LOUDONVILLE, NY – Following two straight years of abbreviated competition, Siena Water Polo is set to resume a full slate of action in 2022. The Saints will begin a crowded non-conference slate this weekend with three matches at the Bruno Classic hosted by Brown in Providence, Rhode Island.
Siena will take the pool at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center on Saturday, February 5 at 2 PM against Saint Francis (PA) to begin the season, and will face off against host team Brown - who received votes in the latest Collegiate Water Polo Association Poll – at 7 PM. The Saints will end their opening weekend with a non-conference dual against #14 Wagner on Sunday, February 6 at 10:30 AM.
All three Siena contests during this weekend's Bruno Classic will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live updates during each match will be available by following @SienaWaterPolo on Twitter.
The beginning of the team's 21st campaign will also begin the third season with Head Coach Alex Williams at the helm of the program and the first with assistant coach Jacob Castro. Williams led the Saints to their first-ever winning record during his first season, and guided them to a win over rival #25 Iona last spring for their first ever victory over a ranked opponent.
Siena will look to prepare for MAAC play with a rigorous non-conference slate, including tournament trips to Brown this weekend, as well as Mercyhurst, the famed Claremont Convergence in California, and down the road at Marist. The Saints' 2022 schedule currently boasts five potential matchups with ranked opponents, as well as four more against teams receiving votes in the national poll.
Siena's roster returns nine letterwinners from last season, highlighted by 2021 Second Team All-MAAC selections Bianca Prinsloo (attack) and Anna Mossakowski (goalkeeper). Prinsloo led the team in scoring during her junior season with 21 goals and four assists for 25 total points, while Mossakowski enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign in-net which included 72 saves and a .348 saves percentage.
The Saints bring back their top three scorers overall, with junior defender Grace Boeve and senior center Georgia Vargas combining with Prinsloo for 60 of the team's 96 goals from last year. Junior attacker Lily Graham, junior attacker Sydney Jones, junior attacker Maggie Verduijn, and sophomore attacker Sydney Arnold also return after having played in all nine matches last season.
The Green and Gold also bring in three newcomers to their roster, including freshmen attacker Ashley Chand (Southlake, TX), attacker Emma Nosenchuck (Riverside, CA), utility Cece White (El Lago, TX), and attacker Maria Mossakowski (Long Grove, IL).
Siena will look to prove the rest of the conference wrong after being chosen last (ninth) in the 2022 MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Prinsloo was selected as a Preseason All-MAAC selection.
