PALO ALTO, Calif. — The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan water polo team gave No. 3 University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) a battle for three quarters, but the Bruins used a 5-0 run and an advantage on six-on-five opportunities to advance to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Women’s Water Polo National Championship Semifinals with a 13-7 victory over the Wolverines at Stanford University’s Avery Aquatic Center.
U-M scored the game’s first goal and led 3-2 with 1:38 to play in the first quarter. That is when UCLA started a 5-0 run, scoring twice in the final 1:21 of the first period and outscoring the Wolverines, 3-0, in the first 2:23 of the second.
Senior Julia Sellers scored her second goal of the game to end the UCLA run and sophomore Maddie O’Reilly ripped in a hard shot to cut the lead back down to two goals at 7-5 with 1:37 left in the half. UCLA answered with one more to take an 8-5 halftime lead.
Michigan twice cut the lead back down to two goals in the third period. Sophomore Sofie Pontré and junior Maddy Steere each scored to trim down the lead, but U-M could not string a run together.
UCLA held the Wolverines scoreless over the final 13:26 of the game and extended the lead to the eventual 13-7 outcome.
U-M was led by Sellers and Steere with two goals apiece. Steere also added an assist for three points in the contest. Freshman Abby Andrews scored the game’s first goal and added two assists in the loss.
The power play opportunities proved to be a big difference in the game. UCLA converted six of its seven opportunities and Michigan scored on just two of its 6-on-5 chances. U-M also had two penalty shots, but one was saved in the final 30 seconds of the third period that could have cut the lead back down to two goals.
Michigan finishes its season with a 23-9 overall record as the Wolverines officially finish fifth in the final NCAA Championship standings in a tie with No. 8 the University of the Pacific (18-9 L vs. No. 2 Stanford), No. 14 the University of California-San Diego (14-8 L vs. No. 1 University of Southern California) and No. 5 the University of Hawaii (17-13 L vs. No. 4 University of California) which also fell in the quarterfinals.
Release courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
