U-M Bests Iona, California Baptist to Finish Undefeated at Indiana Classic

Sunday, February 18

Bloomington, Ind.

9:15 AM

Michigan

8-5

Iona

3-4

Michigan

Iona

(Michigan Photography)

U-M Bests Iona, California Baptist to Finish Undefeated at Indiana Classic

2/18/2024 3:38:00 PM | Water Polo

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 PDF Boxscore (Iona)PDF Boxscore (California Baptist)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Alex Whisnant

Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center)
Event: Indiana Classic (Day 2 of 2)
Score: #8 Michigan 19, Iona 9; #8 Michigan 17, California Baptist 9
Records: U-M (9-5), Iona (3-4), California Baptist (3-9)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 23 -- vs. UC Irvine - Barbara Kalbus Invitational (Irvine, Calif.), 2:30 p.m. PST

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan water polo team knocked off Iona 19-9 before downing California Baptist 17-9 on Sunday (Feb. 18) to finish 3-0 at the Indiana Classic at Counsilman-Bilingsley Aquatics Center.

The freshmen shined on offense against Iona. Emma Gustafsson and Kaia Levenfeld each scored four goals. Jillian Schlom tied with Riley Chapple for the team lead in assists with four. Alison Lock notched a hat-trick while Libby Alsemgeest and Brooke Ingram each found the back of the net twice.

Michigan opened the scoring with two quick goals as Levenfeld cashed in a penalty shot before Alsemgeest found paydirt to put the Wolverines up 2-0 at the 7:12 mark of the first quarter. Iona cut the lead in half moments later to make the score 2-1. Goals by Alsemgeest, Ingram and Kata Utassy gave the Maize and Blue a four-goal advantage, 5-1, at the end of the opening frame.

U-M scored three more in the first six minutes of the second quarter to cap off a 6-0 run. Iona found its second goal of the contest to make it an 8-2 game with 1:04 to go in the half. Lock scored her first goal of the game to send the two sides to half with the score reading 9-2 in favor of Michigan.

Both teams scored twice within the first three minutes of the third quarter, with Gustafsson and Ingram providing the offense for the Maize and Blue. With Michigan leading 11-4, Lock and Schlom combined for three goals to put the Wolverines up 10, 14-4, at the end of the third quarter.

Gustafsson and Levenfeld applied more pressure to start the fourth as the freshman duo each scored two goals while Iona found the back of the net once but Michigan remained in control, 18-5. The Gaels outscored U-M 4-1 over the final 3:09 of the game, but the Wolverines' lead proved to be too much as they secured the 19-9 win to move to 2-0 in the Indiana Classic.

Michigan was strong defensively in the second half against California Baptist, allowing only two goals in the final 16 minutes to pull away. It was the veterans who propelled the Wolverines offensively as Elise Walker scored a career-high five goals on eight shots, and Utassy regained her shooting form with four tallies against the Lancers. Lola Ciruli notched a team-best four assists, and Sammi Monroe added three helpers.

It was a tight first quarter that began with goals by each team in quick succession as Utassy converted a penalty shot before Cal Baptist quickly answered to make a 1-1 game at the 6:17 mark. CBU scored on a power play to briefly take the lead, but Walker scored her first of the game to tie it at two. The scales briefly tipped in Michigan's favor behind Utassy's score before the Lancers scored to restore the deadlock at three goals apiece. Both teams added another goal before the end of the quarter to make it 4-4 after eight minutes.

In the second, Monroe and Utassy dented the twine to give U-M its first multi-goal lead of the contest, 6-4, with 5:48 to play. After another Cal Baptist goal on the power play, Levenfeld buried a penalty shot to vault Michigan to a two-goal lead once again, 7-5. A flurry of goals ensued to close out the first half as the Lancers scored two more goals on 6-on-5 opportunities, and Walker and Levenfeld each scored to make the halftime score 9-7.

The Wolverines took control in the third quarter as Levenfeld, Utassy and Walker provided a 4-0 scoring run to stake Michigan to 13-7 lead at the 1:46 mark of the third. Cal Baptist put a stop to the spurt with a goal with seven seconds remaining to send the game into the final frame with Michigan leading 13-8.

U-M outscored CBU 4-1 in the fourth quarter as four different players found the back of the net to pull away and seal the 17-9 win to cap off an undefeated weekend for Michigan.

U-M will be back in action on Friday (Feb. 23) at 2:30 p.m. PST when it travels to Irvine, Calif., to take on host UC Irvine at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational.