Michigan
UC San Diego
Wolverines Place Ninth at Barbara Kalbus Invitational
2/25/2018 7:28:00 PM | Water Polo
» Michigan defeated UC San Diego for ninth place.
» Three players notched hat tricks vs. UC San Diego.
» Sophomore Heidi Ritner made the game-tying save with 13 seconds left.
Site: Irvine, Calif. (Corona del Mar H.S.)
Event: Barbara Kalbus Invitational (Day 3 of 3)
Records: #9 Michigan (10-7), #15 UC San Diego (9-9)
Score: Michigan 10, UC San Diego 9
Next U-M Event: Sat-Sun., Mar. 3-4 – Wolverine Invitational (Canham Natatorium)
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IRVINE, Calif. -- Three players scored hat tricks to lead the University of Michigan water polo team to a 10-9 victory over No. 15 UC San Diego and a ninth-place finish at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational on Sunday (Feb. 25).
Michigan junior Julia Sellers, sophomore Maddy Steere and freshman Maddy Johnston each tallied three goals in a game that was back and forth and featured many momentum-changing plays.
The Wolverines saw themselves trailing early in the game for the fourth straight contest as UC San Diego scored three times in the first 2:42 of the game for a 3-0 lead. The third goal forced a timeout by Dr. Marcelo Leonardi. During the timeout the team regrouped and came out with a great feed inside by Sellers for a tip-in goal by Johnston.
Down, 5-2, in the second quarter, Michigan began to charge back. The Wolverines took advantage of their speed and got out on counter-attack opportunities. Both Sellers and Johnston raced out for goals to cut the lead to 5-4.
The teams traded goals the rest of the first half. U-M kept it close with an inside goal by freshman Kathy Rogers, a steal from the goalkeeper and backhand score by Sellers. The Tritons would take a 7-6 lead into the break.
UCSD scored first in the second half to make it 8-6, but Steere then began to take over for the Wolverines. She took a feed from senior Caroline Anderson inside and finished, then fought down low to get the ball up and over the goalkeeper to tie the game at 8. Steere later found a driving Johnston on the opposite side of the pool to give Michigan its first lead late in the third quarter.Â
UCSD tied the game at 9 with one minute to play in the third and had a chance to take the lead on the final possession, but sophomore Heidi Ritner made a big save to keep the two teams knotted up. Freshman Sofie Pontré made a big field block in the final period that ended up leading to a Sellers goal on the other end with 3:48 to play. The play sequence was the key to the game as the Michigan defense came up big in the final quarter. They did not give up another goal and Ritner made a save on the Tritons' final possession to finish with five saves.
Sellers not only had a hat trick but came up big in other areas with two assists, two steals and two drawn exclusions to help U-M improve its record to 10-7.
Michigan will return home for its second tournament of the year, the Wolverine Invitational, at Canham Natatorium next weekend (March 3-4). The Wolverines will host Azusa Pacific, Bucknell, Cal State Northridge, Iona and Long Beach State.
