ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan water polo team ran its winning streak to eight games in its return to Canham Natatorium by sweeping Salem University courtesy scorelines of 19-2 and 16-5.
The Wolverines wasted little time in jumping out to a lead in the first game as senior Maddie O’Reilly converted a five-meter penalty on the first possession. Junior Erin Neustrom and senior Sofie Pontré added goals in successive possessions, forcing a Salem timeout.
Graduate student Heidi Ritner played the first quarter in net and actually tallied two assists from the cage, feeding sophomore Sophie Tovani and freshman Libby Alsemgeest down the pool for breakaway goals. Tovani scored another to give the Wolverines a 6-0 lead after the first quarter.
Senior Kathy Rogers opened the scoring in the second. The Wolverines then drew a power play, which freshman Lola Ciruli took advantage of quickly, increasing the lead to 8-0 before Salem broke the shutout streak with a goal of its own. Michigan added three more goals before the break — two from freshman Alison Lock and one from graduate student Emily Byrne.
Michigan went up 15-2 in the third quarter on two goals from freshman Kata Utassy and one each from junior Ava Morrant and sophomore Anne Rankin.
In the fourth quarter, O’Reilly converted another penalty, Monroe scored twice — the second off a rebound — and Ciruli found the back of the net on the power play.
The Wolverines were remarkably efficient, scoring 19 goals on 38 shots (50 percent), while limiting Salem to two goals on 21 shots (nine percent). Ritner, junior Sophie Jackson and sophomore Alex Brown split time in the cage, combining to make 11 saves.
In the second game, Michigan opened the scoring with a tally from Rankin on the first possession. Salem responded to tie the game at one-all, but Rankin broke it quickly thereafter with another. O’Reilly added a power-play goal, forcing a Salem timeout.
A steal from Rogers led to a goal from Utassy to make it 4-1. Then Ritner fired a pass up the pool for Alsemgeest, who finished the goal on a breakaway. The Tigers added two more goals to cut the lead to 5-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Salem got to within two at 6-4, but the Wolverines quelled that run quickly, scoring four unanswered from Tovani, O’Reilly, Pontré (penalty) and senior Emily Ritner. The Tigers scored last before halftime, but U-M still had a healthy 10-5 lead.
The Wolverines scored three goals in both the third and fourth quarters to win the game, 16-5. Morrant scored twice, while Emily Ritner, Rogers, Byrne (penalty) and Lock added goals of their own.
Heidi Ritner played the first and fourth quarters, teaming with Jackson and Brown to make nine saves.
Release courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
