Michigan
Arizona State
U-M Drops Two Heartbreakers to Place Fourth at ASU
4/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Site: Tempe, Ariz. (Mona Plummer Aquatic Center)
Event: ASU Invitational
Score: #12 California-Santa Barbara 9, #18 Michigan 7; #11 Arizona State 5, #18 Michigan 4
Records: U-M (20-13)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Apr. 7 -- Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 2:00 p.m.
TEMPE, Ariz -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan women's water polo team fell in two close contests Sunday (April 1) to place fourth in the ASU Invitational, held at the Mona Plummer Aquatics Center. Michigan fell 5-4 in a heartbreaker to the host Sun Devils in the tournament semifinal in the morning. In the third-place matchup this afternoon against UC Santa Barbara, Michigan battled back on numerous occasions but ran out of time in a 9-7 defeat. Senior Shana Welch (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West), who broke her own program record for points in a season, shined for the second straight day, netting a pair of goals in both games, while sophomore goalkeeper Kristen Davis (Villa Park, Calif./Villa Park) tied a career high with 11 saves against the Gauchos.
Michigan opened up strong against the Sun Devils, scoring on its first possession. On the power play, Welch fed sophomore Julie Hyrne (Sunnyvale, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) in the hole slot for a bang-bang goal. After ASU tied the game on a 6-on-5, Welch connected from out deep to regain U-Ms lead. A Sun Devil goal near the end of the first sent the game tied into the second.
The Wolverines dominated play in the second period once again, taking the lead two minutes in on a rocket by sophomore Mary Chatigny (Palm Springs, Calif./Palm Springs). Welch added to the lead on a nifty lob shot halfway through the period. Davis stayed strong in the cage and got some help late in the period to keep it a two-goal game. After an ASU shot rang off the bar, the Sun Devils rebound trickled toward the goal line before Welch snagged it out before the goal succeeded. Unfortunately, ASU cut the lead to 4-3 just before the half and U-M went into halftime up just one despite carrying play throughout the half.
The third period saw stellar defense on both ends; it was not until the two-minute mark of the period that the Sun Devils earned the tying marker. They then added to the lead on their next possession and Michigan was forced to try to battle back in the fourth. The Wolverines earned chance after chance in the final stanza, but were victims of the goal post. U-M had its best opportunity to tie the game with just over a minute to play. Welch received a pass in the post and slung a backhand toward the net, but her shot caught the crossbar straight on and Michigan had to settle for the 5-4 loss.
Against UC Santa Barbara, the Wolverines fell down 2-0 at the end of the first period, but clawed back in the second, netting two quick scores to tie it up midway through the period. UCSB earned a late power-play tally and held a 3-2 advantage at the half.
After the Gauchos extended the lead to 5-2 to begin the second half, Michigan turned it on the offensive end as Welch scored on back-to-back possessions to cut it to 5-4. The two teams traded goals to a 7-6 score with 2:30 left in the third, with Hyrne scoring both goals for U-M on the power play. The Wolverines looked to be headed to the final period down just one, but a Gaucho 6-on-5 score was the backbreaker. Michigan was able to answer early in the fourth as senior Wesley Ellison (Portola Valley, Calif./Palo Alto) connected out of two meters, but the Wolverines were unable to convert on numerous chances and fell 9-7.
Michigan is set to play the final CWPA match of the season Saturday (April 7) in Bloomington, Ind. The Wolverines will face the Hoosiers at 2 p.m. at IUs Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The winner of the contest will earn the top seed at the Western Division Championship Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22, at Canham Natatorium.
GAME SUMMARIES
| Game 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Arizona State | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
Scoring
U-M Goals: Shana Welch 2, Mary Chatigny, Julie Hyrne. ASU Goals: Katie Hedley, Lindsay Williams, Addison Doud, Kelly Phelps, Katy Lawlor. Goalkeeper: Kristen Davis (2 saves, 2 steals). Ejections: U-M 8, ASU 3.
| Game 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
Scoring
U-M Goals: Julie Hyrne 2, Shana Welch 2, Wesley Ellison, Terri Bukofzer, Carrie Frost. UCSB Goals: Amanda Tipton 3, Gillian Morgan, Lizzie Rouleau, ZiZi Clark, Lindsay Knott, Aimee Stachowski, Katlin Kubas. U-M Goalkeeper: Kristen Davis (11 saves, 1 steal). Ejections: U-M 9, UCSB 10.
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Matt Anderson
On the day "We played two highly-ranked teams. At this point in the season, wins are nice, but we have to work on the things we need to improve upon now that we are entering our championship season. We played well enough to get two wins today and it was one or two plays here and there that decided the games. Overall, we played great and had two close losses to two good teams, and there is nothing to hang our heads about. We accomplished what we wanted to this weekend and that will help us going into the rest of the season."
On Shana Welch breaking her own school record for points in a season "She is playing this well purely on her will, trying to perform well every game regardless of her bumps and bruises, she still goes all out every game. She had a strong weekend, as did Kristen Davis. And that is what we look for C to have the key players playing well heading into the post season."
Contact: Matt Baumer (734) 763-4423
