SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan water polo team wrapped up the University of California-Santa Barbara Winter Invitational by downing No. 16 the University of California-San Diego, 11-4, and falling to No. 5 Arizona State University, 5-3.
Against UC-San Diego, senior Caroline Anderson hit an impressive milestone as the Wolverines showed no signs of fatigue after they played three games on Saturday. Anderson became the first in Michigan water polo history to hit the 200-career-assists plateau as U-M took it to the No. 16 Tritons.
U-M opened the game with consecutive goals by freshman Sofie Pontré and junior Kim Johnson. The Tritons came back to take a 3-2 lead before Johnson got her second of the game to tie the score at 3 with 40 seconds left in the first period.
From that point forward, the Michigan defense was stalwart. Sophomore goalkeeper Heidi Ritner and the six in front her held UC San Diego to just one goal over the final 25:53 and that goal came with three seconds to go in the first half.
Ritner racked up seven saves in the game and has helped U-M hold three of its first four opponents to five goals or fewer.
On the offensive end, two Wolverines scored hat tricks. Johnson finished with three goals and three steals, while junior Julia Sellers picked up three goals and four steals. Anderson had four assists in the game to give her 203 in her career, while adding two goals. Sophomore Maddy Steere contributed three assists in the victory.
Playing their fifth game in two days, while Arizona State was playing its third, Michigan and the Sun Devils contested a defensive battle.
The two top-10 programs showed their defensive prowess. The first eight minutes featured lockdown defense as neither team cracked the scoreboard.
Michigan was the first to break through the defensive wall in the second period when freshman Maddie O’Reilly got one into the net. Arizona State answered with back-to-back goals, including one on a six-on-fve chance to take a 2-1 lead into halftime.
The Wolverines came out in the second half and tied the game at 2 when sophomore Maddy Steere banked one in. The score would remain tied until the fourth quarter when the Sun Devils scored twice in the first 1:32 to open up a lead.
Pontré brought Michigan back to within one goal with a skip shot at the 4:53 mark. However, with 4:26 to play, ASU went back up by two goals, 5-3. The Wolverines were unable to score another goal and the Sun Devils earned the victory.
Ritner tallied 10 saves and two steals in the losing effort in goal. Anderson and Johnson each had three steals as the defense shined in the top-10 matchup.
Information courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
