BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan water polo team overcame a two-goal deficit in the fourth quarter to record a come-from-behind 13-11 win over No. 13 Indiana University at Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
Freshman Kata Utassy led the way with four goals, while senior Maddie O’Reilly tallied four points on two goals and two assists. Senior Emily Ritner and junior Erin Neustrom each recorded two-goal games as well.
The two sides dug in defensively to start the game. The Wolverines went up 1-0 on a goal from Neustrom, but the Hoosiers responded with a pair of power-play goals to take the lead. Utassy knotted the game up at 2 with a sweet shot into the side corner.
It was a back-and-forth second quarter with each team taking advantage of opportunities. O’Reilly was the catalyst for Michigan, scoring twice on five-meter penalty shots and dishing out assists to Ritner and sophomore Anne Rankin.
The Wolverines held a 15-14 edge in shots at halftime but trailed 7-6. The difference was on the power play: Indiana went three-of-five, while U-M was one-of-four.
Early in the third quarter, Indiana scored to go up 8-6 and then added another on a breakaway power-play goal after senior Sofie Pontré was whistled for an exclusion. Michigan ended the run on a power-play goal from junior Kayla Barone, trimming the deficit to 9-7. After the Hoosiers restored their three-goal lead, Utassy brought it back down to two with her second goal of the game in the frame’s final moments. The Wolverines went to the fourth quarter trailing 10-8.
The Wolverines hung around and made their move. They could not convert an early power-play opportunity, but shortly after it ended, Utassy completed the hat trick to make it 10-9. After Indiana scored to go up 11-9, sophomore Alex Brown freed up Ritner on the breakaway, and Ritner dropped one in over the Indiana goalie’s head to make it 11-10. Then with 3:56 left, Pontré converted a five-meter penalty shot to tie the game at 11.
A backhanded goal from Neustrom put the Wolverines in front permanently with 2:45 left. After senior Kathy Rogers was called for her third exclusion of the game, Indiana had a chance to tie it up on the power play, but O’Reilly swiped the ball on the entry pass to end the threat. She then drew an exclusion on the other end, which Utassy converted to make the score 13-11.
Release courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
