Michigan
UCLA
Wolverines Drop Pair on Second Day of Barbara Kalbus Invitational
2/23/2019 11:39:00 PM | Water Polo
» U-M lost two games to fall to the seventh-place game at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational.
» The Wolverines will play No. 8 Arizona State on Sunday.
» Michigan has faced a team ranked in the top three in five of its 13 games this season.
Site: Irvine, Calif. (Anteater Aquatic Center)
Event: Barbara Kalbus Invitational (Day 2 of 3)
Scores: #3 UCLA 15, #6 Michigan 5; #10 Pacific 12, #6 Michigan 9
Records: U-M (7-7), UCLA (16-1), Pacific (4-4)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 24 -- vs. No. 8 Arizona State - Barbara Kalbus Invitational (Irvine, Calif.), 9 a.m. PST
IRVINE, Calif. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan water polo team fell twice on Saturday (Feb. 23) at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational and will play for seventh place on Sunday.
Michigan had high hopes going into the second day of the tournament with an opportunity against No. 3 UCLA. Things did not go the Wolverines' way as they took 15-5 and 12-8 losses to the Bruins and No. 10-ranked Pacific, respectively.
Game 1: No. 3 UCLA 15, No. 6 Michigan 5
UCLA used a strong second quarter to take down the Wolverines and advance to the tournament semifinals with a 15-5 victory. With the loss, the Wolverines moved to the fifth-place bracket and a Saturday evening game against No. 10 Pacific.
The Bruins outscored U-M, 5-0, in the second quarter after the squads were tied at 1 at the end of the first. The five second-quarter goals were part of an overall 8-0 run that covered a span of 16:52 between Michigan's first and second goals.
UCLA continued its offensive output in the second half with nine goals to Michigan's four.
The game was U-M's fifth of the season against a team ranked in the top three. The Wolverines have played over one-third of their games against the nation's best.
Freshman Kayla Barone was a bright spot for Michigan. Playing in just her second collegiate game, the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, native scored two goals to give her three in her career. U-M's other goals were scored by freshmen Abby Andrews and Ava Morrant, and sophomore Kathy Rogers.
Game 2: No. 10 Pacific 12, No. 6 Michigan 9
In a rematch between two top-10 teams that went Michigan's way earlier this season, Pacific was able to come out on top the second time around.
Similar to the first game of the day for the Wolverines, U-M scored the game's first goal and then went on a scoring drought. This time, Michigan failed to score over 11:16 as the Tigers built a 5-1 advantage.
The lead would stretch to 9-3 in the third period before the Wolverines started to charge back. U-M outscored Pacific, 3-1, in the final 3:22 of the quarter. The Tigers were able to match U-M in the final period, 2-2, to close out the game with the 12-9 win.
Two freshmen, Andrews and Erin Neustrom, led the Wolverines with two goals each.
Michigan will take on No. 8-ranked Arizona State on Sunday (Feb. 24) at a.m. PST in the seventh-place game at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational.
