U-M Falls to Princeton, Snaps 32-Game CWPA Win Streak

Sunday, April 2

Providence, R.I.

10:30 AM

Michigan

18-9, 6-1

Princeton

23-2, 5-0

Michigan

Princeton

Sammi Monroe (Michigan Photography)

U-M Falls to Princeton, Snaps 32-Game CWPA Win Streak

4/2/2023 12:51:00 PM | Water Polo

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Bridgette Underwood

» Kata Utassy led Michigan with five points, with included two assists and three goals.
» Alex Brown recorded 11 saves and one assist.
» The loss snapped a 32-game win streak in CWPA action for the Wolverines and marked U-M's first conference loss since 2018.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan water polo team dropped its first CWPA game of the season on Sunday (April 2), falling to No. 7-ranked Princeton 11-9 at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.

The loss snapped a CWPA win streak of 32 games that dated back to the 2018 season. U-M's last conference loss, an 8-7 sudden-death overtime heartbreaker, also came at the hands of Princeton (April 8, 2018).

Kata Utassy was the lead point-getter for the Maize and Blue (18-9, 6-1 CWPA), totaling five points on three goals and two assists. Goalkeeper Alex Brown recorded 11 saves and one assist.

Princeton (23-2, 5-0 CWPA) struck first with a goal 30 seconds into the first quarter. Just 20 seconds later, Utassy took advantage of a penalty shot to even it up at 1-1. Utassy tied it up again at 2-2 before the Tigers went on to score three goals in the last three minutes of the quarter, pulling to a 5-2 lead at the end of the first.

In the second quarter, the Tigers scored back-to-back goals before Elise Walker found the back of the net. Princeton took a 7-3 lead into halftime.

Lola Ciruli got the Wolverines on the board first in the third quarter with a bullet to the back of the net, pulling Michigan within three goals, but the Tigers fired right back with a goal of their own. With 2:14 on the clock in the quarter, Utassy scored her third goal of the game for a hat trick -- her 11th of the season. Less than a minute later, Princeton got the final goal of the quarter to force a 9-5 lead heading into the fourth.

Michigan rattled off four goals in the fourth quarter in its comeback effort, but Princeton netted two more to keep the game out of reach for the Wolverines before time expired. Sammi Monroe fired first -- just 50 seconds into final quarter -- to pull the Maize and Blue within three. The Tigers came storming back with two goals of their own before Ciruli fired a shot from long range and scored her second goal of the day. The Wolverines made one final push, with Ava Morrant and Walker each finding the back of the net in the final three minutes, but Princeton held off the Michigan offense late to take the game, 11-9.

Michigan will take a break from CWPA action next weekend when it visits Indiana on Saturday (April 8) for a single contest at the Counselman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. The game is set to begin at noon.