ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan water polo team started its 2024 home slate with a bang by sweeping Saint Francis University, 18-2, and No. 22 Long Island University, 14-9, on the first day of the Wolverine Invitational at home in Canham Natatorium.
Riley Chapple led the way offensively for the Maize and Blue in the opening game of the Wolverines’ Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) docket, tallying six points (three goals, three assists). Three Wolverines logged three-point games, including Kata Utassy, who scored three times to tie for the team lead. Alex Brown was a perfect five-for-five on save opportunities in 16 minutes played, with Grace Walsh and Katie Delaney taking the net in the second half.
It was all Michigan from the first sprint, as Libby Alsemgeest broke things open just 15 seconds into the game. Lola Ciruli and Alison Lock put on the pressure with a pair of goals in less than a minute, before Utassy and Alsemgeest capped off the quarter’s scoring to put the Wolverines up 5-0. The second frame saw an equally explosive offensive attack, with Emma Gustafsson finding the net just before the halftime buzzer to score U-M’s 10th goal of the game.
Michigan maintained its shutout bid through the third quarter, adding four more goals to make it a 14-0 game headed into the final eight minutes. Though the Red Flash managed to get on the scoreboard twice in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines answered with a goal of their own both times, leaving the pool with an 18-2 victory.
In the second game, Sammi Monroe carried the load offensively, scoring three times including a crucial penalty goal late in the second half. The rest of the goals came from a variety of sources as Alsemgeest and Gustafsson each added two scores while seven other Wolverines found the back of the net, including freshman Jillian Schlom scoring her first career goal for Michigan. Brown was called upon more in the second game than the first, but she was more than up to the challenge as the reigning CWPA Defensive Player of the Week racked up 14 saves, stopping more than 60 percent of the shots she faced.
Ciruli opened the scoring quickly, finding the back of the net 45 seconds into the contest. After LIU answered with a goal on the power play, Michigan responded with a 6-0 run that stretched into the second quarter. Six different Wolverines put the ball past the keeper in a balanced offensive attack to propel the home side to a 7-1 lead with 5:47 to go in the first half. The two teams each added a goal before the halftime whistle to make the score 8-2 in favor of the Wolverines heading into the final stanza.
In the third quarter, LIU found its footing in the ranked matchup, outscoring U-M 4-2 in the first eight minutes of the second half, but the Wolverines still held a 10-6 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Sharks looked poised to get back into the game, scoring the first two goals of the fourth to draw within two, 10-8, but that was as close as LIU would get. Michigan tightened its grip on the game with a 4-1 burst over the final 5:46 to outlast the Sharks.
Information courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
