Weekly Release #7
3/27/2001 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Sat-Sun., March 31-April 1 -- at Indiana Invitational (Bloomington, Ind.)
March 31 -- vs. Massachusetts (11:30 a.m.), vs. Michigan State (6 p.m.)
April 1 -- at Indiana (1 p.m. EST)
Sat-Sun., April 7-8 -- at Division Championships (Grove City, Pa.)
What's Ahead for the Wolverines
The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan women's water polo team concludes its inaugural regular season on Saturday and Sunday (March 31-April 1) with a trip to Bloomington, Ind., to compete in the Indiana Invitational at the Counsilman and Billingsley Aquatic Center on the campus of Indiana University.
The Wolverines begin the two-day event on Saturday with an 11:30 a.m. meeting with No. 18-ranked Massachusetts and a 6 p.m. game against Michigan State's club team. Michigan returns to the water on Sunday at 1 p.m. to face division rival and No. 17-ranked Indiana University.
Scouting the Opponents
Indiana University ...Indiana University will enter the tournament with a 13-7-1 record ... Indiana is led by sophomore Kristen Stanford, who has accounted for 38 goals for the Hoosiers ...The Wolverines and the Hoosiers played to a 4-4 tie on Feb. 18 and Michigan defeated Indiana 6-5 (OT) and 10-9 (OT) on March 24-25 ... Indiana on the web: www.athletics.indiana.edu
Michigan State University ... Michigan State University is ranked No. 2 in the CWPA Women's Collegiate Club Poll ... The Spartans finished second at the 2000 national club team championship, falling to Washington in overtime ... They have housed a club team since 1993 ...The Wolverines have battled the Spartans twice this season - winning both the Feb. 17 match (11-3) and the March 16 game (9-2)
University of Massachusetts ...The Minutewomen enter the weekend with a 9-6 record and are ranked No. 18 in the CWPA national polls ...They are led by CWPA Varsity Player of the Week Kelly Chassy, who scored seven goals in three tournament games ...Michigan defeated UMass 8-3 in their previous meeting on Feb. 9 ... UMass on the Web: umassathletics.com
A Wolverine Winning Weekend
The Wolverines hosted the Southern Division Tournament on March 24-25 at Canham Natatorium and came away with a perfect 4-0 record. Michigan defeated both Slippery Rock and Indiana on two occasions during the two-day round-robin event. Michigan was victorious on the first day with a 15-5 romp of Slippery Rock and a 6-5 overtime win against Indiana on March 24. The Maize and Blue concluded its winning ways on March 25, pulling out a 10-9 sudden death victory over Indiana before beating Slippery Rock 9-6 to close the tournament.
Michigan vs. Slippery Rock
The Wolverines scored early and often in both victories against the Rock. Freshman Julie Nisbet (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS) notched four goals as the Wolverines tilted Slippery Rock 15-5 on March 24. Senior tri-captain Melissa Karjala (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) tallied her first career hat trick as well.
The March 25 meeting between the two schools was decidedly closer, until Michigan put away four goals in the third period to defeat Slippery Rock 9-6. Junior tri-captain Delia Sonda (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS), Karjala and freshman Rachel Burkons (Van Nuys, Calif./Havard Westlake HS) each notched two goals in Michigan's attack on the Rock.
Michigan vs. Indiana - Round 1
An last-minute overtime goal by Stephanie Morse (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) proved essential as Michigan pulled out a 6-5 win over the Indiana Hoosiers on March 24. Ending regulation tied at four goals apiece, the two teams traded goals in overtime until Michigan found the net last to end the overtime with a one-goal advantage. Michigan received each of its goals from a different Wolverine, three coming from power-play goals.
Michigan vs. Indiana - Round 2
It took the Wolverines a record time of 36:01 to finally end the game against Indiana on March 25, with a 10-9 sudden death Michigan victory. Junior Mandi Hagedorn (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) got the ball past the Hoosier goaltender with 1:01 left in first period of sudden death overtime to accomplish the victory. Melissa Karjala and Delia Sonda led the team in scoring, with three and two goals, respectively.
Karjala Standing Ahead of the Competition
Senior tri-captain Melissa Karjala led all participants of the Southern Division Tournament in scoring during the two-day event (March 24-25). Finding the net nine times in a total of four games, Karjala led the Wolverines in scoring during three of the four games. Included in her record-setting pace was the first hat trick of her career in Michigan's 15-5 victory over Slippery Rock (March 24).
24 Games = 24 Goals
Freshman Julie Nisbet leads the Wolverines in goals scored this season, notching goal number 24 in Michigan's 10-9 overtime defeat of Indiana. During the 24 games this season Nisbet has led the Wolverines in scoring in eight games, including a career-high four-goal game versus Slippery Rock (March 24).
