Michigan
George Washington
Routs Lead to 3-0 Start in Conference Play
4/1/2017 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
» Michigan has won 20 or more games in 16 of its 17 seasons.
» U-M earned its eighth shutout in school history with a season-high 21 goals vs. George Washington.
» The Wolverines scored a combined 42 goals on the day.
Site: Lewisburg, Pa. (Kinney Natatorium)
Scores: #7 Michigan 21, George Washington 0; #7 Michigan 21, Saint Francis (Pa.) 4
Records: U-M (20-8, 3-0 CWPA), GW (13-9, 1-1 CWPA), SF (10-14, 0-3 CWPA)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 2 -- vs. Princeton (Lewisburg, Pa.), 10:30 a.m.
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan water polo team had an onslaught of goals on Saturday (April 1), improving to 3-0 in CWPA play and reaching the 21-win mark with two big victories -- 21-0 over George Washington and 21-4 over Saint Francis (Pa.) -- at Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium.
The Wolverines earned two impressive victories, winning by a combined margin of 42-4. The huge day included the eighth shutout in school history and a season-high 21 goals against George Washington and another 21-goal performance in the first ever meeting with Saint Francis.
Game 1: #7 Michigan 21, George Washington 0
The Wolverines operated on all cylinders against George Washington to start the weekend. U-M was near perfect in all aspects of the game.
Freshmen goalkeepers Heidi Ritner (four saves) and Cameron Cordial (five saves) each played a half and combined with an excellent defense in front of them (nine steals and three field blocks) for the eighth shutout in school history. It marks the first shutout since 2013 when Michigan defeated Grove City, 13-0.
On offense, the team posted a season-high 21 goals, matching the highest total in the Dr. Marcelo Leonardi era. Four players recorded hat tricks, including three with four goals and nine players scored. Senior Kimberly Graziano and freshman Alex Corbett each had career highs with four goals for their second career hat tricks. Each added an assist as well.
Sophomore Julia Sellers matched a season high with four goals to go with two assists; it is her sixth hat trick of the year. Senior Heidi Moreland netted her first career hat trick as well and had one assist.
Sophomore Delaney Cleveland notched four assists to go with a goal, while sophomore Kim Johnson had one goal and three assists.
Only three exclusions were called on Michigan in the entire game, and it had only three turnovers while winning all four sprints.
Game 2: #7 Michigan 21, Saint Francis (Pa.) 4
The scoring onslaught continued from the morning into the evening. Michigan matched its 21-goal output in a 21-4 win over Saint Francis in which 12 different players lit up the scoreboard.
Freshman Skyler Pyle led all scorers with her first career hat trick to go with three assists. She had just four career goals coming into the game. It was also a big day for freshman Arija Walsh, who scored her first collegiate goal in the fourth period.
Six other players scored two goals each. Junior Laura Jimenez added three assists and two steals to her two goals. Danielle Johnson had two goals and two assists. Cleveland was an assists machine adding four more assists to give her a total of eight on the day.
Ritner got the win in goal, playing the first quarter as Michigan built an incredible 8-1 lead. The pace of a goal per minute slowed eventually, but the Wolverines did add six more goals in the second and five in the third before slowing things down late. Cordial came in and played three quarters in the cage with five saves.
Michigan again had advantages in nearly every area with only three exclusions, eight steals and two field blocks.
Michigan will continue conference play with two more games at Bucknell on Sunday (April 2). The Wolverines play No. 10 Princeton at 10:30 a.m. and host Bucknell at 3 p.m.
