This weekend, Villanova women’s water polo faced off against Wagner and Long Island at home, looking to carry the momentum it has built in the past couple of weeks. The ‘Cats have won eight of their last nine, and now sit at 15-7 following the weekend’s games.
Villanova won both games, dumping Wagner, 15-14, and overcoming LIU, 19-12.
“We have the ability to play really well against tough teams because of our experience, and because of our defensive stops and scoring,” head coach Michael Gordon said. “And even in the game itself, I see us get better quarter by quarter, which makes us better players down the stretch.”
On Saturday, the Wildcats (15-7, 2-0 MAAC) hosted No.20 Wagner (8-10, 1-1 MAAC) at home. Villanova hadn’t won against Wagner since March 28, 2015. However, multiple stars broke out during the game, which ultimately ended with a 15-14 overtime win.
“It’s good to play as many tough teams as possible to prepare for conference play, which is where we really get to shine,” Gordon said. “Although teams like Harvard and USC had given the team challenges before, facing these tough schools this late in the season shows where the team has progressed.”
Both Wagner and Villanova scored four goals in the first, and a 3-2 advantage in the second made it 7-6 before half.
Wagner drew a tie in the third, 9-9, before taking a lead later in the quarter, 12-11. With 30 seconds left in the game, senior Sara Withers knocked in a tying goal for Villanova to send it to overtime. Withers had also broken the career assists record on the day with a total of 166.
In overtime, goals from seniors Anna Painter and Ella Mattocks put Villanova up, 15-13. Senior Gracin Kerry was in the net all game for the Wildcats and saved 10-of-24 shots.
Though the Wildcats let up an overtime goal, they held on to secure the 15-14 victory over the ranked Wagner team.
“It’s the same message as the start of the game,” Gordon said. “We have the scouting on the other team, and we know what to do with maybe some minor tweaks. They know the system they’re playing, and we train all season for moments like these.”
Other scorers on the day included sophomore Riley Hull, with a team leading four goals. Junior Tippy Maguire, sophomore Layla Canales and senior Coco Jones all had one each.
Canales also reached her 100th goal milestone in the game.
On Sunday, Villanova celebrated its senior day game against Long Island. Coach Gordon spoke about the impact these seniors have had and the legacy they leave behind.
“They’ve really built up the team culture and have all been catalysts,” Gordon said. “There’s still a little way to go in the season, but they’re leaving it in a much better place than they came in. It’s a great senior group with a lot of experience.”
The first quarter ended with the Wildcats up 6-4, and they maintained their lead to go up 10-6 by halftime.
The third quarter followed similarly, with Villanova scoring seven against LIU’s three goals. After little deliberation, the fourth quarter quickly ended with the ‘Cats securing a decisive 19-12 victory for their third straight MAAC win.
With seven goals from Hull, five from Mattocks and two from Painter and Canales, the offense was dynamic in moving the ball down the pool and into the net.
“We’re still trying to home in on our passing to put the ball where it needs to be,” Gordon said. “But we’re a very dynamic team that can score in transition, score in the center, or drive in on the outside and attack.”
Withers and Jones both secured three assists while Painter, Hull, Withers and freshman Tessa Petit all accumulated a steal.
Gracin Kerry stayed in the net for Villanova, saving 13-of-15 attempts with an assist and a steal.
Villanova has five games remaining in the season and hopes to reach the MAAC championship.
“We’re not putting any game behind us,” Gordon said. “We’re just headed right back to work Tuesday morning. When we keep the routine, it shows success, and we hope to have some successful results.”
Villanova will return on Saturday, March 21, to play against Marist in Poughkeepsie at 9 a.m. The following day, the Wildcats will take on Virginia Military Institute, also at 9 a.m.
