U-M to Head East for Conference Crossover at Princeton

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan women's water polo team (12-6, 1-0 CWPA) will head to Princeton, N.J., for Conference Crossover. The Wolverines will take on three CWPA foes, starting with a pair of games on Saturday (March 2) -- first against Brown (8-7, 0-1 CWPA) at 11 a.m., followed by a date with host Princeton (8-2, 2-0 CWPA) at 3 p.m. U-M will close out the tournament by facing Harvard (7-5, 1-1 CWPA) at 9 a..m. on Sunday (March 3).

Notes

• Michigan is coming off a strong 3-1 weekend at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, knocking off two ranked opponents including then-No. 7 Arizona State. Five of U-M's 12 wins have come against ranked opponents, while the Wolverines have yet to lose to an unranked opponent this season.

• As she has done all season, Kata Utassy leads the charge on offense. The senior tallied 14 points alone at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, notching seven goals and seven assists. For the season, Utassy boasts a team-high 66 points (42 goals, 24 assists), which ranks fourth in the country.

• Libby Alsemgeest is tied for second on the squad with 35 points. Alsemgeest put together some strong performances at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, highlighted by a four-goal outburst in a win over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday (Feb. 24). Alsemgeest has been prolific in giving the Wolverines power-play opportunities, drawing 92 exclusions in 18 games this season and surpassing her total from last year.

• The other 35-point scorer, freshman Emma Gustafsson has made a name for herself in her first year with the Wolverines. The Greenwich, Conn., native has registered four games with four points or more this season, including back-to-back six-point outings at the Indiana Classic.

• Rounding out the 30-point scorers are Lola Ciruli and Sammi Monroe. Ciruli has tallied 16 goals and 14 assists to reach 30 points, while Monroe has registered 15 goals and 15 assists to reach the threshold. Ciruli also leads the Maize and Blue in steals, causing 21 turnovers in 18 starts this season.

• Alex Brown remains steady in the cage, ranking second in the country in saves with 146. Brown has saved more than half of the shots on target she has faced in each of her last three starts.

• Michigan owns a combined 72-13 against its three upcoming opponents, including a 19-1 mark against Harvard.