Michigan
Hawaii
U-M Suffers Loss to No. 7 Hawaii in Final Seconds in Season Opener
1/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
» After tying the game with 21 ticks left, U-M yielded the game-winning goal with three seconds remaining.
» Michigan is now 11-5 all-time in season openers.
» Four Wolverines made their collegiate debuts, and senior Ali Thomason became the ninth U-M player with 150 or more career steals.
Site: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Campus Pool)
Event: UCSB Invitational (Day 1)
Score: #7 Hawaii 11, #12 Michigan 10
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Jan. 23 -- vs. Cal State Northridge (Noon PT) and Cal Baptist (3:30 p.m. PT) (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan water polo team had an extremely tight game with No. 7 Hawaii in the season opener on Friday night (Jan. 22) at the UCSB Invitational, losing on a goal with three seconds remaining.
Hawaii's Nikki-Marie Bell put in the game-winner with three seconds to go. The goal came just 18 seconds after Michigan sophomore Caroline Anderson evened the game at 10-10 with 21 seconds left on the clock.
The Wolverines entered the final period with a 9-8 lead but could not hold off the Rainbow Wahine, who scored three goals in the fourth for the victory.
The match was dead even through the first two periods with each team scoring three goals in the first and two in the second. The two teams were never separated by more than one goal at any point in the game.
Senior Ali Thomason became the ninth player in school history to record 150 career steals. She also tied for the team lead with three goals. Freshman Kim Johnson also had three goals, scoring one in each of the first three periods in her college debut.
Johnson was one of four Wolverines to make their collegiate debut as fellow freshmen Delaney Cleveland, Amy Ridge and Julia Sellers all played for the first time. Danielle Johnson, Kim's older sister, played for the first time in more than a year after sitting out last season due to transfer rules. She scored at the start of the third period to make it 6-5 Michigan.
Sophomore Caroline Anderson added two goals and two assists in the loss, while Michigan's senior goalkeeper Julia Campbell made 10 saves in the game.
Michigan will play two matches tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 23) at the Campus Pool in Santa Barbara, California. The Wolverines take on No. 19 Cal State Northridge at noon PST and then No. 24 Cal Baptist at 3:30 p.m. PST.
GAME SUMMARY
| By Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| Michigan | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
| Hawaii | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
U-M Goals: Ali Thomason 3, Kim Johnson 3, Caroline Anderson 2, Danielle Johnson, Heidi Moreland
Hawaii Goals: Nikki-Marie Bell 4, Irene Gonzalez 3, Femke Aan 2, Julia Barton, Taylor Molde
