U-M Overcomes First-Half Deficit to Race Past No. 23 Brown

Sunday, April 7

Lewisburg, Pa.

9:00 AM

Michigan

20-9, 7-2

Brown

15-13, 4-4

Brown

Michigan

Riley Chapple (Michigan Photography)

U-M Overcomes First-Half Deficit to Race Past No. 23 Brown

4/7/2024 11:04:00 AM | Water Polo

Box Score

By: Alex Whisnant

Site: Lewisburg, Pa. (Kinney Natatorium)
Scores: #11 Michigan 17, #23 Brown 9
Records: U-M (20-9, 6-2 CWPA), Brown (15-13, 4-4 CWPA)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 20 -- vs. Indiana (Canham Nataorium), 11 a.m.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan water polo team closed out its weekend with a 17-9 win over No. 23-ranked Brown on Sunday (April 7) at Kinney Natatorium, overcoming a 4-3 deficit in the second quarter to win its 20th game of the season.

Riley Chapple and Emma Gustafsson were dominant in the conference win as Chapple notched six points (three goals, three assists) and Gustafsson tallied five points with three scores and two helpers. Issy Jackson, Kaia Levenfeld, Ashley O'Neill and Jillian Schlom accounted for two goals each. Alex Brown logged nine saves in three quarters of action and assisted on Chapple's second goal of the game.

Brown (15-13, 4-4 CWPA) opened the scoring at the 6:04 mark of the first quarter with a penalty goal to inch in front 1-0. Gustafsson responded at 5:40 to even the score before Brown answered back to regain the lead 13 seconds later. Walker and Schlom scored to give Michigan (20-9, 6-2 CWPA) its first lead of the game, 3-2, at the end of the first.

In the second quarter, Brown tallied two straight goals to vault back in front 4-3 with 5:33 remaining in the half. The Maize and Blue offense closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to fuel U-M to a 9-4 halftime lead.

Michigan picked up right where it left off in the third quarter as it tallied three more goals without a response from Brown to take a commanding 12-4 lead. The Bears scored at 3:13 in the frame to put a brief halt on the Wolverines barrage, but U-M refused to be deterred as it scored three more to cap off a six-goal quarter and extend its lead to double digits, 15-5.

Brown found some life in the fourth quarter as it went on a 3-0 run that spanned more than half of the final period before Levenfeld and Gustafsson each dented the twine to push Michigan's total to 17. Brown added one more goal in the waning moments, but Michigan's lead proved to be too much as it secured the 17-9 win and a 3-1 record on the weekend.

Next up, Michigan will return to Canham Natatorium for its final home game of the season when it hosts Indiana on Saturday, April 20 at 11 a.m. for Senior Day.