Michigan
George Washington
U-M Takes Second at Southern Division Championships
4/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Event: Southern Division Championships (Day 2)
Results: #14 Michigan 11, George Washington 3;
#15 Princeton 11, #14 Michigan 5
Record: U-M (19-10-1)
Next Event: Sat-Sun., April 28-29 -- at Eastern Championships (Providence, R.I.)
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The University of Michigan women's water polo team finished second at the Southern Division Championships on Saturday (April 7) in Grove City, Pa. The Wolverines defeated George Washington 11-3 before falling 11-5 to Princeton at the College Natatorium Competition Pool on the campus of Grove City College. With their second-place finish, the Wolverines advance to the Eastern Championships.
Second-seeded Michigan (19-10-1) opened the day with an impressive 11-3 victory over George Washington University. The Wolverines got on the board first with a goal from freshman Julie Nisbet (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) 23 seconds into the game. George Washington answered and pulled within 5-3 at the halfway mark. The Maize and Blue stormed the net in the second period, pounding the ball in six times in the final 14 minutes of play.
A trio of freshmen led the team in scoring. Nisbet, Sara Kowal (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) and Stephanie Rupp (Hemet, Calif./Hemet HS) each contributed two goals for the Maize and Blue. Five others notched a single goal for the Wolverines.
With the win, the Wolverines advanced to the championship game with top-seeded Princeton. Junior Delia Sonda (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) put the Wolverines on the board first with a goal less than two minutes into the game. Princeton tied things up and continued to find the net, sending the Wolverines into halftime down 6-2. Michigan brought the game within three at the start of the third period, but a three-goal outburst by the Tigers in the span of one minute put the game out of reach for Michigan.
Five different Wolverines scored the Michigan goals. Nisbet and Rupp each earned her third goal of the day. Sonda, senior Melissa Karjala (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) and sophomore Stephanie Morse (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) contributed the remaining goals in the Michigan cause.
By finishing second in the Southern Division Championships, the Wolverines advance to the Eastern Championships on April 28-29 in Providence, R.I. Princeton, Indiana and George Washington will join Michigan in representing the Southern Division. The teams will battle for the top spot against teams from the Northern Division for the opportunity to earn the exclusive berth to the NCAA Championships on May 11-13 in Palo Alto, Calif.
GAME SUMMARY
| Game 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 |
| George Washington | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Scoring
Michigan Goals: Sara Kowal 2, Julie Nisbet 2, Stephanie Rupp 2, Chelsea Kay, Abbi Rowe, Monica Paz, Mandi Hagedorn, Melissa Karjala. George Washington Goals: Mia Fabian 2, Vanessa Fravel.
| Game 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Princeton | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 11 |
Scoring
Michigan Goals: Delia Sonda, Stephanie Morse, Julie Nisbet, Melissa Karjala, Stephanie Rupp. Princeton Goals: Adele McCarthy-Beauvais 6, Jenny Edwards 3, Alica Brown, Morgan Vorltz.
Contact: Valerie Perkin (734) 763-4423
