Indianapolis, IN – For the second consecutive year, the Wagner women's water polo team advanced to the first round of the National Collegiate Water Polo Championship after defeating No. 23 McKendree, 19-7, in the opening round on Wednesday evening at IU Natatorium.
Last season, the Seahawks edged No. 24 Biola in a thrilling 15-14 overtime victory in the opening round. This year, No. 19 Wagner entered the tournament as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) champions, claiming their 12th league title in program history. McKendree earned its spot after capturing the first Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) championship in school history.
The Bearcats struck first just 52 seconds into the contest and took a 2-1 lead with 5:55 remaining in the opening quarter. Wagner quickly responded and evened the score at 2-2 by the end of the first. Junior attacker Magali Ogg sparked a second-quarter surge by netting the first goal of the period, igniting a relentless run of seven unanswered goals. In total, seven different Seahawks scored in the quarter, as Wagner outscored McKendree 9-2 to take an 11-4 lead at halftime.
Wagner continued to dominate in the third quarter. Sophomore utility Alex Andrist gave the Seahawks a 14-4 advantage with 6:03 left in the frame, and Wagner outpaced the Bearcats 6-2 to enter the final period up 17-6. In the fourth, senior attacker and MAAC Tournament MVP Carlota Alonso scored her fifth goal of the game with 2:03 remaining to make it 18-7. Junior attacker Matina Parisi followed with the final goal of the night, sealing the 19-7 win.
Two goalkeepers saw action for the Seahawks. Junior Francesca Sena recorded eight saves through the first three quarters, while freshman Maria Matamala added three saves in the fourth.
Wagner was highly efficient throughout, shooting 47 percent (19-of-40) compared to McKendree's 25 percent (7-of-28). The Seahawks also excelled in special teams, converting 83 percent (5-of-6) of their powerplay opportunities, while the Bearcats managed just 13 percent (2-of-16).
With the win, Wagner advances to face top-seeded Stanford in the NCAA Tournament First Round on Friday, May 9 at 12:00 PM ET at IU Natatorium. The game will be streamed live on NCAA.com. Tickets are available through the IU Indy Ticketmaster website, and live stats can be followed on 6-8sports.com.