Michigan
Whittier
U-M Sinks Whittier, Claremont to Complete Weekend Sweep
3/1/2014 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Site: Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Samuelson Aquatics Center)
Event: Cal Lutheran Invitational (Day 2)
Score: #20 Michigan 14, Whittier 8; #20 Michigan 14, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 8
Records: U-M (7-10), Whittier (5-4), CMS (1-6)
Next U-M Event: Sat-Sun., March 8-9 -- at Harvard Invitational (Cambridge, Mass.)
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The No. 20-ranked University of Michigan water polo team completed its perfect weekend with back-to-back 14-8 wins over Whittier and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at the Cal Lutheran Invitational on Saturday afternoon (March 1) at the Samuelson Aquatics Center. CMS and Whittier ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in NCAA Division III, respectively.
Eleven different Wolverine players posted at least one goal on the day, most notably freshman Allison Skaggs (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro HS) and sophomore Ali Thomason (San Rafael, Calif./Marin Catholic HS), who boasted hat tricks, and senior Audrey Pratt (Burlingame, Calif./Burlingame HS) and sophomore Presley Pender (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), who tallied two goals apiece in each game. Skaggs boasted a career-best four goals in the CMS slate, while Thomason netted three against Whittier.
All three U-M goalkeepers played for the second straight day and combined for 21 saves on the day. Freshman Emily Browning (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro HS) earned the bulk of time in net, registering 10 stops in two appearances.
The Wolverines took advantage of quick starts in both contests. They jumped out to a 4-0 start against Whittier as Thomason and freshman Brittany Kirwan (Mountain View, Calif./St. Francis HS) netted two apiece in the first quarter -- the latter scoring twice in the final 61 seconds of the frame. Whittier got on the board with a 6-on-5 goal early in the second, before U-M scored three in a row midway through the period to pad its lead to six at the halftime intermission.
Three more Wolverine rookies scored goals in the third quarter -- freshmen Jamie Nolan (San Jose, Calif./Leland HS), Allison Larko (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS) and Kaitlyn Cozens (Sacramento, Calif./St. Francis HS). Larko took advantage of a Michigan 6-on-5 midway through the frame to net her first collegiate tally. The Wolverines opened the fourth with three goals in the first three minutes and added another late to wrap up the win.
Michigan similarly dominated the first quarter against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, claiming an initial 5-0 advantage through the first quarter on two apiece from Pratt and Skaggs. The Athenas, however, responded with five goals over their own to pull within one late in the second quarter before senior Hathaway Moore (Atherton, Calif./Saint Francis HS) scored in the final minute to send U-M into the break with a 7-5 lead.
The Wolverines pulled away with another five-spot in the third quarter, including two goals in the opening minute, and added two more goals in the fourth before threat of lightning ended the contest with three minutes remaining on the clock.
The Wolverines will face a three-game slate at the Harvard Invitational next weekend (Sat-Sun., March 8-9) in Cambridge, Mass. U-M will play host Harvard (8 a.m.) and Marist (6 p.m.) on Saturday before wrapping up the tournament appearance against San Diego State (2:15 p.m.) on Sunday.
GAME SUMMARIES
| By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan (6-10) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
| Whittier (5-4) | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
U-M Goals: Ali Thomason 3, Brittany Kirwan 2, Audrey Pratt 2, Presley Pender 2, Allison Larko 2, Jamie Nolan, Kaitlyn Cozens, Kelsey Nolan
WC Goals: Jasmine Villalpando 2, Jae Crabtree 2, Melanie Peel 2, Jenel Rivera, Cynthia Carlile
Saves: U-M 13 (Emily Browning 5, Hayden Green 8), WC 6 (Denise Cervantes 2, Mattie Winkler 4)
| By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan (7-10) | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 14 |
| Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1-5) | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
U-M Goals: Allison Skaggs 4, Hathaway Moore 2, Audrey Pratt 2, Elizabeth Williams 2, Presley Pender 2, Kelsey Nolan, Ali Thomason
CMS Goals: Candace Filippelli 2, Alyssa Filippelli 2, Shannon Golden 2, Rose Koper, Sarah Gonzalez
Saves: U-M 8 (Julia Campbell 3, Emily Browning 5), CMS 10 (Allison Hu)
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Matt Anderson
On several Wolverines earning playing time today... "Obviously not everybody played in the Santa Barbara game, so today really gave the ladies an opportunity to get playing time. That's part of what we were looking for this weekend, and I think they were too. After so many games in a row against ranked competition, they were looking forward to a chance to take a breath and get other players some playing time. It worked out well."
On how to build from this weekend ... "The girls need to have confidence and keep it going. They are on the right track. We're about halfway through the season, and we're definitely headed in the right direction. That's what you want to see. As we get closer to the end of the season, I expect them to gain more and more confidence and everything that comes with it."
On the return of Hathaway Moore ... "She definitely made the difference in the Santa Barbara game. She brings effort and enthusiasm out there that we need. Everything she does out there is for the team. So, her stats might not always be amazing, but a lot of what she brings, you don't find on the stat sheet. That's why it's so important to have her out there."
Contact: Leah Howard
