Michigan Readies for Final CWPA Games of Regular Season

» U-M takes its 10-game win streak into the final weekend of the regular season.
» Michigan will take on a pair of ranked opponents on Sunday: No. 21 Bucknell at 9 a.m. and No. 25 Saint Francis at 11:30 a.m.
» The Wolverines played Bucknell and Saint Francis earlier this season, going a combined 3-0 against the two programs.

THIS WEEK
Sunday, April 11 -- at #21 Bucknell (Lewisburg, Pa.), 9 a.m.
Live Stats
Sunday, April 11 -- vs. #25 Saint Francis (Lewisburg, Pa.), 11:30 a.m.
Live Stats - to come

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The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan water polo team (17-4, 4-0 CWPA) takes its 10-game win streak into the final week of the regular season, facing conference foes Bucknell (4-2, 1-1 CWPA) and Saint Francis (8-8, 1-1 CWPA) on Sunday (April 11) at Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa. The Wolverines are slated to take on the host Bison at 9 a.m., quickly followed by a game with the Red Flash at 11:30 a.m.

Team Notes

• The two games on Sunday are the final CWPA league games of the regular season. U-M went 4-0 on the first CWPA weekend back on March 20-21, beating Bucknell, Saint Francis and Mount St. Mary's (twice) by a combined score of 66-12. The Wolverines are slated to host those three teams at Canham Natatorium for the CWPA Championships on Saturday, April 24.

• The Wolverines are coming off a two-game sweep of No. 13 Pacific on Monday and Tuesday (April 5-6). Senior Maddie O'Reilly scored the go-ahead goal with 37 seconds left in Monday's (April 5) 5-4 win. On Tuesday (April 6), U-M overcame an early 2-0 deficit to win 9-3. [ Recaps: Monday | Tuesday ]

• Michigan heads into the final weekend of the regular season on a 10-game win streak. Since a 7-6 (OT) loss to San Diego State on March 7, the Wolverines' defense has been stellar, holding opposing teams to three goals or fewer five times. This is the program's longest win streak since 2018 when it won 20 games from Feb. 24-April 8.

• Michigan remained at No. 7 in the latest CWPA Varsity Top 25 poll, released on April 7.

• The Michigan defense has been stellar this year, allowing only 6.1 goals per game and limiting the opposition to a .268 shooting percentage. The Wolverines have played lockdown defense when it matters, outscoring the opposition by a 51-19 margin in the fourth quarter.

• Senior Maddie O'Reilly continues to produce at an All-America level. Nationally, she ranks third in points (67), tied for third in sprint wins (29), fifth in goals (40), sixth in assists (27) and tied for sixth in field blocks (10). In her last 40 games between 2020 and 2021, O'Reilly has 76 goals and 61 assists.

• Graduate student Heidi Ritner made 24 saves across the team's two wins at Pacific. The California native has played well in her home state, too; in Michigan's four games in the state of California this year, Ritner has made 48 saves and 13 steals, while only conceding 25 goals. She ranks fourth in the nation in saves (100).

Opponent Preview

Bucknell: The Bison are 4-2 overall on the season, 1-1 in conference play and ranked No. 21 in the latest CWPA rankings. Since the 16-5 loss to U-M on March 20, Bucknell has won three consecutive games, beating Mount St. Mary's, Gannon and Mercyhurst by a combined score of 52-21. The Bison are led offensively by Kali Hyham (20 goals), Ally Furano (15 goals) and Megan Lacroix (15 assists).

U-M is 23-0 all-time against Bucknell. The two teams met previously on March 20 in Lewsiburg, with U-M scoring a 16-5 win.

Saiunt Francis: The Red Flash are 8-8 overall on the season, 1-1 in CWPA play and ranked No. 25 in the latest CWPA rankings. The Red Flash are led by Taylor Halbauer, who ranks second in the CWPA in goals (31) and third in points (31). Emese Szucs (22 goals), Jenna Handali (12 assists) and Abbie Carter (11 assists) also play important roles in the offense.

U-M is 6-0 all-time against Saint Francis. The two teams previously met twice this year: U-M won 13-2 in Ann Arbor on Feb. 20, and 13-5 in Loretto, Pa., on March 21.

Up Next

Saturday, April 24 -- host CWPA Championships (Canham Natatorium), TBA