Michigan's Leading Scorers
Five Wolverines have accounted for 49 percent of Michigan's scoring this season, tallying 99 of the 202 goals. Behind Julie Nisbet's 24 goals are seniors Mandi Hagedorn and Melissa Karjala, notching 22 and 20 goals, respectively. Junior Delia Sonda has claimed 18 goals and sophomore Stephanie Morse rounds out Michigan's five highest scorers with 15.
Michigan's Scoring Leaders
| Julie Nisbet | 24 goals |
| Mandi Hagedorn | 22 goals |
| Melissa Karjala | 20 goals |
| Delia Sonda | 18 goals |
| Stephanie Morse | 15 goals |
Five-Goal Outburst Leads Kay to Michigan Record
Freshman Chelsea Kay (Laguna Hills, Calif./Laguna Beach HS) made her mark on the new Michigan record book by scoring five goals in a single game during the Wolverines' 15-5 victory over Gannon University (March 4). She crushed the previous mark of three goals, which had been done five times by four other Wolverines.
The Art of the Hat Trick
Six different members of the Wolverine squad have found a way to put the ball in the net not once, or twice, but three times during a single game and have managed this on nine different occasions. Julie Nisbet, Monica Paz (Santa Monica, Calif./Harvard Westlake HS) and Melissa Karjala have each completed this feat twice, with Paz hitting them in back-to-back games.
Michigan's "Hat Tricksters"
| Maribeth Sitkowski | 3 goals vs. Villanova (Feb. 9) |
| Stephanie Morse | 3 goals vs. Villanova (Feb. 9) |
| Julie Nisbet | 3 goals vs. Princeton (Feb. 25) |
| Monica Paz | 3 goals vs. Penn State-Behrend (March 3) |
| Monica Paz | 3 goals vs. Grove City (March 3) |
| Chelsea Kay | 5 goals vs. Gannon (March 4) |
| Julie Nisbet | 4 goals vs. Slippery Rock (March 24) |
| Melissa Karjala | 3 goals vs. Slippery Rock (March 24) |
| Melissa Karjala | 3 goals vs. Indiana (March 25) |
The Big Two of the Big Ten
Michigan and Indiana are the only two teams of the Big Ten Conference schools to host a varsity-level water polo team. In the previous meetings between the two squads, every game has ended regulation time with a tied score. The first meeting (Feb. 18) ended in a 4-4 tie with no overtime played. The last two occasions required overtime, with the Wolverines pulling out 6-5 (March 24) and 10-9 (March 25) victories. The Maize and Blue needed sudden death overtime to defeat the Hoosiers on March 25 in the longest game Michigan has played, 36:01 minutes.
Crisman Makes Water Polo Debut
Senior Jen Crisman (Hudsonville, Mich./Jennison HS) made her varsity water polo debut in Michigan's 15-5 victory over Slippery Rock on March 24. The four-time Big Ten Conference 100-yard backstroke champion netted her first career goal with 5:40 left in the game.
Also netting her first career goal last weekend was freshman Angela Galardi (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS). Galardi scored Michigan's final goal in its 9-6 defeat of Slippery Rock on March 25.
Senior Salute
This Southern Division Tournament (March 24-25) marked the final home competition for three Michigan team members. Seniors Torye Santucci (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing HS), Christy Lilley (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) and Melissa Karjala all played in their final game at Canham Natatorium. All three played on the team when it was a club-level sport and helped make the transition to a varsity-level program.
Karjala is the most decorated of the outgoing seniors, earning U-M Rookie of the Year honors in 1998, as well as All-America Honorable Mention (1999), two-time Academic All-America (1999, 2000) and two-time All-Big Ten First-Team (1999, 2000).
Karjala, two-time team MVP (1999, 2000) leads the seniors this season in goals scored with 20. Lilley has eight goals and Santucci has two. Senior Jen Crisman has another year of eligibility left and will return to the water for the 2002 season.
Looking into the Future
The Wolverines begin postseason play on April 7-8 at the Division Championships in Grove City, Pa. The Wolverines hold a perfect 8-0 record against opponents during divisional competition. From the Division Championships, the top four teams advance to the Eastern Championships on April 28-29 in Providence, R.I., where the top team will earn the right to compete at the first-ever NCAA women's water polo championships on May 12-13 in Palo Alto, Calif.
Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 20 Poll (3/21/01)
Rank, School Pts. LW 1. Stanford 100 1 2. UCLA 95 2 3. Southern Cal 90 3 4. California 85 4 5. San Jose State 80 5 6. Hawaii 74 6 7. Cal-Santa Barbara 69 7 8. Long Beach State 63 8 9. Loyola Marymount 61 9 10. San Diego State 54 10 11. Cal-San Diego 50 12 12. Cal-Davis 49 11 13. MICHIGAN 39 13 14. Princeton 35 14 15. California Baptist 27 15 16. Pacific 24 16 17. Indiana 21 17 18. Massachusetts 15 19 19. Brown 11 18 20. Hartwick 7 20
Contact: Valerie Perkin (734) 763-4423
