U-M Splits with No. 1 USC, No. 6 UC Irvine on Day Two of Triton Invitational

Saturday, February 3

La Jolla, Calif.

9:20 AM PT

Michigan

5-4, 1-0

USC

4-0

Michigan

Southern California

Alison Lock (Scott Flanders/UC San Diego)

U-M Splits with No. 1 USC, No. 6 UC Irvine on Day Two of Triton Invitational

2/3/2024 7:29:00 PM | Water Polo

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Alex Whisnant

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan water polo team fell to top-ranked USC 16-9 before knocking off No. 6 UC Irvine 13-12 on the second day of the Triton Invitational at Triton Pool on Saturday (Feb. 3).

Two Wolverines (6-4) scored twice against the top team in the country as Lulu Hirschfield and Elise Walker found the back of the net on two occasions against the Trojans. Five other Wolverines tallied a goal each, including offensive leader Kata Utassy.

USC (4-0) got on the board first at the 4:12 mark of the opening quarter, but Alison Lock quickly answered back to tie the game at one at 3:54. The Trojans went on a 3-0 run before Walker scored to make the score 4-2 in favor of USC after one period.

Walker opened the second quarter with her second goal of the contest to cut USC's lead to one, 4-3, but the Trojans quickly added two more to push the lead to 6-3. Hirschfield's first score of the day put a brief pause on the USC run, but the Trojans promptly put three more on the board to add to its advantage, 9-4. After Ashley O'Neill dented the twine, USC answered the score with one of its own. Sammi Monroe scored to close out the half, but the Trojans remained in front 10-6 after 16 minutes.

USC began to pull away in the third quarter, scoring three unanswered goals in the frame to take a 13-6 lead with eight minutes to play. To open the fourth, the Trojans added some insurance with two goals before Hirschfield found paydirt for the second time in the contest to make it a 15-7 game. After another USC score, Utassy and Emma Gustafsson each found the back of the net, but the Trojans secured the 16-9 victory.

Three players scored a hat trick in the win over UC Irvine (3-4) as Utassy, Monroe and Kaia Levenfeld combined for nine goals to give the Wolverine offense a huge boost. Lola Ciruli and Libby Alsemgeest each scored their first goal of the day while Lock and Walker put one past the goalie to round out the scoresheet for the Maize and Blue.

The Anteaters quickly opened the scoring with a goal just 13 ticks into the contest to lead 1-0. After a UCI penalty, Utassy calmly converted the five-meter attempt to tie the game at one. UC Irvine responded with two goals, including one by penalty, to vault in front, 3-1. Levenfeld took matters into her own hands as she scored twice to close out the opening quarter to tie the game at three.

The teams each scored in the opening minute to keep the game tied, this time at four. Alsemgeest scored to briefly give the Wolverines the lead at 4:45 before UCI scored 30 seconds later to knot the contest once again at five. U-M and UC Irvine continued the theme of scoring in quick succession to wrap up the first half as the Anteaters scored first before Monroe responded with her second of the contest to make the score 6-6 at the halftime whistle.

UC Irvine found a sliver of separation in the third, scoring two quick goals to inch in front 8-6 at the 6:34 mark. Utassy's first score of the game cut the lead in half at 4:15 before another UCI goal restored its two-goal edge, 9-7. A goal each by Utassy and Lock knotted the game for the sixth time. Levenfeld gave the Wolverines the lead with her third score to make it 10-9 heading to the fourth quarter.

Ciruli gave Michigan its first multi-goal lead of the game, 11-9, at 7:09 in the fourth. The Anteaters briefly cut the lead to one before Monroe completed her hat trick to give U-M a 12-10 lead. Walker's goal at 4:15 propelled the Maize and Blue to its largest lead of the game, 13-10. UC Irvine scored twice to draw within one, but Michigan held firm and grabbed its sixth win of the season, 13-12.

The Wolverines will wrap up the Triton Invitational on Sunday (Feb. 4) when they take on the winner of the Arizona State-UC Davis matchup in the fifth-place game at 10 a.m. PST.