ANN ARBOR, Mich. — No. 8-ranked the University of Michigan stopped No. 20 Wagner College, 10-7, prior to dropping an exhibition game to the Chinese National Team, 13-10, and suffering a 9-5 loss to No. 4 the University of California-Los Angeles on the first day of the 2018 Michigan Invitational at home in Canham Natatorium.
Facing 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Champion/fellow National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship qualifier Wagner in the day’s opener, Michigan fell behind 6-5 by halftime via a three straight goals by the Seahawks in the second quarter.
However, the Michigan defense that was so good during the opening weekend of the season came through again by holding the Seahawks to just one goal in the second half. Sophomore Cameron Cordial was making just her second career start in goal and had four saves and four steals in the win.
Junior Kim Johnson helped the Wolverines pull away with two of her game-high five goals coming in the third quarter. The five goals matched a career high for Johnson, who continuously gained favorable position on the inside with her athleticism. She also had four steals in the contest.
Senior Caroline Anderson and sophomore Maddy Steere each tallied two goals and one assist. Anderson added three steals for a defense that racked up 17 steals in the outing.
Michigan’s second game of the day was one of two weekend exhibitions against the Chinese National Team.
In order to rest his starters for the third game of the day, head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi sent his “bench mob” against China.
Freshman Maddie O’Reilly notched four goals and three steals to lead the squad in scoring. Junior Delaney Cleveland was the other U-M player to score multiple goals (two). Senior Laura Jimenez had a great all-around game with one goal, one assist and two steals.
U-M controlled the first period, leading 3-1 after eight minutes, but China stormed back in the middle half of the game with five goals in both the second and third quarters. The scoring barrage was too much to overcome as Jiawen Lu led China’s squad with five goals and three assists.
Cordial made nine saves in the game before she gave way to freshman Sara Campbell, who made one save in the final 5:17 minutes.
The last game of the day was a Top-10 matchup that drew a great crowd. The atmosphere was great with the alumni band playing, the team’s family and friends out in full force to cheer them on and their second-grade pen pals from Burns Park Elementary School bouncing homemade signs in support for Team 18.
UCLA scored four of the first five goals to try to quiet the crowd, but a goal with six seconds left in the first quarter by Caroline Anderson sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Just 1:26 into the second quarter, U-M drew a penalty foul and Steere converted to cut the lead to one goal at 4-3. UCLA answered with two more goals to extend the lead to 6-3 at halftime.
Michigan tried to muster another comeback in the third quarter when freshman Maddy Johnston took a pass from Anderson from six meters out and scored to make it 6-4. Again, UCLA had an answer with two more goals and that was as close as U-M would come.
The fourth quarter was scoreless as the two defenses settled in to a style more reminiscent of UCLA’s 5-4 win last week.
Steere led the team with two goals, one assist and two steals.
Information courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
