ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan water polo team dropped its final contest of the regular season by a 10-7 score to No. 14 Indiana University at Canham Natatorium. Seven seniors and one graduate student were honored in a pregame ceremony as a part of Senior Day.
Senior captain Lola Ciruli led the charge with two goals and one assist. Riley Chapple, Kaia Levenfeld and Elise Walker each had multi-point outings, tallying a score and a helper apiece. Alex Brown got the start in net for the Maize and Blue, tallying eight saves against the Hoosiers.
Chapple got Michigan on the scoreboard first with a soft lob over the head of the Indiana goalie for a 1-0 lead at 7:07 in the opening quarter. Indiana (20-8) promptly tied the game before Brooke Ingram scored to put U-M back in front 2-1. Indiana closed out a tense first quarter with two goals, including a score with 15 seconds on the clock, to take its first lead of the game, 3-2.
Both defenses settled in in the second quarter with the first goal of the frame coming at 3:13 from IU to put the Hoosiers up 4-2. Levenfeld scored to cut the deficit to one, but Indiana worked some more late-clock magic with a goal with one second left to a restore its two-goal edge, 5-3, heading to halftime.
The visitors gained firm control of the rivalry matchup in the third, outscoring Michigan 4-1 in the frame to expand their advantage to 9-4 with eight minutes to go. The Wolverines responded in the fourth starting with Ciruli’s first score of the contest to make it 9-5, Indiana. Emma Gustafsson launched a dart beyond the reach of the goalie to inch U-M closer, 9-6, with 4:56 remaining. IU scored its 10th goal of the game to take a 10-6 lead; Ciruli scored her second goal of the quarter with 22 seconds left, but the Hoosiers held firm and secured the 10-7 win.
Release courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
