Michigan
Princeton
Wolverines Shut Out Tigers in Second Half, Finish Third
4/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
BOSTON, Mass. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan women's water polo team competed Sunday (April 27) for third place at the Eastern Championship and claimed the bronze with a 9-5 comeback victory over No. 14 Princeton. The Wolverines shut out the Tigers in the second half to come back from a 5-4 halftime deficit. Casey Kerney (Severna Park,Md./Severna Park HS) and Sheetal Narsai (Commerce, Calif./Bell Gardens HS) shared high-point honors with two goals each. Goalkeeper Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) made 14 saves in a stellar defensive effort for the Wolverines (22-10).
Erin Brown (San Diego, Calif./Bishop's HS) got things started for Michigan in the first quarter with a power-play score. The Tigers then tied the game on their next possession with a power-play goal of their own with 5:09 on the clock. One minute later, Michigan was whistled for a four-meter penalty, and Princeton capitalized on the attempt to take a 2-1 lead. The Wolverines had a chance to draw even with 2:12 to play in the period when Brown found Julie Nisbet (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) open in front of the Princeton cage. However, Nisbet's attempt sailed high and hit the crossbar.
Princeton increased its lead 19 seconds later with its second six-on-five goal of the contest. The Wolverines cut the lead to 3-2 with a power-play goal from Jo Antonsen (Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura HS). Antonsen slipped the ball inside the right post for her first marker of the game. Princeton had one last chance to increase its lead with a breakaway in the final seconds of the period, but Narsai stole the ball as time ran out. The score after one period of play was 3-2 in favor of Princeton.
Each team scored twice in the second quarter to make the score 5-4 at the half. Princeton struck first, scoring on a give-and-go with 5:12 to play in the half. Michigan answered with a six-on-five score from Emily Pelino (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) to make the score 4-3 at the 4:44 mark. Princeton regained its two-goal lead with a goal from the hole-set, but once again the Wolverines were able to draw within one, with two minutes remaining in the half. This time Melissa Goldberg (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis HS) scored on the power play with the assist going to Kerney.
Michigan took control of the game with three unanswered goals in the third quarter. On its first possession, U-M drew an exclusion on the Tigers and went on the power play. The Wolverines were unable to score the penalty, but after the teams were even strength, Brown found Meg Knudtsen (Los Altos, Calif./St. Francis HS) in the post for a sweep shot. Knudtsen sent the ball cross-cage for the score and tied the game at five. The next time down the pool for Michigan, Kerney fired a quick lob shot from the right side that gave Michigan its first lead since the opening quarter, 6-5. Kerney completed the three-goal run with another lob shot. This time the attempt was from the left side, giving Michigan a two-goal cushion, 7-5, heading into the final period.
Michigan continued to outplay Princeton in the fourth quarter. Megan Hausmann (San Diego, Calif./Bishop's HS) drew an exclusion on the Tigers and immediately found Narsai in front of the cage for a skip-shot goal with 2:45 to play. Narsai then scored again on the Wolverines' next possession to increase the Maize and Blue's lead, and the Michigan held Princeton scoreless in the second half to win 9-5.
The victory concludes the Wolverines' season. Michigan finished the year with a 22-10 record and a third-place finish at the Eastern Championship.Four.
GAME SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Princeton | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Michigan | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
Princeton Goals: Adela McCarthy-Beauvais 2, Jennifer Edwards, Megan Donahue, Kathryn Parolin. Michigan Goals: Casey Kerney 2, Sheetal Narsai 2, Jo Antonsen, Emily Pelino, Erin Brown, Meg Knudtsen, Melissa Goldberg. Ejections: Princeton 8, Michigan 7.
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Matt Anderson
On the mental preparation for this game after a disappointing loss ... "The adage I like to use when you have to get your team focused in a tournament like this is the Olympics. The gold medal winner is always very happy and the bronze medal winner is happy. The sliver medal winner is happy, but they do not seem as happy as the gold or the bronze. I told them it is better to win the bronze than to walk away with nothing, which would have been fourth place. Thankfully the girls wanted to get that piece of hardware and that is what happened."
On the second-half defense ... "We held them scoreless in the second half, but Princeton was just looking to counterattack and I knew they were going to do that. I also knew they were not going to be able to stop us. We just had to shore up our counterattack defense knowing that in the half court they were not going to score. Our offense just got stronger and stronger."
On the season ... "I think what that game proves is that we lost last night to a very good Brown team, but that we have beaten everyone else. That means that we are no worse than the second-best team in the East. It is not a bad place to be, but not where we want to be at the same time. We want to be the best team in the East and we will strive for that again next year. The way we handled Princeton and Indiana when we played them leaves no doubt that if Brown had not pulled that upset last night, we would be going to the Final Four. I have to give credit to our ladies for battling hard, just like I have to give credit to Brown, especially if they go to the Final Four, for finding that momentum as they did two years ago. As I told the girls after this game, if Brown wins then everyone knows that last night was the championship game because there is no way we lose to Indiana or Princeton and we knew that coming in. Brown, having not faced them, was the only team we were unaware of."
Junior Center Julie Nisbet
On the second-half defense ... "Princeton has two main players. We were letting them get some open shots and we just stepped it up defensively in the second half and made their other players shoot the ball. In the first half the other girls would look open because they were just looking to pass. We stepped it up against their main players."
On if winning this game helps the disappointment of last night ... "This game was really a moral victory. We wanted to win this game for our seniors: Delia (Sonda), Emily (Pelino) and Stephanie (Morse). We just wanted to end the season well. Last night was enough disappointment for one season. We just wanted to play our game, play as Michigan and win as Michigan."
N O T E S
Michigan outscored Princeton 5-0 in the second half.
Michigan set a season record with a .688 winning percentage and a team-low 10 losses.
Betsey Armstrong recorded her 18th 10-plus save performance of the season. Armstrong made 14 saves against Princeton.
Sheetal Narsai and Julie Nisbet were named to the all-tournament second team. Nisbet was a first team member last year. It is the first year Narsai has been honored on the all-tournament team
Indiana claimed the Eastern Championship title with a 7-5 victory over Brown in the final.
Contact: Paul Dickerson (734) 763-4423
