U-M Tops Iona, No. 22 Bucknell to End Wolverine Invite Undefeated

Sunday, March 1

Ann Arbor, Mich.

9:20 AM

Michigan

Iona

Kayla Barone (Michigan Photography)

U-M Tops Iona, No. 22 Bucknell to End Wolverine Invite Undefeated

3/1/2020 8:01:00 PM | Water Polo

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Ben Blevins

» Wins over Iona and Bucknell on Sunday gave Michigan a 4-0 weekend at the Wolverine Invitational.
» Alex Brown earned first career start and win against Iona with nine saves.
» Grace Harbaugh, Jess Henningsen and Abby May scored their first collegiate goals.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Canham Natatorium)
Event: Wolverine Invitational (Day 2 of 2)
Scores: #7 Michigan 14, Iona 6; #7 Michigan 15, #22 Bucknell 6
Records: U-M (11-8), Iona (2-9), Bucknell (12-3)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 21 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 11 a.m.

• PDF Boxscores: Iona | Bucknell
• Watch: Highlights vs. Iona
• Photo Gallery: Iona

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan water polo team defeated Iona, 14-6, and No. 22 Bucknell, 15-6, on Sunday (March 1) to finish the weekend undefeated, going 4-0 at its home tournament, the Wolverine Invitational, at Canham Natatorium.

U-M racked up 29 goals in two games on Sunday (March 1) to close out the weekend. The Wolverines started the day with a 14-6 win over Iona as four freshmen recorded milestones in their young careers. In the final game of the weekend, Michigan took down No. 22 Bucknell, 15-6, behind big performances from two juniors and a sophomore.

Game 1: No. 7 Michigan 14, Iona 6

Sunday's first game was an exciting one for the Wolverine "bench mob." Sophomore Kayla Barone doubled her career high for goals in a game with a team-high four off the bench.

Three freshmen tallied their first collegiate goals. The first was Jess Henningsen off the sprint in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines ran a play that sent her on a drive and she received a pass for a catch-and-shoot from fellow freshman Ella Abbott. Abby May was the next to record her first goal. Abbott was again on the assist as she found May on a drive right in front of the goal. May picked the ball off the water and scored. Grace Harbaugh got her first goal with 1:49 remaining in the game. The Iona goalkeeper came out of the cage after a loose ball, but Harbaugh got there first and finished in the open net.

Abbott played an outstanding game, finishing with six assists, the most by a Wolverine in a game this season.

Freshman Alex Brown earned her first collegiate start at goalkeeper and picked up her first win in the process. She played all 32 minutes and finished with nine saves.

Iona kept it close early. It was tied at 2 in the first quarter until Barone scored to put the Wolverines on top. U-M went on a 3-0 run to extend its lead to 7-3 after it led, 4-3, midway through the second. Another 3-0 run in the second half helped Michigan increase the lead to 10-4. The Wolverines went on to win, adding five fourth-quarter goals.

Junior Maddie O'Reilly added to her team-leading goals, assists and points totals with three goals and two assists. She scored twice on 6-on-5 opportunities and also had a five-meter penalty goal.

Game 2: No. 7 Michigan 15, No. 22 Bucknell 6

Looking to finish the weekend undefeated, the Wolverines fired on all cylinders. They piled up 14 goals through the first three quarters, while allowing just five.

O'Reilly followed up her five-point morning with eight points (three goals, five assists) against Bucknell. She had hat tricks in the final three games of the tournament and had two games with five assists. She accounted for 24 goals in four games.

Fellow junior Kathy Rogers also recorded a hat trick, her second three-goal game of the weekend, to go with one assist. Sophomore Erin Neustrom had four goals against the Bison to give her 10 in the tournament. It is the fourth time in her career she has scored four times in a game. She also drew 12 exclusions on the weekend.

Senior goalkeeper Heidi Ritner got the win in the cage, making 11 saves in just 24 minutes. She has 10 save or more in six games this season. Brown relieved her in the fourth quarter and stopped three shots.

Michigan improved to 11-8 overall on the season and has now won five straight games.

U-M will be off for nearly three weeks before its next contest, March 21 against Indiana at 11 a.m. in Bloomington.