No. 17 Wagner Takes on No. 1 USC in First Round of 2018 NCAA Water Polo Championship
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LOS ANGELES, CA – No. 17 Wagner College (25-6) goes head-to-head with No. 1 University of Southern California (23-1) in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Water Polo Championship on Friday, May 11, at 3 p.m. (ET). The game will be played at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, CA on the campus of USC and will be streamed live on
NCAA.com.
The Seahawks advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament after they defeated No. 12 UC San Diego, 10-7, in overtime on Tuesday. The win marked the second year in a row that Wagner knocked off UC San Diego in the opening round. Wagner has collected both of its NCAA Tournament wins against UC San Diego.
Wagner is the first MAAC Water Polo team to win back-to-back NCAA Tournament opening round contests. With the opening round win, the Seahawks extended their winning streak to 17 games in a row.
The Seahawks are in the midst of their league-high seventh-trip to the NCAA Championship. Wagner has compiled a (2-10) mark in 12 NCAA Tournament contests.
The winner of the first round matchup advances to meet either No. 4 UCLA or No. 6 Pacific on Saturday, May 12, at 6 p.m. (ET).
Wagner defeated No. 23 Marist College (20-17), 10-7, to claim its fifth-straight MAAC Water Polo Championship on Sunday, April 29. With the win, the Seahawks earned the leagues’ automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
Six of Wagner’s eight MAAC Championship title game victories have come against Marist (2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2007). The eight MAAC Championships are a conference record. Since April 12, 2015, the Seahawks are 44-0 against league foes.
Wagner senior utility Kimberly Watson was named the 2018 MAAC Water Polo Offensive Player of the Year and earned the Championship MVP. Watson has received both of those honors in each of the past two seasons. The senior was also a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC First Team. Watson leads the conference in points (156), goals (108), ranks third in assists (48), and first in sprints won (79).
Junior attack Erica Hardy joined Watson as a unanimous selection on the All-MAAC First Team. Hardy ranks second in the MAAC in points (144), fifth in goals (83), second in assists (61), and fourth in steals (80). Senior attack Elise Begg earned All-MAAC Second Team honors. Begg is tied for sixth in the league in assists (37) and tied for eighth in steals (49).
Head coach Chris Radmonovich was named the BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his tenure.
For more information on the 2018 NCAA Water Polo Championship, visit
here.
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 37
th year of competition during the 2017-18 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.