Marist Named MAAC Water Polo Preseason Favorite, Lundgren and Henry Earn Preseason Honors
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. - Marist College has been selected as the MAAC preseason favorite for the 2015 season, according to the annual poll voted on by the league’s seven head coaches. Defensive strategist Jessica Lundgren of Wagner College was named the 2015 MAAC Water Polo Preseason Player of the Year, while Skyler Henry of Marist College was named the 2015 MAAC Water Polo Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
Marist earned four of the seven first place votes for a total of 46 points. The Red Foxes went 11-3 in conference matches last season and 20-17 overall. Marist is led by 2014 All-MAAC First Team Goalie Skyler Henry and senior classmate Jessica Hamby. Marist finished the season second in the MAAC in goals with 379 and second in the MAAC with a goals against average of 8.68 per game.
The league’s head coaches voted Lundgren as Preseason Player of the Year. The defensive strategist was named the 2014 MAAC Defensive Player of the Yea and was a member of the 2014 First Team All-MAAC. She finished second in the MAAC with 104 goals and a 2.81 goals per game average. Lundgren was also named the conferences Rookie of the Year in 2013.
Henry was named the 2015 MAAC Water Polo preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Henry led the league with 299 saves and ranked fifth in saves per game averaging 8.08. She posted a winning record for the season, going 20-17 while also making 299 saves for a .482 save percentage and 8.68 goals against average. She posted 19 games with 10 or more saves, while claiming a season and career-high 14 saves three separate times.
Defending MAAC champions, Wagner College, finished second in the poll receiving 42 points and the remaining three first place votes. The Seahawks finished the 2014 campaign with overall record of 25-12 and a 13-1 mark in the MAAC.
Iona College was third in the polls tallying 34 points. Villanova University was fourth with 27 points, followed by VMI in fifth with 19 points. Siena, 16 points, and St. Francis College (NY), 10 points, finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
Joining Lundgren and Henry on the All-MAAC preseason team are Taylor Silva of Iona, Marist’s Amanda Amorosa and Hamby, Naomi Ng of Villanova, and Jessica Burdge of Wagner.
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
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1.
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Marist
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46
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2.
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Wagner
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44
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3.
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Iona
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34
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4.
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Villanova
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27
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5.
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VMI
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19
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6.
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Siena
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16
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7.
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St. Francis (N.Y.)
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10
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Preseason All-MAAC Team
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Taylor Silva
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Iona
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Amanda Amorosa
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Marist
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Jessica Hamby
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Marist
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Naomi Ng
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Villanova
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Jessica Burdge
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Wagner
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Jessica Lundgren
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Wagner
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Skyler Henry
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Marist
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Preseason Players of the Year
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year