Siena Water Polo traveled to Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, VA Saturday to begin its season-ending 11-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) slate. The Saints topped the host team VMI in its first game of the day 18-14 in overtime before falling to (RV) LIU 22-12. 
 
Siena 18, VMI 14 (OT)
 
The Saints opened league play with a fierce 3-1 lead after one. Finn Magill scored 20 seconds into the match on a pass from Parker Thomas. While VMI evened the score on a power play 30 seconds later, Catherine Williamson gave the Keydets a taste with a power play goal of her own. Rebecca Currie also notched a penalty shot in the frame. 
 
However, VMI came storming back in the second. Despite four Siena goals - three of which from Currie - the Keydets notched six over the eight minutes to even the score at 7-7 midway through the match. 
 
Siena opened the second half with goals by Samantha Varrie and Lucia Fernandez Caballero to jump back up by two, but VMI answered back with three straight to take its first lead of the day at 10-9 with under four minutes left in the third. Currie was able to stop the Keydets' run with 2:46 to play in the third and draw even at 10, but VMI scored the final two goals of the period to lead 12-10 entering the fourth. 
 
Thomas connected with Currie for her fifth of the game just over one minute into the fourth to bring Siena within one. Just under one minute later, Magill set Varrie up with her second to draw even at 12-12 with under six to play. With 3:19 to play, the Keydets went back up on a penalty shot before Fernandez Caballero completed the hat-trick on a five-meter to bring the score back to 13-13 not long after. 
 
While both sides had chances through the rest of regulation, neither could push through for the difference maker as the game moved into overtime. 
 
Fernandez Caballero, Currie, and Audrey Lacey put a stamp on the first OT period - netting one goal apiece to send the Saints into the final extra frame with a 16-13 lead. Magill and Lacey put the finishing touches on the game in the second OT. 
 
(RV) LIU 22, Siena 12
 
LIU scored the game's first goal before Finn Magill evened things up 30 seconds later. However, the Sharks rattled off three straight to jump ahead 4-1. Cece White snapped LIU's streak with 2:53 to play in the first, bringing the Saints within two. The Sharks added one more to lead 5-2 after one. 
 
In the second, the Sharks out-scored the Saints 7-3. At one point LIU claimed an 11-2 advantage, but three straight goals by Bianca Kennerley, Lucia Fernandez Caballero, and Kennerley again made it 11-5 before the Sharks pushed it to 12-5 at the break. 
 
LIU extended its lead to 17-6 after the third with the lone Siena goal belonging to Catherine Williamson. The Saints had their highest scoring period of the game in the fourth, netting six over the final eight minutes, while the Sharks scored five for the third time in the contest. 

Siena completes its MAAC opening weekend in Lexington, VA Sunday at 8 a.m. against Villanova.