Wolverines Prep for CWPA Action in Pennsylvania

» Michigan has four CWPA games this weekend: at Bucknell and vs. Mount St. Mary's on Saturday in Lewisburg, Pa., then at Saint Francis and vs. Mount St. Mary's on Sunday in Loretto, Pa.
» U-M is 36-2 in CWPA action since 2016.
» This is the fourth consecutive weekend of road competition for the Wolverines. They are 5-4 the last three weekends.

THIS WEEK
Saturday, March 20 -- at #23 Bucknell (Lewisburg, Pa.), Noon
Saturday, March 20 -- vs. Mount St. Mary's (Lewisburg, Pa.), 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 21 -- at #25 Saint Francis (Loretto, Pa.), 9 a.m.
Sunday, March 21 -- vs. Mount St. Mary's (Loretto, Pa.), 11:30 a.m.

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The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan water polo team (9-4) dives into CWPA action this weekend, facing No. 23 Bucknell and Mount St. Mary's on Saturday (March 20) in Lewisburg, Pa., before battling No. 25 Saint Francis and Mount St. Mary's on Sunday (March 21) in Loretto, Pa.

Team Notes

• This is the fourth consecutive weekend the Wolverines will be competing away from home. They are 5-4 in those contests.

• Michigan is 36-2 against CWPA opponents under the direction of head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi.

• Michigan is ranked No. 7 in the latest CWPA Varsity Top 25 poll, released on March 17.

• Senior Emily Ritner was named CWPA Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday (March 16) after helping spearhead a stellar defensive effort in last weekend's sweep over No. 13 Indiana. [ Awards and Honors ]

• Senior Maddie O'Reilly leads the team in shots (46), goals (20), assists (14) and points (34). Among national leaders, O'Reilly is ranked second in field blocks (eight), tied for third in sprint wins (15), seventh in points and tied for eighth in assists.

• The goalkeeper position has seen incredible depth this season. Graduate student Heidi Ritner has played in nine games and ranks first in the nation in steals (28) and fourth in saves (68). Backups Sophie Jackson and Alex Brown have been solid in relief; Brown played the entire second half in Michigan's comeback win over Indiana last Saturday (U-M outscored Indiana, 7-4, in the second half), while Jackson stopped all six shots she faced in the second half of the team's 10-3 win last Sunday.

• With two goals last weekend, senior Sofie Pontré now has 100 points for her career (58 goals, 42 assists). The other Wolverines on the 2020-21 roster with at least 100 points are seniors Maddie O'Reilly (164) and Kathy Rogers (105). The next closest is junior Erin Neustrom (81).

• The Wolverines are in the midst of a great run of defense. In their game against No. 13 Indiana last Sunday -- a 10-3 win -- U-M kept the Hoosiers off the scoreboard entirely in the second half. After allowing two goals in the opening 5:04, Michigan completely shut down Indiana, limiting the hosts to a 1-for-22 clip on shots.

• Michigan has among the nation's best defensive units on the power play. Opponents are just 9-for-94 (.096) against the Wolverines in 6-on-5 situations.

• The Wolverines are playing their best water polo when it counts. In the fourth quarter of games this year, U-M is outscoring the opposition, 22-10.

Opponent Preview

Bucknell: The Bison are 1-1 on the season after they started their season with two games at La Salle last Saturday (March 13), splitting the contests. Ally Furano and Kali Hyham combined for 22 goals in those two contests. U-M is 22-0 all-time against Bucknell.

Mount St. Mary's: Mount St. Mary's is 0-7 on the season. Through its seven games, it is being outscored, 127-40. This will be the first meetings between the two schools.

Saint Francis: Saint Francis is 5-7 on the season. The Red Flash last competed at the Villanova Invitational, winning three of four, but did not compete last weekend. The Wolverines are 5-0 all-time against Saint Francis, including a 13-2 victory at the Michigan Invitational back in February.

Up Next

Saturday, March 27 -- vs. Salem (Canham Natatorium), 9 a.m./Noon