U-M Splits With No. 16 Princeton, Saint Francis to Close Conference Play

Saturday, March 21

Princeton, N.J.

9:00 AM

Michigan

14-9, 3-1CWPA

Princeton

19-5, 4-1CWPA

Michigan

Princeton

Jordan Schneider (Michigan Photography)

U-M Splits With No. 16 Princeton, Saint Francis to Close Conference Play

3/21/2026 5:45:00 PM | Water Polo

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 PDF Boxscore (Princeton)PDF Boxscore (Saint Francis)

By: Kaylie Karsch

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan water polo team started the day with a 9-8 setback against No. 16 Princeton, but bounced back with an 18-6 victory over Saint Francis on Saturday (March 21) at DeNunzio Pool.

Ari Karampetsou and Emma Gustafsson led the Wolverines, with each notching a hat trick in the first matchup and combining for 14 points throughout the two games.

No. 16 Princeton 9, No. 10 Michigan 8

The Wolverines (15-9, 5-1 CWPA) and Tigers (19-5, 4-1 CWPA) spent the first three-plus quarters trading goals, with the game tied at six after a Karampetsou goal with five minutes remaining in the fourth. However, Princeton rattled off back-to-back goals courtesy of Vivian Golub to take an 8-6 lead. U-M got within one goal twice, but could not complete the comeback.

After both teams went scoreless in the first quarter, Maddy Scarth put the first tally on the scoreboard 31 seconds into the second. Gustafsson and Karampetsou scored the remaining goals in the first half, keeping Michigan within one of the Tigers, 3-2.

Gustafsson opened the second half with a penalty-shot goal with 5:20 remaining in the second to knot the game at three, then scored again to bring the Wolverines even at 5-5 with 6:50 to go in the final quarter.

No. 10 Michigan 18, Saint Francis 6

The Wolverines pulled away from the Red Flash (5-8, 0-1 CWPA) in the second quarter, scoring half of their 18 goals, with Scarth and Karampetsou posting two goals each and multiple assists. The upperclassmen took over, with Emilia Mladjan, Lulu Hirschfield, Kaia Levenfeld, Issy Jackson and Gustafsson putting away the remaining goals for U-M in the second.

Karampetsou earned her second hat trick of the day, opening the scoring for the Maize and Blue and tying the game at one, followed by Claire Eusey and Jordan Schneider. After the scoring outburst in the second quarter, U-M held a 12-4 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Scarth and Hirschfield secured hat tricks of their own, with Jackson, Eusey and Gustafsson each getting their second goals and marking six Wolverines with multiple tallies against Saint Francis.

With the win, Michigan runs its all-time mark against Saint Francis to 18-0.

Up next, the Wolverines will close out the regular season with a matchup against Indiana on Saturday, April 4, at 1 p.m. inside Canham Natatorium.