Michigan
Gannon
U-M Upsets Hoosiers for Fourth Straight Divisional Title
4/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Site: Grove City, Pa.
Event: Western Division Championship
Scores: #11 Michigan 11, Gannon 7; #11 Michigan 11, #8 Indiana 10 (OT)
Records: U-M (25-12)
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sun., April 29-May 1 -- at Eastern Championship (Bloomington, Ind.)
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Senior Jo Antonsen (Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura HS) scored her fourth goal of the game with two minutes left in the first overtime period to give the No. 11 University of Michigan women's water polo team an 11-10 overtime victory over No. 8 Indiana Saturday (April 23) in the finals of the CWPA Western Division Championships. It is Michigan's fourth straight CWPA Divisional championship.
With the score tied at 9-9 after regulation, the Wolverines stormed out of the gates in the first overtime session. Erin Brown (San Diego, Calif./Bishop's HS) scored on a shot from eight meters out on the first possession of the period to give U-M a 10-9 advantage. After Michigan stopped the Hoosiers on the defensive end, Antonsen fired another long-range shot that found the back of the IU net for the game-winner.
Shana Welch (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS) and Megan Hausmann (San Diego, Calif./Bishop's HS) also had strong offensive performances against the Hoosiers. Welch scored her 14th hat trick of the season with three goals and Hausmann handed out a career-high five assists in the game. Defensively, Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) made 10 saves in net for the Wolverines.
In the first quarter against Indiana, the Wolverines came out firing, scoring on their first three possessions of the game and four of their first five. Antonsen started the initial run, scoring off the opening sprint to give U-M a 1-0 lead. After goals by Sheetal Narsai (Commerce, Calif./Bell Gardens HS) and Hausmann gave Michigan a 3-0 lead with just over two minutes gone in the contest, Indiana finally got on the board to make the score 3-1. The Wolverines answered with goals by Antonsen and Welch to push their lead to 5-1, but an IU goal with just eight seconds left in the opening frame made the score 5-2 after seven minutes of play.
The pace of the game slowed in the second quarter with each team netting one goal in the period. Kristin Hoogenboom (Portland, Ore./Sunset HS) gave U-M a 6-2 lead with 1:10 to play in the half, but once again Indiana was able to come up with a late score in the period. The Hoosiers scored with just 10 seconds left in the second quarter to make the score 6-3 at the intermission.
The Wolverines continued their strong play to start the third quarter, scoring two straight goals by Welch to build an 8-3 lead midway through the period. Indiana responded with a four-goal run spanning into the fourth quarter to close the gap to 8-7 midway through the final period.
With just over three minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Antonson scored her third goal of the game to regain U-M's two-goal lead, 9-7. Indiana, however, maintained its pressure on the Wolverines, and after making the score 9-8, Kandace Waldthaler drew a four-meter penalty with just under one minute remaining. Waldthaler tied the game on the attempt, sending the game into overtime.
After Michigan's two quick goals in the first overtime period, the Wolverine defense clamped down. U-M held Indiana without a goal in the overtime periods until the Hoosiers closed out the scoring with a goal with just three seconds left in the game.
In the semifinal match against Gannon, Narsai led Michigan with five goals, including the first of the match to help the Wolverines to a 2-1 lead after the first period of play. Michigan took control of the game with five unanswered goals in the second period to hold a 7-1 advantage at the half.
Gannon regrouped in the second half to outscore the Wolverines 3-2 in the third quarter and draw to within five, 9-4, heading into the final period. The Golden Knights continued to mount their comeback, scoring the first three goals of the fourth quarter to make the score 10-7 with three minutes to play. Michigan, however, held on for the win, scoring with just under two minutes to play to seal the victory.
The Wolverines (25-12) will compete for an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship at the upcoming Eastern Championship on April 29-May 1 in Bloomington, Ind. This year's NCAA Championship is being hosted by Michigan at Canham Natatorium.
GAME SUMMARIES
| Game 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Gannon | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Michigan | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
Scoring
Gannon Goals: Rishae Weed 3, Kyle Figaski 2, Amber Vereb, Rachel Hudson. Michigan Goals: Sheetal Narsai 5, Wesley Ellison, Jo Antonsen, Erin Brown, Megan Hausmann, Rebecca Godek, Shana Welch. Ejections: GU 7, U-M 5.
| Game 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | OT | F |
| Michigan | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Indiana | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
Scoring
Michigan Goals: Jo Antonsen 4, Shana Welch 3, Erin Brown, Sheetal Narsai, Megan Hausmann, Kristin Hoogenboom. Indiana: Not available. Ejections: U-M 7, IU 5.
Contact: Paul Dickerson (734) 763-4423
