Wagner, In Front of Former Coach, Dominates LIU in MAAC Women’s Water Polo Match

STATEN ISLAND, NY. It’s always tough to knock off the champs, especially on their home court. Or, in this instance, at the Spiro Center pool, where the Wagner women’s water polo team has not lost to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opponent in a decade.

In fact, since an 11-9 loss to Marist in April 2015, they have won 75-straight MAAC contests in the water. This does not include a controversial double forfeit in 2019, when the MAAC made BOTH teams losers, technically ending a Seahawks’ regular season streak at 57.

With former head coach Chris Radmonovich in attendance last Sunday and enthusiastic fans cheering on the team’s every success, Wagner ran its 2022 record to a program-best 23-3—including 7-0 in the MAAC—with a decisive 17-4 win over second place Long Island University.

[Chris Radmonovich: From Celebrated Water Polo Coach to Dedicated Firefighter]

Radmonovich, who over nine years on Staten Island elevated Seahawk women’s polo to among the region’s best, marveled at the success his former athletes and assistant Ciaran Wolohan—now the men’s and women’s head coach—continue to achieve three years after he stepped down.

“They’ve got some great kids who work hard [and] who’ve all got the same goals,” he said following the match. “The leadership on this team is great. Sofia [Diaz-Alvarez] and Malia [Josephson] and Pip [Nash] – Ciaran’s doing a fantastic job… and that’s what keeps it going.”

Two undefeated programs meet—but only one can win

LIU (15-5; 4-1 MAAC) came into Sunday’s contest having never lost a MAAC match—albeit in a very short sample size. With only 10 matches the past two years—COVID-19 wiped out much of the 2020 spring season for all American sports, including the majority of the Sharks’ first ever campaign—the Sharks and Seahawks had never met since the LIU program debuted in 2019.

Usually happy travels for LIU; not in Staten Island against the Seahawks. Photo: LIU Athletics

Passions were running high at the Spiro pool—and Radmonovich’s appearance only accentuated the stakes. After the Seahawks chose not to compete last season, it opened the door for LIU to claim the 2021 regular season title with limited (7-0) competition. Due to COVID, the Sharks were unable to field a squad for the 2021 MAAC Championships, allowing someone other than Wagner—which had won the past six MAAC titles—to win for the first time since 2014—a feat accomplished by Marist.

[Marist, In a COVID Year, Makes it Count with a MAAC Title and 2021 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Berth]

If Sunday’s match is any indicator of the future, it will be stunning if the Seahawks are NOT on top of the conference at the end of this season. Even given a much stronger conference, thanks to the addition of LIU and continued improvement by Iona, LaSalle and Villanova.

Wagner, which has now outscored opponents by 241 goals (442-201) during a stellar 2022 campaign, jumped out to an early three goal lead. Josephson, who leads the team with 118 points (57 goals, team-high 61 assists) converted on her first two scoring chances. Andrea Aria put home the next two for a 4-0 lead before the visitors responded on a bullet shot by Paola Dominguez to make it 4-1 after one period.

The second period saw just two goals scored, one by the Shark’s Elena Camarena and then by Josephson (six goals, four assists on the day) with 26 seconds remaining, giving the home team a 5-2 lead at the half.

Despite being on the wrong end of the score, LIU had to feel fortunate that the match was so close. Goalie Julie Zebak was strong in goal, making 13 saves and causing the Wagner scores to adjust their shooting.

And when Domínguez scored on an impressive skip shot early in the third period, the home team was clinging to a narrow two-goal lead and Wagner fans were perhaps wondering: Had COVID taken a bite out of the Seahawks?

According to Wolohan, who was took over when Radmonovich unexpectedly resigned in August of 2019, there’s no questioning his players’ commitment to success.

Chris Radmonovich during his run of Seahawk success. Photo: Wagner Athletics

“Our conference is much better this year and it’s continuing to get better, more money and teams coming in,” he said following the match. “But we try not to worry about stuff like that. If we’re prepared [and] train hard, if we’re the better team on the day… we’ll win.”

As if on cue, Josephson initiated a barrage of six-straight Seahawk scores over the next seven minutes, turning a taught match into an absolute blowout—and causing LUI head coach Gabby Juarez to clear her bench a minute into the final period.

That the final score was so one-sided is not only indicative of how focused the Seahawks are. It’s a testament to what the Sharks—or any other MAAC contender—must do to beat a Wagner program that has captured six of the past seven conference titles.

Juarez, who has led her young team to impressive success in a little more than a year and a half of actual competition, was sanguine about what to take away from the day’s events.

“We’re just going to get better and better as the season goes along,” she said. “We play Wagner for the first time and it’s a little shocking but we’re going to adjust so that the next time we play them we’re going to get better.

“Our biggest focus is to beat them in conference championships,” Juarez added.

To be the best you need to beat the best… if you can

For Wolohan and his charges, another win only amplifies their goal for this season, one which saw a return to competitive play after almost two years of inactivity.

“COVID was a big deal for us,” the Australian native said. “We had a lot of girls who won four championships in a row. Now we only have four girls who have ever played in a MAAC final. There’s a new level of motivation there, and that’s really helping us.”

And that focus on MAAC success—which never seems to waiver.

“We’ve had such a successful season so far, but it matters if we lose these [conference] games… all the hard work goes down the drain,” said Wolohan, who has never been beaten in MAAC play.

Given just how dominant the Seahawks are, their best still appears to be much better than that of anyone else in the MAAC.