Weekly Release #7
4/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Upcoming Schedule
Sat-Sun., April 5-6 -- at Arizona State Desert Challenge (Tempe, Ariz.)
April 5 -- vs. Loyola Marymount, 10 a.m. MST
April 5 -- at Arizona State, 5 p.m. MST
April 6 -- vs. San Jose State, 10 a.m. MST/PDT
Fri-Sun., April 11-13 -- at Southern Division Championships (Lewisburg, Pa.)
What's Ahead for Michigan
The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan water polo team will travel to Tempe, Ariz., to participate in the Arizona State Desert Challenge on Saturday and Sunday (April 5-6). It will be the Wolverines final games before beginning postseason play. Michigan kicks off the tournament on Saturday against No. 7 Loyola Marymount at 10 a.m. MST and then faces the tournament host, No. 20 Arizona State, at 5 p.m. MST. U-M finishes its regular season against No. 9 San Jose State at 10 a.m. MST/PDT on Sunday. All contests will be played at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.
Scouting the Opponents
Loyola Marymount -- Loyola Marymount comes into the Desert Challenge with a 16-7 overall record and ranked No. 7 in the country. Head coach John Loughran is in his fifth season at Loyola Marymount. Katie Hicks leads the Lions with 29 goals and Devon Wright is second on the team with 23 tallies. Goalkeeper Rachel Riddell has made 167 saves this season and boasts a 4.63 goals-against average. The Wolverines have a 0-4 record all-time against Loyola Marymount, including a 7-5 loss in Los Angeles on Feb. 21 this year.
Loyola Marymount on the web: http://lmulions.ocsn.com
Arizona State -- The host of the Desert Challenge has posted a 17-10 record so far this season, earning a No. 20 national ranking. Head coach Vickie Gorman is in her second season at the helm of the Sun Devils and has a 41-17 overall record. The game will mark the first meeting between Michigan and Arizona State.
Arizona State on the web: http://thesundevils.ocsn.com
San Jose State -- San Jose State, under the direction of seventh-year head coach Lou Tully, has earned a 14-10 record and a No. 9 national ranking. Christine Welch leads the Spartans with 33 goals this season. The only other meeting between Michigan and San Jose State was the Wolverines' first game of the season on Jan. 25 when they lost to the Spartans 8-3.
San Jose State on the web: www.sjsuspartans.com
At the Southern Division Tournament
The Wolverines went 4-0 last week in Washington, Pa., to wrap up their third consecutive Southern Division title and a No. 1 seed at the upcoming Southern Division Championship. On Saturday (March 29) Michigan won a 10-4 affair against Slippery Rock, defeated Gannon 8-2 and finished the day with a 19-5 win over Mercyhurst. The Wolverines completed their perfect divisional record (8-0) with a 16-4 win against Washington & Jefferson on Sunday (March 30).
Michigan's defense played very solidly throughout the weekend. Opponents were held scoreless in nine of the 16 quarters played over the weekend and Michigan gave up only one goal in another two. The Wolverines also set a school record with 15 assists on their 16 goals against Washington & Jefferson.
Michigan was led by Erin Brown (San Diego, Calif./Bishop's HS), who scored 10 goals over the weekend, including a career-high four goals against Washington & Jefferson. Meg Knudtsen (Los Altos, Calif./St. Franscis HS) added eight scores with a pair of hat tricks against Slippery Rock and Gannon. Rachel Burkons (Van Nuys, Calif./Harvard Westlake HS) and Chelsea Kay (Laguna Hills, Calif./Laguna Hills HS) also turned in three-goal performances against Mercyhurst and Washington & Jefferson, respectively. Clare Peyrebrune (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita HS) handed out six assists against Mercyhurst and Emily Pelino (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) and Vickie Brown (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) each recorded three assists against Washington & Jefferson.
