Michigan
Brown
Michigan Cruises Past Brown in CWPA Championship Opener
4/27/2018 3:58:00 PM | Water Polo
» Michigan reached 30 wins for the seventh time in program history.
» U-M advanced to the CWPA semifinals for the 14th straight year.
» Senior Christina O'Beck scored a career-high five goals.
Site: Lewisburg, Pa. (Kinney Natatorium)
Event: CWPA Championship (Quarterfinals)
Score: #10 Michigan 16, Brown 4
Records: U-M (30-8), Brown (15-17)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 28 -- CWPA Semifinal vs. No. 13 Hartwick (Lewisburg, Pa.), 3 p.m.
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LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The No. 2-seeded University of Michigan water polo team won its CWPA Championship opener for the 14th straight year, advancing to the semifinals with a 16-4 victory over No. 7 seed Brown on Friday (April 27).
U-M, ranked tied for 10th nationally, will take on No. 13 Hartwick in the first of two semifinal games on Saturday (April 28) at 3 p.m.
For the second straight game senior Christina O'Beck led the Wolverines to a victory by scoring a career high in goals. The senior has saved her best for last as she tallied a game-high five goals to single-handedly outscore Brown in Friday's victory. She now has nine goals in her last two games. O'Beck also had a career-high two assists to give her seven points in the game.
"It all started with our defense," said O'Beck. "I wouldn't have been able to get my counter opportunities or early offense inside if it wasn't for the steals and tips we got on defense."
Junior Julia Sellers also had a big game with four goals to give her 78 on the year. The duo of O'Beck and Sellers combined for nine goals as Michigan cruised into the semifinals.
Michigan came out ready to play from the first whistle, outscoring Brown 5-0 in the first quarter and holding the Bears scoreless for the first 11:23 minutes of the contest. It was 8-1 at halftime, and the Wolverines rolled on to the next round as all 17 players who dressed saw playing time.
Sophomore Maddy Steere posted a goal and three assists to give her 102 points on the season. She joins Sellers and senior Caroline Anderson over the century mark to become the first trio in school history with 100 or more points in a season. All three had big games as Anderson had two goals and four assists.
Friday's win improved Michigan's record to 30-8 on the season. The Wolverines hit the 30-win plateau for the seventh time in school history and second time under Dr. Marcelo Leonardi.
