Michigan to Host Wolverine Invitational on Senior Day Weekend

THIS WEEK
Sat-Sun., Feb 29-March 1 -- host Wolverine Invitational (Canham Natatorium)
Tournament Central

• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan water polo team will host its second regular-season home tournament, the Wolverine Invitational, Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 29-March 1) at Canham Natatorium.

U-M will welcome No. 22 Bucknell, Iona, No. 15 Long Beach State, Saint Francis (Pa.) and Santa Clara to Ann Arbor for the 12-game tournament.

The Wolverine Invitational

• Michigan will host its second tournament of 2020, welcoming Bucknell, Iona, Long Beach State, Saint Francis (Pa.) and Santa Clara to Canham Natatorium.
• U-M enters the weekend with a 7-8 overall record, including a 3-1 mark at home.
• Michigan will honor its four seniors, Cameron Cordial, Skyler Pyle, Heidi Ritner and Rachel Sodokoff prior to the Long Beach State game on Saturday (Feb. 29) at 5:40 p.m.
• The senior class has combined for a 90-35 overall record over four years, making three NCAA Tournament appearances and winning three CWPA titles.
• All 15 of Michigan's opponents this season have been ranked, with 10 games against top-10 teams. The Wolverines' first two opponents, Santa Clara and Iona, are unranked.

Opponents

• Santa Clara is 6-4 on the season, including a 10-3 win over Cal St. Monterey Bay last Saturday (Feb. 22). U-M is 5-1 all-time against the Broncos and the teams have split their last two meetings -- a one-goal Sanata Clara win in 2014 and a 17-9 Michigan victory in 2017.
• Long Beach State is ranked No. 15 in the country with an 8-5 overall record. The Wolverines have won five straight in the series since 2015, but the Beach leads the all-time series, 10-7.
• Iona is 2-6 overall with an 0-3 road mark. U-M is 7-0 against the Gaels with the last meeting a 17-3 win in 2018.
• Michigan will face Bucknell in a non-conference game to close out the weekend. At No. 22 in the nation, Bucknell is 10-1 on the year. U-M is 22-0 in the all-time series against the Bison.

Last Time Out

• The Maize and Blue had a productive weekend in Irvine, California, placing seventh at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational last weekend (Feb. 21-23).
• The Wolverines played four games against top-10 teams, coming away with a 2-2 record in the tournament.
• Michigan got some clutch goals in an 11-10 overtime win over No. 7 Cal to start the weekend in the winner's bracket. Freshman Anne Rankin forced overtime with a goal with three seconds remaining in regulation. Sophomore Erin Neustrom scored the game-winner in the second overtime period. Both Rankin (Rookie of the Week) and Neustrom (Player of the Week) earned CWPA weekly honors along with Defensive Player of the Week Heidi Ritner.
• Michigan lost to No. 2 UCLA, then missed a shot in the waning seconds against No. 6 UC Irvine that would have tied the game and forced overtime. The Wolverines went on to beat No. 9 UC Santa Barbara in the seventh-place game.
• Ritner played all 134 minutes over the weekend. She broke Betsey Armstrong's career wins record at Michigan with her 86th victory against UCSB. She had 43 saves, including 16 in the Cal victory.
• Junior Maddie O'Reilly and Neustrom each scored seven goals on the weekend to lead the team. O'Reilly added a team-high five assists, while Neustrom added nine drawn exclusions.

In the Rankings

• U-M moved up three spots to No. 7 in the latest edition of the CWPA poll (Feb. 26) and is on a streak of 29 straight polls, and 79 of the last 80, being ranked in the top-10.
• Under head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi, the Michigan has been ranked in the top 10 in 79 weeks and the top-five eight weeks over the last six seasons.
• Michigan was ranked No. 7 in the CWPA preseason top 25.

Records and Milestones

• Neustrom needs two drawn exclusions to pass Sarah Roberts for 10th on Michigan's career list.
• Senior Skyler Pyle (97 games) is approaching her 100th career game played, needing three more to reach the mark.