Leaders and Best
Michigan finished the Southern Division regular season with a perfect 8-0 record for the third consecutive year. The Wolverines also clinched their third straight Southern Division title and a No. 1 seed at the Southern Division Championships. Michigan now has a 24-0 all-time record in regular-season Southern Division competition.
Need a Little Help
The Wolverines set a school record with 15 assists on their 16 goals against Washington & Jefferson (March 30). The previous record was 14 set against Grove City and Washington & Jefferson earlier this season at the Southern Division weekend (March 8-9).
Who Wants to Play Goalie
Seven Wolverines made their goalkeeping debut at the Southern Division weekend on March 29-30. Erin Brown and Emily Pelino each played in net against Mercyhurst. Brown made two saves and Pelino made three; each Wolverine only gave up one goal against the Lakers. Against Washington & Jefferson Sheetal Narsai (Commerce, Calif./Bell Gardens HS), Delia Sonda (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS), Meg Knudtsen, Kristin Hoogenboom (Portland, Ore./Sunset HS) and Vickie Brown all had an opportunity to guard the Wolverines' net. Knudtsen and Brown were the best of the bunch making three saves each. Hoogenboom contributed a pair of saves and Narsai and Sonda saved one shot each.
Approaching 500
Sophomore goalkeeper Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) recorded 22 saves in two games this past weekend to move her within four saves of 500 in her career. Armstrong has posted 10 or more saves in 11 games this season and 25 games in her career. She is also allowing a career-best 5.99 goals per game this year. Armstrong is the Wolverines' career leader in minutes played (1,404), saves (496) and goals-against average (6.38).
Countdown to 100
Senior Delia Sonda tallied five steals this weekend to come within 13 steals of 100 in her career. If she can reach 100 steals before the end of the season, she will become the first Wolverine to hit the century mark in her career. Sonda accumulated 31 and 35 steals in her first two years at Michigan. She now has 21 steals this season and 87 career steals.
Brown Leads Offensive Charge
With 10 goals at the Southern Division weekend, sophomore Erin Brown led the Wolverines offense. She also notched a pair of hat tricks, including a career-high four goals vs. Washington & Jefferson (March 30). Brown now has 18 goals this season, good for fifth on the team. She also recorded four assists to give her a team-best 17 assists this year.
Narsai Nears Record
With three games remaining in the regular season, Sheetal Narsai is within 11 steals of the Michigan season steals record. Jen Crisman (2001-02) set the record with 47 steals in 2002. Narsai had seven steals at the divisional weekend and now has 36 this season.
Burkons Scores First Hat Trick
Junior Rachel Burkons recorded the first hat trick of her career against Mercyhurst (March 29). Burkons' previous career high was two goals, which she had recorded seven times. Burkons now has 11 goals this season and 37 in her career.
Making a Big Splash
Heading into this weekend's play, Clare Peyrebrune had never recorded an assist. That all changed against Mercyhurst (March 29) when Peyrebrune handed out her first career assist, and then went on to record five more. Peyrebrune finished the game with six assists, one shy of the school record.
Moving Up the Ranks
Sophomore Meg Knudtsen continues to climb up Michigan's rankings. Knudtsen is now fourth on the team with 19 goals and second on team with 14 assists. Both totals are season-bests for Knudtsen.
Collegiate Water Polo National Top 20 (3/19/03)
Rank, School Points LW 1. UCLA 100 1 2. Stanford 95 2 3. Southern Cal 90 3 4. Long Beach State 85 4 5. California 80 5 6. San Diego State 75 6 7. Loyola Marymount 70 7 8. Hawaii 64 8 9. San Jose State 58 9 10. UC San Diego 55 10 11. UC Santa Barbara 53 11 12. MICHIGAN 42 12 13. Princeton 36 15 14. Indiana 31 14 15. UC Irvine 29 13 UC Davis 29 T16 17. Hartwick 25 T16 18. Brown 16 18 19. UC Baptist 8 19 20. Arizona State 7 20
Contact: Paul Dickerson, Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
