2019 MAAC Water Polo All-MAAC Teams & Major Award Winners Announced
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The 2019 Water Polo All-MAAC Teams and major award winners were announced Friday by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Award recipients were honored Friday evening at the league’s annual awards show, which was on the campus of Marist College.
Erica Hardy of Wagner College was named the Offensive Player of the Year. Hardy was second in the MAAC in assists (74), tied for fourth in goals (86) and led the league in points (160). Hardy’s honor makes it five straight seasons that a Seahawk has at least shared Offensive Player of the Year. The senior ranked second in points (65), and fourth in assists (32) during MAAC play.
Marist College’s Susan Cantoni took home Defensive Player of the Year honors. The senior made it back-to-back seasons and seventh time overall that a Marist player has collected Defensive Player of the Year honors. Cantoni had 25 steals and nine field blocks in 2019. Offensively, Cantoni added 49 points.
Sofia Diaz Alvarez became the fifth Seahawk to claim Rookie of the Year honors. The first-year Seahawk led Wagner with 106 goals and was second on the team in total points with 151. The native of Madrid, Spain became the first Seahawk freshman to score 100 goals in a season. Diaz Alvarez was also a five-time MAAC Rookie of the Week.
Tom Hyham of La Salle University took home BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year honors. The first-year Explorer head coach guided La Salle to a ten-win improvement this season and the program’s first wins in MAAC play by finishing 5-9 in the league. La Salle swept the season series with both Siena College and Villanova Univeristy.
The All-MAAC First Team features Wagner’s Kristy Donkin, Jacqui Sjogren, Hardy and Diaz Alvarez, Marist’s Grace Doerfler, Carsen Horvatich, and Katherine Tijerina. Iona College’s Jordan Van Reeken, and St. Francis Brooklyn’s Kelsey Snelgar made the All-MAAC First Team as well.
Iona’s Jordin Hale and Jillian Schultz, and VMI’s Sarah Dolitsky and McKenna Imset were named All-MAAC Second Team. Joining the quartet were La Salle’s Sarah Defusco, Marist’s Susan Cantoni, Siena’s Diana Fernandez, and Villanova’s Kaysie Stuba.
The 2019 MAAC Water Polo Championship takes place April 27 & 28 at the McCann Natatorium on the campus of Marist. It is the 17th straight year that Marist are hosting the championship.
For more information on the 2019 Water Polo Championship, visit
maacsports.com/wp. Tickets for this weekend’s championship are available at
maacsports.com/tickets or on-site at McCann Natatorium.
| 2019 Major Award Winners |
| Name |
Award |
Institution |
| Tom Hyham |
BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year |
La Salle |
| Susan Cantoni |
Defensive Player of the Year |
Marist |
| Erica Hardy |
Offensive Player of the Year |
Wagner |
| Sofia Diaz Alvarez |
Rookie of the Year |
Wagner |
| All-MAAC First Team |
| Name |
Institution |
| Jordan Van Reeken |
Iona |
| Grace Doerfler* |
Marist |
| Carsen Horvatich |
Marist |
| Katherine Tijerina |
Marist |
| Kelsey Snelgar |
St. Francis Brooklyn |
| Erica Hardy |
Wagner |
| Sofia Diaz Alvarez |
Wagner |
| Kristy Donkin |
Wagner |
| Jacqui Sjogren |
Wagner |
| All-MAAC Second Team |
| Name |
Institution |
| Jordin Hale |
Iona |
| Jillian Schultz |
Iona |
| Sarah Defusco |
La Salle |
| Susan Cantoni |
Marist |
| Diana Fernandez |
Siena |
| Kaysie Stuba |
Villanova |
| Sarah Dolitsky |
VMI |
| McKenna Imset |
VMI |
*-Unanimous selecton
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 38
th year of competition during the 2018-19 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.