University of Michigan-vs.-Harvard University Scoresheet
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Julia Sellers (Sr., Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) and conference Rookie of the Year Abby Andrews (Fr., Indooroopilly, Australia/Brisbane Girls Grammar School) both scored three times to share Player of the Game honors and claim hat-tricks as No. 6-ranked the University of Michigan doubled No. 16 Harvard University, 14-7, in the semifinals of the 2019 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship hosted by Brown University at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.
The victory advances Michigan (22-8) into a Noon showdown with No. 15 Princeton University on Sunday, April 28, with the CWPA Championship on the line. Princeton, which downed No. 21 Bucknell University by an 11-5 final score in the semifinal before Michigan’s defeat of Harvard, will aim to make history and snap a three-year long conference title run by the Maize & Blue.
An eight-time (2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018) CWPA Champion and four-time runner-up (2004, 2006, 2011, 2013), Michigan is seeking to become the first time to capture four league crowns since the legendary squads of Slippery Rock University (1988-to-1996) which ran off nine-consecutive crowns. However, the Wolverines will aim to become the first team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) era, i.e. post 2000, to achieve the feat as the 2008-to-2010 Michigan squad came up short due to a title game defeat at Indiana University against the host Hoosiers in 2011.
Taking on Harvard (21-7) for the second time in 2019 following a 17-2 regular season concluding win on April 13 at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., the Wolverines never trailed by opening up a 5-2 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter to put the Crimson behind the eight-ball early on.
Harvard, which won the opening sprint, held the Maize & Blue off the scoreboard for the first 3:09 of the game until Kim Johnson (Sr., Walnut Creek, Calif./Las Lomas) broke through for Michigan with a strike at the 4:51 mark of the first quarter. The Crimson knotted the score at one-all less than forty seconds later as Mathilde Ribordy (Jr., Quebec City, Quebec/Les Hydres de Quebec) swished a man-up chance at 4:17, but the Wolverines rampaged to take the lead for good over the remainder of the opening frame.
Sellers started the scoring spree at 3:46 prior to 2019 CWPA Most Valuable Player Maddy Steere (Jr., Pascoe Vale, Australia/St. Catherine’s School), Johnson and Maddy Johnston (So., Hillsborough, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) denting the twine with even-strength markers at 3:10, 2:42 and 1:59, respectively, to push the defending champions ahead 5-1.
Harvard closed its gap to 5-2 prior to the conclusion of the opening quarter as Ribordy buried another six-on-five opportunity with 1:22 remaining on the clock.
The game swung decidedly in favor of Michigan in the second quarter as the team outscored Harvard 5-1 over the next eight minutes to carry a 10-3 lead into halftime.
Johnston opened the second quarter by connecting for a natural goal at 7:01 prior to Steere lining in a five-meter penalty shot (6:05), Erin Neustrom (Fr., Moraga, Calif./Campolindo) stuffing in another even-strength score (3:54), Maddie O’Reilly (So., Villanova, Pa./The Episcopal Academy) cashing in on a power-play bid (2:44) and Andrews swishing another goal with the teams at even-strength (1:20) to cap off a 5-0 run by Michigan to grab a 10-2 lead.
The Crimson attempted to rally back in the closing minutes of the second quarter and the opening three minutes of the third frame.
Borden Wahl (Fr., Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich Academy) inched Harvard within seven at 10-3 prior to halftime by slipping a shot past Michigan goalie Heidi Ritner (Jr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) with 51 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Following intermission, the Crimson continued to dig their way out of a sizable hole as Ribordy completed a hat-trick with her third goal with 5:59 on the clock as she flushed another man-up opportunity to move Harvard within 10-4. Sofia Carrera-Justiz (Jr., Coral Gables, Fla./Ransom Everglades) followed with a tally at even-strength to trim Michigan’s lead down to 10-5 with 5:12 to go in the third quarter.
Andrews terminated the Crimson’s comeback try at 4:52 to push the spread back to six (11-5), but Wahl (4:32, even-strength) and Grace Thawley (Fr., Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) (two seconds, man-up) chipped two goals off the gap prior to the beginning of the fourth quarter to inch the Crimson within four at 11-7.
However, the tail end of the game belonged exclusively to the Wolverines as Andrews (3:11) and Sellers (2:18, 39 seconds) put Harvard away with back-to-back-to-back goals over the duration of the final eight-minute quarter to establish the final margin of Maize & Blue victory at 14-7.
For Michigan, seven different players found the back of the cage with Andrews (three), Sellers (three), Johnson (two), Johnston (two) and Steere (two) all registering multi-goal games. Neustrom and O’Reilly each finished with solo scores in support of a five save effort by Ritner.
The win advances Michigan to its third consecutive CWPA Championship meeting against Princeton as the Wolverines topped the Tigers 5-4 in 2017 at Indiana University and 11-8 last year at Bucknell University. Historically, Michigan is 2-1 all-time against Princeton in CWPA title tilts as the Tigers captured a 7-5 victory in 2013 at home in DeNunzio Pool.
RIbordy led the way for the Crimson with three goals, while Wahl dumped in a pair. Thawley and Carrera-Justiz each tossed in single markers, while goalie Sam Acker (Sr., Palo Alto, Calif./Gunn) suffered the loss with 10 saves.
Due to the loss, Harvard will face Bucknell at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 28, in the Third Place game. The game marks the fourth meeting of the year between the Crimson and Bison, Harvard stands at 2-1 against Bucknell in 2019 with an 8-6 win over March 3 at home during the Crimson Invitational and a 15-13 win at George Washington University on March 31 prior to suffering a 9-7 setback at home on April 6.
Historically, this marks Harvard’s third appearance in the Third Place game since 2000 as the team placed third in 2000 and fourth in 2017. In the entire history of the program, Harvard has finished second (1988, 1990, 1995), third (1989, 1992, 1998, 2000), fourth (1999, 2017), fifth (1993, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2005), sixth (2003, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016), seventh (2001, 2002, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018) and eighth (1997, 2006, 2007, 2010) at the women’s CWPA/Eastern Championship.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Harvard University | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | 7 |
| University of Michigan | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | – | 14 |
| Michigan Goals: | Abby Andrews (3); Julia Sellers (3); Kim Johnson (2); Maddy Johnston (2); Maddy Steere (2); Erin Neustrom; Maddie O’Reilly | |||||
| Harvard Goals: | Mathilde Ribordy (3); Borden Wahl (2); Grace Thawley; Sofia Carrera-Justiz | |||||
| Saves: | Michigan – Heidi Ritner (5) ; Harvard – Sam Acker (10) | |||||
| Exclusions: | Michigan – 13 ; Harvard – 7 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Michigan – 2-for-7 ; Harvard – 4-for-13 | |||||
| Sprints: | Michigan – 0-for-4 ; Harvard – 4-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC (Harvard – Head coach Ted Minnis, 3:11 left in 4th Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Val Vasilchikov; Josh Kratz | |||||
Harvard University’s Evan Tingler (#12)
University of Michigan’s Sofie Pontre (#11)
Harvard University’s Lana Gorlinski (#2) attempts to escape the grasp of the University of Michigan’s Maddy Steere (#3)
University of Michigan’s Maddy Steere (#3)
