Walker's Hat Trick Helps Michigan Topple Indiana in Kalbus Invitational Opener

Friday, February 25

Newport Beach, Calif.

3:00 PM PT

Michigan

8-5

Indiana

5-7

Indiana

Michigan

Elise Walker (Michigan Photography)

Walker's Hat Trick Helps Michigan Topple Indiana in Kalbus Invitational Opener

2/25/2022 7:25:00 PM | Water Polo

Box Score

By: Bridgette Underwood

» Michigan never trailed en route to its 10th straight win over Indiana.
» Michigan advances to play No. 5-ranked Hawaii in a winners' bracket game Saturday morning.
» Elise Walker scored Michigan's first two goals and had a game-high three tallies.

Site: Newport Beach, Calif. (Marian Bergeson Aquatic Center)
Event: Barbara Kalbus Invitational (Day 1 of 3)
Score: #6 Michigan 8, #17 Indiana 6
Records: U-M (8-5), IU (7-8)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 26 -- vs. #5 Hawaii (Irvine, Calif.), 8 a.m. PST

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan water polo team pulled away late in the contest for an 8-6 win against No. 17-ranked Indiana Friday (Feb. 25) in its opening match of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational at Marian Bergeson Aquatic Center.

The teams played to a 3-3 tie in the first half as Indiana scored with one second remaining to get some momentum going into the break after Michigan twice hit posts on offense.

Elise Walker staked Michigan to early leads with a pair of goals in the first quarter, including her second that came just 13 seconds after IU had tied the game.

Michigan edged ahead, 5-3, with 1:50 remaining in the third quarter on goals from Sofie Pontré and Walker, only to see IU answer on a goal 17 seconds later.

Maddy Steere extended U-M's lead back to two just 17 seconds into the fourth quarter when she connected from five meters. An exclusion call against IU then came back to hurt the Hoosiers as Kayla Barone got into the scoring action, taking a feed from Steere and scoring on the extra attacker with 6:26 to play to make the score 7-4.

IU came back with a pair of goals, including a power-play marker with 3:26 to get back within one, but Michigan got a steal and Ava Morrant dented the twine with 1:27 remaining on an assist from Barone to keep the Hoosiers at bay, 8-6.

Michigan will be back in the pool first thing Saturday with an 8 a.m. PST start against No. 5-ranked Hawaii. It will mark the third meeting between these two teams over the past four weeks, with each winning once.