Michigan Wins Sixth Straight CWPA Championship Title with Victory over Harvard

Sunday, April 24

Lewisburg, Pa.

Noon

Michigan

26-8

Harvard

23-7

Harvard

Michigan

(Michigan Photography)

Michigan Wins Sixth Straight CWPA Championship Title with Victory over Harvard

4/24/2022 5:01:00 PM | Water Polo

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Bridgette Underwood

» Michigan has won 11 CWPA titles in program history, including six in a row.
» Maddie O'Reilly and Maddy Steere paved the way for the Wolverines, collecting a combined five goals and six assists in the victory.
» O'Reilly was named the CWPA Championship MVP after collecting four goals and seven assists over two games played in the tournament.
» Dr. Marcelo Leonardi was named the Coach of the Tournament.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The No. 7 ranked University of Michigan water polo team claimed its sixth consecutive Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) championship with a 10-4 victory over Harvard on Sunday (April 24) at Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium.

With the victory, Michigan earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship, which the Wolverines are set to host May 6-8 at Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, Mich. » Tournament Central | Buy Tickets

Maddie O'Reilly was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, while head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi was tabbed as the Coach of the Tournament.

O'Reilly led all players with three goals in the tournament finale and Maddy Steere posted a game-high four assists. Defensively, Alex Brown came up with 11 saves and only allowed four goals against the Crimson.

Michigan outscored Harvard 3-1 in the first quarter. O'Reilly got the Wolverines on the board first with a five-meter penalty shot goal just one minute into the game, and a goal from Ava Morrant one minute later gave the Wolverines a 2-0 lead. Harvard answered within 18 seconds and cut Michigan's lead to one, but Steere netted a third U-M goal with 2:37 remaining in the quarter for a 3-1 Michigan lead.

Steere kept the momentum going in the second quarter with a bullet from a distance to put the Wolverines up, 4-1, and Erin Neustrom found the back of the net for a 5-1 lead at the half.

Morrant tallied her second goal of the day with a strike from distance, courtesy of an assist from Steere, to put Michigan up, 6-2, three minutes into the third quarter. Kayla Barone added a goal at the 3:27 mark just before O'Reilly collected her second goal of the afternoon for an 8-2 Michigan lead.

Harvard scored the final goal of the third quarter and kicked off the fourth with another, but back-to-back goals from Barone and O'Reilly sealed the 10-4 victory for the Wolverines and secured a spot for Michigan in the NCAA Championship.

In addition to tournament awards, Steere was named the CWPA Most Valuable Player for the season, while O'Reilly took home first-team all-conference honors. Brown and Neustrom were named to the second team.

CWPA Championship Awards

Tournament Most Valuable Player: Maddie O'Reilly (Michigan)
Rookie of the Tournament: Jovana Sekulic (Princeton)
Coach of the Tournament: Dr. Marcelo Leonardi (Michigan)

All-Tournament Teams
First Team
Zoe Banks (Goalie), Harvard
Evan Tingler, Harvard
Maddy Steere, Michigan
Maddie O'Reilly, Michigan
Erin Neustrom, Michigan
Zoe King, Brown
Jovana Sekulic, Princeton

Second Team
Alex Brown (Goalie), Michigan
Claire Pisani, Brown
Lily Weiser, Brown
Inde Halligan, Harvard
Erin Kim, Harvard
Kayla Yelensky, Princeton
Taylor Halbauer, St. Francis

CWPA All-Conference Awards

Most Valuable Player: Maddy Steere (Michigan)
Rookie of the Year: Jovana Sekulic (Princeton)
Coach of the Year: Ted Minnis (Harvard)

All-Conference Teams
First Team
Zoe Banks (Goalie), Harvard
Inde Halligan, Harvard
Zoe King, Brown
Maddy Steere, Michigan
Maddie O'Reilly, Michigan
Paige Furano, Bucknell
Jovana Sekulic, Princeton

Second Team
Alex Brown (Goalie), Michigan
Erin Neustrom, Michigan
Grace Thawley , Harvard
Evan Tingler, Harvard
Laura Larkin, Princeton
Kayla Yelensky, Princeton
Taylor Halbauer, St. Francis