Robertson, May Lead U-M Past Tigers, Into Eastern Final

Saturday, April 26

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:30 PM

Michigan

Princeton

Robertson, May Lead U-M Past Tigers, Into Eastern Final

4/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Canham Natatorium)
Event: Eastern Championship (Semifinals)
Score: #11 Michigan 7, #20 Princeton 4
Records: U-M (32-9), Princeton (19-11)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 27 -- vs. No. 14 Hartwick winner at Eastern Championship (Canham Natatorium), Noon

Notes & Quotes | Photo Gallery

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan water polo team advanced to the Eastern Championship title game by defeating No. 20-ranked Princeton by a 7-4 count Saturday (April 26) in Canham Natatorium. Michigan, the top seed and host of the eight-team tournament, will take on thesecond-seedHartwick for the right to collect the CWPA's automatic bid for the NCAA Championship.

Sophomore Leah Robertson(Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) led the way for the Wolverines, registering two goals and an assist and tying the third highest single-game steals total in program history with seven. In the U-M cage, junior Brittany May(Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) was tested often and responded with nine saves, many of the spectacular variety.

May faced her first test just 1:15 into the opening period, stopping a rocket from seven meters with an outstretched arm. A little over a minute later, May made another acrobatic save on a long shot to preserve the scoreless tie. The third time proved to be the charm for Princeton, however, as Claire Jacobson received an entry pass at two meters, fought off two defenders, and fired the ball inside the left post to open the scoring at 5:11.Michigan's response came with 1:26 remaining in the opening frame off a knuckling shot from junior Mary Chatigny(Palm Springs, Calif./Palm Springs) to tie the score at 1-1. Her pinpoint shot from seven meters sailed into the top right corner of the cage.

The Wolverines got their first lead of the day 26 seconds into the second quarter when freshman Alison Mantel(Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) put U-M ahead at 2-1. Junior Kelsey Haley(Portola Valley, Calif./Menlo) fed the ball to Mantel at eight meters and the freshman sent a hard skip shot into the right side of the goal. Robertson upped the Michigan lead to 3-1 at 5:29 with a shot that skidded underneath the goalie's right arm. With less than one minute to go before intermission, Tiger Phoebe Champion ended U-M's three-goal run with a power-play marker, limiting the Wolverines to a 3-2 lead at the break.

Princeton knotted the game at 3-3 on Champion's second marker of the game. Ten seconds after squandering a two-on-none breakaway, U-M regained the lead at 4-3 on Robertson's second goal. The sophomore took a pass from junior Sharayah Hernandez(Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho) on the left of the cage and ripped a skip shot into the near side of the goal at 1:48. The Wolverines opened up their second two-goal lead of the game with 32 seconds remaining in the third quarter, going up 5-3. With Princeton taking control of the ball near its own net, junior Julie Hyrne(Sunnyvale, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) drew an offensive kickout. On the ensuing power play, freshman Cara Reitz(Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) used multiple pump fakes before slamming the ball into the cage.

Michigan and Princeton exchanged goals in their first possessions of the final stanza. Hernandez deposited the ball just under the crossbar as the shot clock was running out to put U-M in front 6-3. PU's Lauren Sabb responded just seconds later with a skip shot from the middle of the offensive zone.

Junior Carrie Frost(Saline, Mich./Saline) scored on a strong pass from Robertson with 3:12 to go to make it 7-4. Frost drove to the front of the cage and tipped a perfectly timed pass from Robertson over the goalie's head for the score. May made her best save with the game in the balance. With 1:32 left in regulation, Tiger Tanya Wilcox got free in the middle at two meters. She took a pass from the right side and quickly redirected it toward the Wolverine cage. The shot was met by May's right palm and swatted aside.

Michigan will play No. 14 Hartwick for the CWPA's bid to the NCAA Championship at noon Sunday (April 27) in Canham Natatorium.

Game Summary

Score by Periods	1	2	3	4	F
Princeton	1	1	1	1	4
Michigan	1	2	2	2	7
Princeton Goals -- Phoebe Champion 2, Claire Jacobson, Lauren Sabb. Michigan Goals -- Leah Robertson 2, Mary Chatigny, Alison Mantel, Cara Reitz, Sharayah Hernandez, Carrie Frost.