight of those contests will be conference matchups, as Wagner competes for a spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship beginning April 11.
The Seahawks enter the 2026 season as back-to-back MAAC champions, capturing titles in 2024 and 2025. Wagner closed last season with a 22–9 overall record, including an 11–1 mark in MAAC play, highlighted by a win over McKendree in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 Stanford.
The 2026 campaign opens Saturday, January 24 at the Bruno Classic, where Wagner will face host Harvard at 9:00 a.m., followed by a matchup against Bucknell at 5:30 p.m., with both games held at Harvard's Blodgett Pool. The Seahawks were 0–2 against the Crimson last season, while defeating Bucknell 17–10 in the season opener.
Wagner will wrap up the opening weekend on Sunday, January 25, with a 10:15 a.m. matchup against Salem at Brown's Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center. The Seahawks defeated the Tigers 17–7 at the 2025 Bruno Classic.
Up next, Wagner travels to the Princeton Invitational to close out the month of January. The Seahawks will take on Bucknell at 10:30 a.m. and Indiana at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, at DeNunzio Pool. Wagner split two meetings with Indiana last season, including a 14–9 win at the Midwest Invite. On Sunday, February 1, the Seahawks will face Princeton at 3:30 p.m., after going 0–2 against the Tigers in 2025.
In February, Wagner will compete at the Wildcat Invite, opening the weekend with a pair of games on Saturday, February 7, at the Villanova Swim Complex. The Seahawks will face Harvard at 12:30 p.m. before taking on California Baptist at 5:45 p.m. Wagner defeated the Lancers 21–18 at last season's Harvard Invitational.
The weekend concludes Sunday, February 8, with a 9:45 a.m. matchup against Gannon. Wagner last faced the Golden Knights on March 4, 2023, earning a 20–1 victory.
The Seahawks will host their lone home contest of the season on Wednesday, February 18, welcoming Iona to the Spiro Sports Center for a 6:30 p.m. matchup. The game will serve as Senior Day. Wagner defeated the Gaels 18–9 on March 16, 2025.
Wagner returns to the road for the Harvard Invitational on Saturday, February 28, opening the weekend against Bucknell at 11:00 a.m. before facing Brown at 3:00 p.m. The Seahawks last played Brown on March 1, 2025, falling 13–12 in overtime.
The final East Coast contest before heading west will take place on Sunday, March 1, as Wagner faces Marist at 10:30 a.m. at Harvard's Blodgett Pool. The Seahawks were 2–0 against the Red Foxes in 2025.
Wagner then heads to California for the two-day Claremont Convergence Tournament. On Friday, March 6, the Seahawks will face Pomona-Pitzer at 12:45 p.m. and Arizona State at 5:45 p.m. Wagner closes the tournament on Saturday, March 7, with matchups against USC at 12:15 p.m. and host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 4:00 p.m.
Conference play begins Wednesday, March 11, as Wagner opens MAAC action at LIU. The Seahawks went 2–0 against the Sharks last season.
Wagner continues MAAC play on Saturday, March 14, with an 11:00 a.m. matchup at Villanova, followed by a 3:00 p.m. contest against La Salle on Sunday, March 15, at the Villanova Swim Complex. The Explorers handed Wagner its only conference loss of the 2025 season.
A trip to Marist follows, with the Seahawks taking on Siena on Saturday, March 21, and Marist on Sunday, March 22, with both games scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Wagner is currently riding a 24-game winning streak against Siena.
The regular season concludes Saturday, March 28, at the VMI–MAAC Showcase. Wagner will face VMI at 8:00 a.m. before taking on Mount St. Mary's at 2:00 p.m. The Seahawks went undefeated against both programs in 2025.
Wagner will close the regular season with a 12:30 p.m. MAAC matchup against Iona before wrapping up the 2026 slate at Princeton on Wednesday, April 1, in a 6:30 p.m. contest.
The MAAC Championship will be held April 11–12 at the McCann Natatorium in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The four-team, single-elimination tournament will feature semifinal matches on Saturday, April 11, followed by the championship on Sunday, April 12.
