La Jolla, CA – For the third consecutive year, the No. 17 Wagner women's water polo team has advanced past the opening round of the National Collegiate Water Polo Championship, fending off No. 22 Concordia University Irvine, 10-8, on Wednesday evening at the Canyonview Aquatic Center.
The Seahawks entered the tournament riding the momentum of their 13th Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title, while the Golden Eagles were making a historic tournament debut after capturing the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) championship in their first year in the conference.
Wagner dominated the opening period to build a commanding 6-2 lead. Sophomore
Maylen Sampedro Tarela spearheaded the early offensive surge, netting a hat trick in the first quarter alone. Concordia found some footing in the second quarter, outscoring the Seahawks 2-1 to cut the deficit, but Wagner still carried a 7-4 advantage into halftime thanks to opportune scoring from senior captain
Magali Ogg.
Wagner faced their toughest test in the third quarter as they weathered a heavy offensive push from the Golden Eagles. Despite Concordia narrowing the gap, Ogg delivered a clutch, momentum-halting goal to ensure the Seahawks clung to a razor-thin 8-7 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.
In a tense fourth quarter, Wagner relied on its championship experience to regain control. The Seahawks' offense executed when it mattered most, breaking through for two crucial insurance goals to stretch the lead and re-establish their early dominance. The Wagner defense completely locked in down the stretch, suppressing Concordia's final attempts at a rally. Senior goalkeeper
Francesca Sena remained composed, making a critical final-minute block to secure the hard-fought 10-8 victory for the Seahawks.
Sampedro Tarela and Ogg paced the Wagner offense with three goals each, while Sampedro Tarela also dished out a team-high two assists for a five-point night. Junior
Ana Arias Pérez chipped in with a pair of goals. In the cage, Sena played the full 32 minutes, recording seven saves and three steals to anchor the defense.
Wagner's offensive volume proved to be a major factor, with the Seahawks outshooting Concordia 30-19. The Seahawks also held an edge in exclusion play, converting 33 percent (3-of-9) of their powerplay opportunities, while the Wagner defense stifled the Golden Eagles on the advantage, holding them to just 11 percent (1-of-9).
With the preliminary round victory, Wagner advances to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals to face top-seeded and defending national champion Stanford. The matchup is set for Friday, April 24 at 3:00 PM PDT at the Canyonview Aquatic Center. The game will be streamed live on
NCAA.com. Tickets are available through the
UC San Diego website, and live stats can be followed on
The Fosh.
Goals: Sampedro Tarela (3), Ogg (3), Arias Pérez (2),
Makayla Ulmer-Lutudromu,
Catherine Mentz
