U-M Goes Undefeated at Wolverine Invite With Wins Over Bucknell, Saint Francis

Sunday, March 5

Ann Arbor, Mich.

9:15 AM

Michigan

17-7

Bucknell

5-16

Bucknell

Michigan

Issy Jackson (Michigan Photography)

U-M Goes Undefeated at Wolverine Invite With Wins Over Bucknell, Saint Francis

3/5/2023 4:27:00 PM | Water Polo

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 PDF Boxscore (Bucknell)PDF Boxscore (Saint Francis)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Bridgette Underwood

» Issy Jackson led Michigan on Sunday with eight points, six goals and two assists.
» Alex Brown led Michigan defensively with 11 saves, only allowing five goals, and adding in three assists.
» Michigan ended the Wolverine Invitational 4-0 and upped their record to 14-7.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Canham Natatorium)
Scores: #12 Michigan 16, Bucknell 3; #12 Michigan 19, Saint Francis 5
Records: U-M (14-7), Bucknell (5-16), Saint Francis (5-12)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 18 -- at UC Davis (Davis, Calif.), 10 a.m. PST

IRVINE, Calif. -- The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan water polo team defeated Bucknell 16-3 and Saint Francis 19-5 on the final day of the Wolverine Invitational on Sunday (March 5) at Canham Natatorium.

Issy Jackson led Michigan on the day with eight points (six goals, two assists). Alex Brown led Michigan defensively with 11 saves, while only allowing five goals and adding in three assists.

Game 1: #12 Michigan 16, Bucknell 3

Erin Neustrom got the Maize and Blue rolling with back-to-back goals just one minute apart. Lola Ciruli fired a shot to the back of the net to give Michigan an early 3-0 lead. Kata Utassy took advantage of a Bison penalty and put the ball in the back of the net off a penalty shot. Bucknell scored with four minutes left before Fiona Young struck back, giving U-M it's four-goal lead back.

Jackson wasted little time scoring in the second quarter, pushing Michigan ahead 6-1 just 16 seconds into the period. Alison Lock got in on the fun with a goal of her own to give U-M a 7-1 lead. Bucknell snuck the ball past the defense for its second and third goals of the game before Ashley O'Neill scored on a penalty shot to make the score 8-3. Sophie Tovani fired a bullet cross-cage to give Michigan its ninth goal of the game. Neustrom then scored back-to-back goals to end the quarter giving U-M an 11-3 lead.

The second half saw five Michigan goals, three coming from Riley Chapple amd one each from Lock and one from O'Neill. Madie Ambrose kept the Bison to only three goals on the game and zero in the second half.

Michigan was led by Chapple, who recorded six points (three goals, three assists), while Ambrose recorded eight saves with two steals.

Game 2: #12 Michigan 19, Saint Francis 5

Michigan's second game of the day saw 10 different Wolverines score goals, tallying 19 goals and two hat tricks. In the first half alone there were 10 U-M goals scored.

Sammi Monroe got the scoring started just 45 seconds into the first quarter. Brooke Ingram and Tovani each chipped in one, while Libby Alsemgeest bookended a Tovani goal to give the Wolverines a 5-1 lead after one quarter.

It was more of the same in the second period, with O'Neill getting things going by scoring off a long pass from Brown. Lock recorded back-to-back goals before the Red Flash snuck one by Brown to pull within six goals at 8-2. Jackson and O'Neill each chipped in one more goal before the half to give Michigan a 10-3 lead after on half.

In the second half, Michigan scored nine goals -- four of them coming from Jackson. She recorded two in the third and two in the fourth to set a career high with five goals. Lock chipped in her third goal of the game, earning a hat trick. Lulu Hirschfield, Grace Harbaugh, Ingram and Chapple each recorded a goal to give Michigan the 19-5 win over the Red Flash.