Michigan
UC San Diego
U-M Sweeps Day Two Of Anteater Invitational In Two One-Goal Wins
2/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Site: Irvine, Calif. (Corona Del Mar HS and Anteater Pool)
Event: UC Irvine Anteater Invitational (Day 1)
Scores: #15 Michigan 11, #16 UC San Diego 10 (OT); #15 Michigan 6, #17 Cal State Northridge 5
Records: U-M (8-9)
Next U-M Event: Sat-Sun., March 1-2 -- at Eastern Elite (College Park, Md.)
IRVINE, Calif. -- The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan water polo team scored an exciting 11-10 overtime victory over No. 16-ranked UC San Diego and edged out No. 17 Cal State Northridge, 6-5, on Sunday (Feb. 24) to claim 13th place in UC Irvine's Anteater Invitational.
Sophomore Leah Robertson (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) got her second hat trick of the weekend against the Tritons, while junior Sharayah Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho) supplied three goals against CSUN.
Junior Brittany May (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) made 14 saves, minding the net in both games. Robertson led the way for the Wolverines defensively as well, making 10 steals in two games.
Michigan and UC San Diego battled through five-plus periods without solving anything, the two teams were deadlocked at 10-10 with time draining off the final overtime period. With just 51 seconds remaining, Robertson hit the back of the cage on a breakaway attempt to complete her hat trick and deliver Michigan the victory.
The two teams remained close with U-M owning a one-goal margin heading into the break. On a collision course with overtime, each team tried to gain an edge before the end of regulation. In the final six minutes, the teams traded goals until the horn sounded to signify overtime. Michigan alternated goals from junior Mary Chatigny (Palm Springs, Calif./Palm Springs) and Hernandez with UCSD markers in the first overtime period, forcing another frame before succumbing to the U-M attack.
The Wolverines never trailed in the game to Cal State Northridge and only briefly shared a 2-2 tie early in the second period. Led by three 6-on-5 goals from Hernandez, Michigan carried a 5-4 lead into the break.
In the second half, Michigan relied heavily on its goalkeeper, May, who strung together a nine-save effort in the victory. Freshman Alison Mantel (Miami, Fla./Gulliver) scored from five meters to create a two-goal pad for the Maize and Blue early in the third frame to give U-M a 6-4 lead. The Matadors were able to strike one last time in the third period but could not find an equalizer before time expired in a scoreless fourth period.
Michigan will switch coasts, heading to College Park, Md., for the Elite Six Tournament Friday and Saturday (March 1-2). The Wolverines open with against Maryland at noon on Saturday (March 1).
Game Summaries
| Game 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | OT | F |
| #16 UC San Diego | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| #15 Michigan | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
UCSD Goals: Sydney Gstettenbauer 4, Judy Emaus 2, Nicole Hermann, Stephanie Bocian, Hanalei Crowell, Audra Bloom. U-M Goals: Leah Robertson 3, Kelsey Haley 2, Alison Mantel 2, Sharayah Hernandez, Mary Chatigny, Julie Hyrne, Michelle Keeley.
| Game 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| #17 Cal State Northridge | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| #15 Michigan | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
U-M Goals: Sharayah Hernandez 3, Leah Robertson, Mary Chatigny, Alison Mantel. CSUN Goals: Allison Brookes 4, Tara McGinley.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Matt Anderson
On the level of Michigan's play ... "We played well enough to win every game we played this weekend -- save for USC getting seven power plays in a row, which was a difference-maker. I thought that we played very solid against them. The San Diego State game was just a toe-to-toe battle, it was just a great game. It was a great spectator game, a great up-and-down game, but unfortunately, they were able to win. I had no complaints about what we brought to the pool. I told the girls (today) that if we play like we did on Saturday that we will get to victories on Sunday."
On the West Coast trip as a whole ... "We went 3-2 with three victories over ranked teams -- one in the top 10 -- and two good games against teams in the top six. This was a very good road trip for us."
On his team playing well in close games ... "This morning's game was extremely interesting in the different things we had to deal with. I just told the girls after the (UCSD) game that I wasn't going to talk about the game -- for us to come out with the victory in a game that I felt we were four or five goals better in had a lot of different things not happened, I was extremely proud of how they just kept on battling back against a bad call, bad luck, a bad bounce. Even when it went to overtime, the girls had a swagger that showed confidence. Tonight, we got up and controlled the game. I was very happy with how controlled the pace of the game today. When we got up, we did a good job of controlling the game against two pesky teams. These are teams that don't go away and perhaps three weeks ago we'd lose these games, but we didn't and that's what made me happy."
