STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Wagner College field hockey team starts its eighth season in program history on Friday, Aug. 28 as the Seahawks travel upstate to America East UAlbany. Start time for the Green & White's season-opener is set for noon.
Two days later, Wagner hosts Big Ten member Rutgers for a 1 p.m. start at the Field Hockey Complex.
Last season, the Seahawks posted an overall record of 8-12, going 6-3 in NEC play to earn the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. After a 1-0 upset over No. 2 Saint Francis in the semifinal round, the Seahawks fell to No. 1 Fairfield in the championship game.
Wagner has finished as the NEC runner-up in each of the last three seasons. The Seahawks have made the postseason in five consecutive seasons after failing to reach the NEC Tournament during the program's inaugural campaign in 2019.
Who to Watch
The Seahawks return 16 players from the 2025 team and welcome 12 newcomers, including nine freshmen and three transfers, to make up their 28-athlete roster.
Senior goalkeeper Mia DiGenova comes to Wagner after spending the last three seasons at former NEC member Saint Francis, where she earned All-NEC Second Team honors last season. DiGenova recorded a program-record 10 shutouts and earned four NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
The King of Prussia, Pennsylvania native recorded six consecutive shutouts during the 2025 season, spanning 290 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal.
Along with DiGenova, senior Floortje Leunisse and sophomore Julia de Leeuw earned All-NEC Second Team honors following successful 2025 campaigns.
Leunisse started all 20 games, scoring nine goals and adding six assists to lead the team in both categories. The Breda, Netherlands native also earned a spot on the 2025 NFHCA All-Region Mideast Second Team.
In her third season on Grymes Hill, Leunisse led the Seahawks in goals (9), assists (6), total points (24), and game-winning goals (5), logging more than 1,000 minutes while attempting 71 shots, 40 of which were on target.
During the regular season, Leunisse scored the game-winning goal at Sacred Heart, at LIU, at Stonehill, and against Saint Francis in the semifinal round of the NEC Tournament, with all four contests ending in 1-0 decisions.
De Leeuw started 19 games and appeared in all 20 contests last season. The Houten, Netherlands native scored five goals, dished out two assists, and recorded three defensive saves.
On Thursday, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) announced its Division I Watchlist for the 2026 season, with Leunisse, DiGenova, and de Leeuw representing the Seahawks.
New Leaders, Same Expectations
Head Coach Aubrey Mytych announced the Seahawks' captains for the 2026 season, with graduate student Claire Evans and senior Victoria Bruno assuming leadership responsibilities ahead of Wagner's upcoming campaign.
Evans was named a captain during last year's campaign after starting all 20 games for the Green & White. The Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania native logged a team-high 1,207 minutes on the field and helped lead a Seahawks defense that advanced to the NEC championship game.
Since transferring from America East member UMass Lowell ahead of the 2024 season, Evans has appeared in 39 games, making 38 starts and logging more than 2,300 minutes as a member of the Wagner field hockey program.
A four-year Seahawk, Bruno saw action in all 20 of Wagner's games during the 2025 season. Bruno found the back of the cage against Fairfield in a home meeting on Sept. 19 and logged 291 minutes throughout the season.
During her tenure on Grymes Hill, the Parsippany, N.J., native has appeared in 35 games, making one start and tallying 508 minutes for the Green & White.
Mytych also named four Seahawks to join Evans and Bruno in the team's Leadership Group: senior Floortje Leunisse, senior Victoria Gonzalez-Lopez, junior Romy Matthies, and sophomore Riahna Pollard. The group assumes new responsibilities ahead of Wagner's upcoming campaign.
Scouting UAlbany
Recording an 11-6 record during the regular-season, UAlbany finished third in the America East conference with a 3-2 record. The Great Danes hosted Bryant for an America East quarterfinal contest and advanced to the semifinals after defeating the Bulldogs, 6-1. New Hampshire beat UAlbany in the semifinals and went on to win their second consecutive America East title.
The Great Danes recorded a winning record for the fifth consecutive season last year. Led by America East Defensive Player of the Year, Pilar Lorenzini, the team earned nine postseason awards. Sophia Schoonmaker (First Team), Emma Peeter (Second Team), and Mara Kuskes (Second Team) joined Lorenzini on the All-Conference teams. Freshmen Jette Kurz and Lillian Willis were named All-Rookie.
UAlbany is selected to finish first in the conference, tied with Vermont. UMass Lowell also received first-place votes to round out the top three. Reigning champion, New Hampshire, was selected to finish fifth. Pilar Lorenzini, Jette Kurz, and Merle Vaandrager represent UAlbany on the 2026 AE Preseason All-Conference Team.
On Top of the Circuit
For the first time in program history, the Wagner College field hockey team was predicted to finish first in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
For the sixth straight season, the Seahawks garnered a top-three spot in the NEC's preseason poll. The Green & White were picked to finish third in the 2021 and 2024 preseason polls and second in 2022, 2023, and 2025.
Wagner received three of the nine possible first-place votes. NEC affiliate newcomer Quinnipiac landed in second with a league-leading five first-place votes. Sacred Heart followed in third with one first-place vote.
Rider earned a fourth-place finish, LIU landed fifth, Stonehill followed in sixth, Merrimack was seventh, Mercyhurst was eighth, and New Haven rounded out the poll in ninth.
The Road Ahead
Following its season opener at America East member UAlbany, the Green & White welcome Big Ten member Rutgers for the 2026 home opener at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Wagner College Field Hockey Complex.
The following weekend, the Seahawks take on CAA member Hofstra and Big East member Temple in back-to-back home contests. Wagner hosts the Hofstra Pride on Friday, Sept. 4 at 3:30 p.m. before squaring off against the Temple Owls on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m.
Wagner then hits the road for three consecutive contests. First, the Seahawks travel to CAA member Drexel for a 4 p.m. start on Friday, Sept. 11. Wagner then heads to CAA member Monmouth for a noon start on Sunday, Sept. 13. To wrap up the three-game road stint, the Green & White begin conference play at Mercyhurst on Friday, Sept. 18.
The Seahawks return home for two games to conclude the month of September. On Sunday, Sept. 20, Wagner hosts Patriot League member Lehigh for a 1 p.m. start at the Wagner College Field Hockey Complex. The Green & White stay on Staten Island for a 10 a.m. matchup against conference rival LIU on Thursday, Sept. 24.
Wagner begins the month of October at NEC affiliate newcomer Quinnipiac for a 1 p.m. start on Friday, Oct. 2. After its matchup with the Bobcats, the Seahawks host Sacred Heart for a 3 p.m. start on Friday, Oct. 9.
The Green & White travel to Rider on Friday, Oct. 16 for a 4 p.m. start before welcoming Stonehill at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Wagner's final road game of the regular season comes on Friday, Oct. 23, as the Seahawks head to Merrimack.
The Seahawks wrap up the regular season with a non-conference matchup against Big East member Villanova on Sunday, Oct. 25, before welcoming New Haven for a 3 p.m. start on Friday, Oct. 30.
The 2026 NEC Tournament is set to be hosted at the Wagner College Field Hockey Complex, with the semifinal round scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, and the conference championship game set for Saturday, Nov. 7.
