Michigan
Indiana
Wolverines Drop Close Battle against Rival No. 14 Indiana
3/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Canham Natatorium)
Result: #14 Indiana 7, #17 Michigan 4
Records: U-M (15-11, 2-3 CWPA), IU (12-5, 4-0 CWPA)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 5 -- at CSU East Bay (Hayward, Calif.), Noon PDT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan water polo team struck first but could not maintain its advantage, falling to No. 14 rival Indiana, 7-4, on Saturday afternoon (March 29) at Canham Natatorium. The loss snapped the Wolverines' 12-game winning streak.
Michigan earned goals from four different players. Seniors Kelsey Nolan (San Jose, Calif./Leland HS) and Audrey Pratt (Burlingame, Calif./Burlingame HS) scored in the first half to provide U-M its early advantage, while sophomore Barbara Lanier (Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes HS) and Presley Pender (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) tallied goals in the second half. Pender also added an assist, while freshman goalkeeper Emily Browning (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro HS) recorded two helpers on the Wolverine counter attack.
Browning was strong in the Wolverine net with a career-best 16 saves. IU's Jessica Gaudreault was equally good, similarly registering a career-high 16 stops.
It was penalty shots that largely doomed the Wolverines. IU's Shae Fournier netted three goals on five-meter penalty shots, including two in the second quarter as the Hoosiers started to pull away, taking a two-goal advantage into the halftime intermission. Michigan also struggled with its 6-on-5 conversion, going 0-for-9 in power-play scenarios.
The Wolverines opened scoring on their second offensive attack. Nolan accepted a pass from sophomore Emily Sejna (Naperville, Ill./Central HS) near the left post and backhanded a shot past Gaudreault at the 6:32 mark. IU responded late in the first frame, at 2:08, as Candyce Shroeder collected the ball on the left post, pulled Browning out of the net and lobbed it into the far corner.
Pratt regained the Wolverines' advantage at the 5:40 mark in the second quarter, taking a long lead pass from Browning and scoring on an outside shot on U-M's counter attack. The Hoosiers surged ahead, however, with three goals in the final 3:22 of the quarter -- two from Fournier on the five-meter penalty and another from Ellie Stott on an IU power play.
Both teams scored late in the third quarter to maintain the two-goal margin. After IU scored on another outside shot, Lanier kept the score close with a goal from the post position in the final minute, taking an inside pass from Pender and flipping it over Gaudreault's head with just 28 seconds remaining.
Fournier completed her hat trick with another five-meter penalty early in the fourth. Pender scored late, taking a pass from Browning on the counter attack and lobbing it into the far right corner, but IU responded quickly, icing the game with a lob shot of its own on its ensuing attack.
Michigan will hit the road next weekend, traveling to California for a pair of non-conference games. On Saturday (April 5), U-M will face CSU East Bay at noon in Hayward, Calif., before wrapping the road trip with a noon game against Sonoma State on Sunday (April 6) in Rohnert Park, Calif.
GAME SUMMARY
| By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Indiana | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
UM Goals: Presley Pender, Kelsey Nolan, Barbara Lanier, Audrey Pratt
IU Goals: Shae Fournier 3, Shelby Taylor, Candyce Schroeder, Allison Campbell, Ellie Stott
Saves: U-M 16 (Emily Browning), IU 16 (Jessica Gaudreault)
Ejections: U-M 9, IU 9
NOTES
• Michigan fell to 33-13-1 in the all-time series against Indiana. The Hoosiers have won three straight meetings, tying their longest win streak in the series.
• Sophomore Presley Pender extended her goal-scoring streak to four straight games. She has scored in 12 of the last 13 games.
• Freshman Emily Browning's 16 saves marked the second double-digit save effort of her career. Her previous career best was 12, which she tallied two weeks ago against Pacific.
• Emily Browning has posted multiple assists in five games this season.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Matt Anderson
On today's game ... "There were a couple minutes in the second that got away from us. I felt like it was ours. But it's tough when the other team scores on three five-meters and we only score one of our power plays. That was the difference. They had four; we had one. It was a classic Michigan-Indiana battle. Unfortunately, the wrong team won."
On the progress of the team ... "I knew that we had improved, but I knew this game would really reflect it. It shows that we've definitely improved. We're not quite there. But compared to where we were in January and February, we're getting there. If we get another opportunity, we just need to close the door on some shots."
On the goalkeepers ... "Emily Browning was outstanding. They had some shots that went in during those earlier games that she was not going to let in today. That's the sign of a freshman getting better. The more games she plays, the more of a weapon she's becoming. Their goalie did a nice job too. We had some shots that we could have put away, but she's a good goalie. I am quite pleased with the progress of our goalie."
U-M Senior Hathaway Moore
On taking positives from the loss ... "It teaches us that all the work we've put in is going to the right place. The last couple of times we played them, the score was much more spread and they were pushing us around. That was a winnable game today. It means we're doing the right things in the water. If anything, it shows that we're making fewer mistakes and making better moves and better reads. The more we can feed off that positive energy, the better we'll get. We need to keep doing what we're doing. If we get to play them again, we'll be that much better."
On minimizing penalty calls ... "Matt really broke it down after the game. In the earlier games, we were making around 20 mistakes. In this one, there were roughly eight. We need to keep minimizing those mistakes on defense, communicate better and have more awareness. Those five-meter calls should definite goals. If we can cut those out, that should have been three fewer goals for them today."
On looking ahead ... "It doesn't feel good losing, especially when you have great fans in the crowd and everyone's emotions are hyped. But you have to take the positives from it and learn from it. We are getting better each and every game we play. We go to California next weekend, get a couple more good games there before we're back for Westerns. We're on our way, and every little inch and little step, we're getting closer to our goal."
