Michigan
Bucknell
Michigan Moves Past Princeton into Eastern Title Game
4/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The No. 11 University of Michigan women's water polo team won an 8-3 decision over No. 16 Princeton on Saturday (April 30) in the semifinals of the Eastern Championship at Indiana's Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. With the victory, the Wolverines advanced to the Eastern Championship final for the third time in the last four seasons.
Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) led the way with 13 saves against the Tigers. Kristin Hoogenboom (Portland, Ore./Sunset HS), Meg Knudtsen (Los Altos, Calif./St. francis HS) and Shana Welch (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS) provided the offensive firepower with two goals each.
After Michigan's first two shots of the game bounced off the left post, the Wolverines were finally able to claim a 1-0 lead with a goal by Welch. Sheetal Narsai (Commerce, Calif./Bell Gardens HS) fed Welch in the right post and Welch fired a backhand shot to the left side of the cage as the shot clock expired.
The goal sparked a 5-0 run by the Wolverines spanning into the second quarter. After Knudtsen scored on a sweep shot with 2:09 left in the first quarter, Hoogenboom scored back-to-back goals at 1:24 of the first period and 4:14 of the second quarter to make the score 4-0. Her first marker came on the power play with the assist going to Megan Hausmann (San Diego, Calif./Bishop's HS), while her second goal of the game came on a shot from hole set as the Wolverines were coming off of the power play.
Michigan completed the run with a goal by Hausmann at 3:15 from six meters out to the left side of the net. Princeton finally got on the board, scoring on a lob shot just nine seconds before the half to make the score 5-1 as the team headed to the locker room.
The Tigers quickly made the score 5-2, scoring just 30 seconds into the third quarter after stealing the ball from U-M at mid-pool. Michigan, however, answered with a power-play marker from Jo Antonsen (Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura HS) at 1:30 of the third period to reestablish its four-goal lead heading into the final period.
The Wolverines pulled away in the fourth quarter, building their lead to 8-2 with just two minutes to play behind unassisted goals by Knudtsen and Welch. Princeton scored the final goal of the game with just over one minute to play.
Michigan (27-12) will face No. 10 host Indiana in the Eastern Championship final on Sunday (May 1) at 1:30 p.m. EST/CDT. The winner of the match will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship on May 13-15 in U-M's Canham Natatorium.
GAME SUMMARY
| Score by Periods | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Princeton | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Michigan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
Scoring
Princeton Goals: Danielle Carlson 3. Michigan Goals: Shana Welch 2, Meg Knudtsen 2, Kristin Hoogenboom 2, Megan Hausmann, Jo Antonsen. Ejections: PU 7, U-M 6. Goalie Saves: Natalie Kim (PU) 7, Betsey Armstrong (U-M) 13.
Contact: Paul Dickerson (734) 763-4423
