Concordia draws MAAC's Wagner in NCAA First Round

A day after taking home its first conference title in program history, Concordia has learned of its Opening Round opponent for the National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship.

The Golden Eagles, who captured the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) title on Sunday by a goal, will start their journey at Nationals against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) champion Wagner on Wednesday, April 22, at Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla, Calif.

The winner advances to take on the top seed and defending national champion, No. 1 Stanford, in the First Round on April 24. The Semifinals and Championship are set for April 25 and 26, respectively. The championship bracket can be found on NCAA.com.

CUI put together a historic campaign during its first season of WWPA competition. After starting the conference slate with a loss to Biola, the Golden Eagles rallied for seven straight wins, including a sudden-victory affair over the Eagles during the final week of the regular season that handed CUI the West Region title.

Sunday's victory marked the first time CUI (20-9) has reached the 20-win threshold during its NCAA Division II era, and the Golden Eagles will enter the NCAA Tournament riding a 10-game winning streak.

The Golden Eagles are the fourth different team to represent the WWPA at Nationals in the past five seasons.

Wagner (15-12), the No. 3 seed for the MAAC Championship, won its third straight MAAC title in a triple-overtime thriller over No. 1 Marist on Sunday in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

This marks the eighth consecutive tournament dating back to 2017 that the WWPA and MAAC champions will clash in the Opening Round. The WWPA holds a 2-6 record in those matchups, the most recent being Biola's victory over Long Island University in 2023.