Michigan
Indiana
Wolverines Drop One-Goal Decision at No. 16 Indiana
3/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Kelly Martin
Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center)
Event: Fluid Four (Day 2 of 2)
Score: #16 Indiana 9, Michigan 8
Records: U-M (6-10), Indiana (8-7)
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., March 20-21 -- at LMU Zumo Invitational (Los Angeles, Calif.)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The University of Michigan water polo team threatened late in the game but dropped a close 9-8 non-conference slate against No. 16 Indiana on the final day of competition at the annual Fluid Four on Sunday (March 8) at the Hoosiers' Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatics Center.
Senior Elizabeth Williams scored a hat trick -- her second of the season -- to headline the Wolverines' offensive efforts with two in the first quarter and another as U-M chipped away in the fourth. Junior Ali Thomason also posted a pair of goals, scoring late to pull Michigan within one. Junior Kelly Martin and freshman Caroline Anderson posted three assists apiece, while sophomore Emily Browning and junior Julia Campbell earned three saves each in the Wolverine cage.
The Wolverines struck first in the contest, on an early two-meter goal from Williams, and after IU netted two to take the lead, Williams struck again, burying a counter-attack tally after a steal at mid-pool. The Hoosiers responded again, however, with a breakaway lob with two minutes remaining in the first frame. Indiana padded its lead to two goals in the second, scoring three while U-M netted two -- on a Thomason 6-on-5 tally and a counter-attack from sophomore Heidi Moreland -- to keep it close.
Michigan struggled to convert on several power-play chances throughout the game, going 1-for-6, and missed on a couple early opportunities in the third quarter. After a fairly quiet start to the frame, the teams traded goals on three consecutive possessions late to maintain the Hoosiers' two-goal lead.
IU finished a five-meter penalty early in the fourth, but the Wolverines boasted the best chances late in the frame. Williams scored from the point with 1:18 to go, and Thomason added another just a minute later after a Wolverine steal. U-M could not regain possession, however, as the Hoosiers killed off the final seven seconds of the game.
The Wolverines will return west in two weeks, heading to Los Angeles, California, for the LMU Zumo Invitational on Friday and Saturday, March 20-21. U-M will play Cal Baptist and Brown on the opening day before closing against San Diego State and host Loyola Marymount.
Game Summary
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan (6-10) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Indiana (8-7) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
U-M Goals: Elizabeth Williams 3, Ali Thomason 2, Heidi Moreland, Presley Pender, Bryce Beckwith. IU Goals: Rebecca Gerrity 2, Kelly Matthews 2, Shelby Taylor 2, Colleen McNaught 2, Alexis Jones. Saves: U-M 6 (Emily Browning 3, Julia Campbell 3), IU N/A (Mary Campbell). Ejections: U-M 4, IU 7.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Marcelo Leonardi
On the Wolverines' goal-scoring uptick ... "I feel that we're starting to click a little bit on offense. Our focal point was so much on defense early on; now that we're starting to really get into shape defensively, I feel that we focused more on offense in order to put the ball in the cage. With the results over the past few games, you can see that our scoring output is a little higher."
On U-M's weekend defensive effort ... "With Hartwick, we kept them under six goals, which is good. Playing Irvine 11-9 is just a really good game, and following it up with a 9-8 score against Indiana, I just feel like we're closing the gap. With each game we play, we keep closing and closing the gap to where we need to be."
On today's Indiana game ... "Going to Indiana and playing a 9-8 game says a lot. It puts our confidence in a good situation, where now that we've played them once, we know who and what we really are in terms of personnel. I thought we did a great job in the second half making adjustments to close that gap. Moving forward, it puts us in a good situation. They have the confidence to play against everybody in the east. That's the most important thing."
On the Wolverines' second-half adjustments this weekend ... "I'm happy with our second-half adjustments. I would definitely like to work on that second-quarter lull that we have sometimes. I'd like to see that sense of urgency that we have late in the game show up earlier."
