Michigan
UC Irvine (ex)
Michigan Defeats ASU to Finish 2-2 at Collegiate Cup
11/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
» U-M opened the day with a narrow 5-4 loss to UC Irvine before rebounding to defeat Arizona State, 6-4.
» Michigan faced three teams this weekend that were in the NCAA Championships last year.
» Julia Campbell made 18 saves in Sunday's two games, while Caroline Anderson and Ali Thomason each scored seven goals in the four games.
Site: Irvine, Calif. (William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center)
Event: Collegiate Cup (Day 2)
Score: Michigan 4, UC Irvine 5 (exhibition); Michigan 6, Arizona State 4 (exhibition)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 22 -- vs. Hawaii - UCSB Tournament (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
• Game Stats: UC Irvine | Arizona State
IRVINE, Calif. -- The University of Michigan water polo team wrapped up its exhibition matches at the Collegiate Cup with a 6-4 win over Arizona State and a 5-4 loss to host UC Irvine on Sunday (Nov. 8) at William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center.
The Wolverines showcased a strong defense on the second day of competition, leading to a fifth place finish in the tournament. They allowed only nine goals in two games, and goalkeeper Julia Campbell made 18 total saves on the day to lead the effort for U-M. On the offensive end of the pool, Caroline Anderson had a hat trick in the afternoon victory, and Ali Thomason scored twice in each game.
Game 1
Michigan's match against UC Irvine marked the third straight match of the weekend that the Wolverines faced a team among the eight NCAA tournament teams last year. This game ended up showcasing both team's defenses and goalkeepers.
The first half was a hard-fought battle with both teams playing good defense and forcing tough shots. Michigan got on the board first at the 6:23 mark with a goal by Anderson. UC Irvine scored on a power play with 34 seconds left in the first period to tie the score at 2-2, but Thomason came right back on the next possession and gave the lead back to the Wolverines with an assist to Kimberly Graziano.
UC Irvine outscored Michigan, 2-1, in the second period to make it 4-4 at halftime. Thomason scored her second goal of the game after the team worked the ball around and created space on a power play.
The two defenses were great all game long, especially in a scoreless third period. The best chance for either team came when Michigan goalkeeper sent a long pass out in front of a sprinting Heidi Moreland for a breakaway. Moreland pulled up and fired on goal, but UC Irvine goalkeeper Annika Nelson stood tall and blocked the shot.
In the fourth period, UC Irvine had a great chance from two meters out, but Campbell made a great save to keep the score tied. Midway through the period, an exclusion was called on Laura Jimenez and seconds later UC Irvine's Gabby Pierandozzi scored her second goal of the game to make it 5-4 Anteaters.
Michigan had a difficult time getting the ball in deep on the tough UCI defense. The Wolverines had two shots hit the post but could not get any really good looks on goal as UC Irvine held on to the 5-4 lead until time expired.
The Wolverines only allowed the one second half goal but were held scoreless. U-M held a 24-19 advantage in shots, but UC Irvine converted four of its six power-play opportunities for the difference in the game.
The two goalkeepers were both terrific. Campbell finished with seven saves for Michigan, while Nelson notched 11 saves for UC Irvine.
Game 2
The second period changed the game around for Michigan against Arizona State. Trailing 2-1, Thomason won the sprint, and Anderson scored on the first possession to set the tone. Thomason also got in on the scoring with back-to-back goals, including one on a power play. Meanwhile, Campbell was a brick wall in goal with five saves and zero goals allowed. U-M went into the half with a 4-2 lead.
Arizona State cut the lead to one goal early in the third period, but that was all Michigan allowed. Later in the period, the Wolverines had a nice pass inside, and Moreland finished from two meters out to make it 5-3.
With 3:40 left in the contest, Arizona State converted a power-play opportunity to cut the lead back down to one goal. Michigan turned up the pressure from then on as that was the last shot attempt the Sun Devils generated. The Wolverines forced two shot clock violations, and Anderson came up with a steal on the other ASU possession.
U-M added one more goal before all was said and done. The Wolverines jumped out on a fast break and Jimenez found a cutting Anderson right in front of the goal for the score. It was the third goal of the game for Anderson, matching Thomason for the overall lead with seven goals on the weekend.
Campbell finished with 11 saves, giving her 18 on the day with just nine goals allowed. Michigan led in shots, 28-21, and turnovers forced, 16-8.
GAME SUMMARIES
| By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| UC Irvine | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
U-M Goals: Ali Thomason 2, Caroline Anderson, Kim Johnson
UC Irvine Goals: Gabby Pierandozzi 2, Keana Eldridge, Hanna Lancaster, Mary Brooks
Saves: U-M 7 (Julia Campbell), UC Irvine 11 (Annika Nelson)
Ejections: U-M 6, UC Irvine 5
| By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Arizona State | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
U-M Goals: Caroline Anderson 3, Ali Thomason 2, Heidi Moreland
ASU Goals: Lena Mihailovic, Taylor Bertrand, Katie Sverchek, Maud Koopman
Saves: U-M 11 (Julia Campbell), ASU 12 (Mia Rycraw)
Ejections: U-M 8, ASU 6
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi
On how the team performed at the Collegiate Cup ... "We performed extremely well for how young we are and how early we are in our training. We got better as the weekend progressed, and that was great to see."
On the defensive effort Sunday ... "Defensively, we did a really good job holding our opponents to very few scoring opportunities, and we had really great goalie play."
On next 10 weeks of training ... "We are going to go back and taper all the way until Thanksgiving. Then we will let the girls focus solely on academics and finish strong in the classroom before picking training back up in January."
U-M Senior Goalkeeper Julia Campbell
On the team defense Sunday ... "It was awesome. You can train and practice all you want, but tournaments are different. Our younger players really stepped up, and our older players did a great job of guiding them. We did a really good job of holding the other team's top scorers."
On the confidence gained from the weekend in Irvine ... "It shows us that we can play at the next level. It gives us good early confidence and a positive attitude knowing that we have a goal to work towards. This was a good base for us heading into next semester."
