Wagner College Selected As 2016 Preseason Water Polo Favorite
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – The defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) water polo champions, Wagner College, are the 2016 unanimous water polo preseason favorite, as voted upon by the leagues seven head coaches. The reigning MAAC water polo offensive player of the year, Jess Lundgren of Wagner College was also selected as the 2016 Preseason Player of the Year. The Seahawks ranked 20th in the 2016 Women's Varsity National Top 20 Preseason Poll.
The Seahawks were selected to repeat as champions following a season in which they went 10-2 in the MAAC and 25-9 overall. Wagner defeated Iona in the opening round of last year’s championship semifinals before knocking off regular season champion, Marist College, 10-8 in the championship game. Preseason Player of the Year, Jess Lundgren, was first in the MAAC with 165 points, second with 109 goals and third with 56 assists. Lundgren was selected to the preseason All-MAAC team along with teammates Lily Doerfler and Emily Riddle. Doerfler was sixth in the MAAC with 56 goals last season, and Riddle was third in the MAAC with 199 saves.
Selected second in the preseason poll is the 2015 MAAC water polo regular season champions, Marist College. The Red Foxes were 11-1 in the MAAC last season and 20-14 overall. Skyler Henry was selected to the All-MAAC preseason team along with teammate Amanda Amorosa. Henry was also named the preseason goalkeeper of the year. Henry was second in the conference last season with 286 saves and a .570 save percentage. Amorosa was second in the MAAC with 130 points, and was fourth in the MAAC with 83 goals and 47 assists. The Red Foxes received two votes in the Top 20 preseason poll.
Coming in third is Iona College. The Gaels were 7-5 in the MAAC last season and 22-15 overall. Returning for Iona is preseason All-MAAC team selections Hannah Schultz and Taylor Silva. Schultz led the MAAC last season with 110 goals and ranked fourth with 115 points. Schultz is the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year. Silva scored 21 goals in 32 games for the Gaels last season. The Gaels received two votes in the Top 20 preseason poll.
Villanova ranks fourth in the preseason poll. Last season, the Wildcats were 7-5 in the MAAC and 19-16 overall. Naomi Ng was selected to the preseason All-MAAC team after ranking fifth in the MAAC last season with 63 goals and ninth with 75 points.
Virginia Military Institute comes in fifth in the preseason poll. Last season, VMI was 5-7 in the MAAC and 11-15 overall. Shelby Barkley was named to the preseason team. Barkley was sixth in the conference with 56 goals.
Siena College finished sixth in the preseason poll after finishing with a 1-11 conference record and an 8-20 overall record.
Rounding out the poll is St. Francis Brooklyn. The Terriers were 1-11 in the MAAC and 5-24 overall.
Preseason Poll
|
1.
|
Wagner (7)
|
49
|
|
2.
|
Marist
|
41
|
|
3.
|
Iona
|
35
|
|
4.
|
Villanova
|
26
|
|
5.
|
VMI
|
20
|
|
6.
|
Siena
|
13
|
|
7
|
St. Francis Brooklyn
|
12
|
Preseason All-MAAC Team
Hannah Schultz, Iona
Taylor Silva, Iona
Amanda Amorosa, Marist*
Skyler Henry, Marist
Naomi Ng, Villanova
Shelby Barkley, VMI
Lily Doerfler, Wagner
Jess Lundgren, Wagner*
Emily Riddle, Wagner
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Skyler Henry, Marist
Preseason Player of the Year
Jess Lundgren, Wagner
*denotes unanimous selection