STATEN ISLAND, NY – The Wagner College men's water polo program gets set to begin its 2026 campaign, opening the season at the Bruno Classic in Providence, Rhode Island on Friday, Aug. 28. Wagner is slated to compete in 27 games against 21 different teams.
Last Season
Led by head coach
Josh Hower, the Seahawks finished 12-18 overall and 4-8 in Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) play, ultimately earning a fourth-place finish at the MAWPC Championship, producing two ACWPC All-America Honorable Mentions.
Opening Weekend at the Bruno Classic
Wagner's opening day doubleheader on Friday, Aug. 28 features a 12:30 p.m. matchup against California Baptist, followed by a 5:00 p.m. clash with UC Davis at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center. The action continues on Saturday, Aug. 29, Wagner takes on tournament host Brown at 10:00 a.m. before facing LIU at 2:00 p.m. The opening weekend concludes in Cambridge, MA on Sunday, Aug. 30, with matchups against MIT at 10:30 a.m. and Harvard at 2:30 p.m.
Key Returners & Season Outlook
Nadav Carmon enters his sophomore season following a breakout 2025 freshman campaign. Appearing in 30 games as a rookie, Carmon poured in 54 goals on 76 shots for a .570 shooting percentage, tallying 51 earned exclusions and draw 27 exclusions, along with 10 steals and six assists. Carmon racked up six MAWPC weekly honor roll selections throughout September and October. Carmon turned in a dominant stat line on Sept. 17 with two goals, five earned exclusions, an assist, two steals, and two field blocks to earn Rookie of the Week Honor Roll honors, before earning both MAWPC Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week Honor Roll recognition on Oct. 21.
Landon Castillo enters his sophomore season. In 2025, Castillo emerged as a highly efficient offensive weapon, recording 49 goals on 72 shots for a .680 shooting percentage. Castillo recorded 36 drawn exclusions, adding 26 earned exclusions, alongside one assist and six steals. Castillo was named to the MAWPC Rookie of the Week Honor Roll on Sept. 22 after a seven-goal performance, and he earned the nod again on Nov. 12. Additionally, Castillo secured MAWPC Newcomer of the Week honors on October 2 following the Gary Troyer Tournament, where he tallied another seven goals.
Senior captain
Patrick Ray enters his final season on Grymes Hill. The Upper Arlington, Ohio native having appeared in nearly 100 collegiate games and earned 2024 All-MAWPC Honorable Mention recognition. Coming off a strong junior campaign where he tallied 33 goals, 23 assists, 21 steals, and a team-high 37 earned exclusions.
Taking the reins of the Seahawks' offense is junior captain attacker
Smith Connors. The Brisbane, Australia native tallied 53 goals, 21 assists, and 20 steals en route to an ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention and an All-MAWPC nod.
Goalkeeper
Filip Petrovic returns for his junior campaign. Appearing in 30 games in net, Petrovic tallied 115 saves, 24 steals, and four assists while anchoring the defense, headlined by a MAWPC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 21 following a 15-save, three-steal performance against Brown at the Harvard Invite. Petrovic accumulated three MAWPC Defensive Player of the Week Honor Roll selections, highlighted by a dominant 10-save opening half against Iona. Building on a freshman season in which he made nine starts across 11 appearances with 24 saves.
Busy Tournament Slate On the Road
Following the Bruno Classic, the Seahawks spend the month of September on the road. Wagner travels to New Jersey for the Princeton Invite from Friday, Sept. 11 to Saturday, Sept. 12, taking on San Jose State and Santa Clara before closing out the weekend against Mount St. Mary's.
The following weekend, Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sunday, Sept. 20, the team heads to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, for the Bucknell Invite with matchups scheduled against Salem, Mercyhurst, and host Bucknell. The September road stretch concludes out west at the USAF Academy in Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27 for the Rare Air Challenge, where Wagner will face UC Santa Barbara, Augustana, Biola, and host Air Force.
The Road to the MAWPC Championships
Wagner's MAWPC slate begins at the Spiro Sports Center on Friday, Oct. 2, when they host Iona under the lights at 6:30 p.m. Other notable conference dates include a crucial road test at Fordham on Friday, Oct. 9 (6:30 p.m.) and a home doubleheader against Navy and George Washington on Sunday, October 11.
The regular season will culminate in Lewisburg, PA, where the Seahawks compete in the MAWPC Championships from Friday, Nov. 20 to Sunday, Nov. 22.
Next Up
Following the Bruno Classic, the Seahawks have two weeks to prepare for the Princeton Invite in Princeton, New Jersey, running from Friday, September 11 to Saturday, September 12 at DeNunzio Pool.
