BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) turns the clock back to January 23, 2011, for a clash between the host Wolverines of the University of Michigan and the visiting Bruins of the University of California-Los Angeles during the Michigan Kick-Off Tournament at Canham Natatorium for the latest “Flashback Friday”.
The then No. 8-ranked Wolverines fell to the No. 4 Bruins, 6-5, in a contest broadcast by the Big Ten Network.
Goalie/junior Morgan Turner made five stops to hold the Bruins to just six goals after they had scored 32 times in their first two games of the tournament.
Michigan took the Bruins to the brink in a contest that came down to who would score last. Midway through the opening frame, senior Alison Mantel set out to erase an early two-goal lead for UCLA, slipping a shot under the crossbar to cut the lead in half. Sophomore Lauren Colton knotted the game up from two meters, leaving the teams even after the first quarter. The Bruins scored three straight goals in the second quarter to give them a 5-2 edge at the break.
In just under nine minutes of game time, the Maize and Blue erased the deficit with three consecutive markers of its own. Reitz sparked the comeback bid with a low skip shot 2:34 into the third frame. Less than three minutes later, freshman Kelsey Nolan took a pass from senior Lauren Orth on the left post and slammed a shot into the back of the cage. Senior Keller Felt knotted the score at 5-5 on a pass from sophomore Kiki Golden just 40 seconds after the final sprint.
The tie score did not last, however, as UCLA retook the lead for good when two Wolverines, including the goalkeeper Turner, were ejected with 6:33 remaining. Both teams tried to find an advantage in the waning minutes but UCLA held off the upset bid.
