IRVINE, Calif. — The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan water polo team wrapped up the 2024 Barbara Kalbus Invitational with a gritty 9-8 win over No. 7 Arizona State University at the University of California-Irvine’s Anteater Aquatics Complex to finish ninth at the tournament.
Alison Lock paced the Wolverines on the scoresheet, tallying three goals in a little over a quarter to notch her second hat trick of the 2024 season. Kata Utassy logged a team-high four points, scoring twice and chipping in two assists. Utassy also racked up a squad-best three steals. Lulu Hirschfield added two critical go-ahead goals to bolster Michigan’s winning effort. Alex Brown came up big in the top-10 matchup by registering 11 saves, her eighth double-digit save start of the season.
The first quarter was a defensive battle with the first score coming with 55 seconds remaining in the frame as Kaia Levenfeld converted a penalty shot to put U-M in front 1-0 heading to the second frame.
Arizona State tied the game at the 5:00 mark before Hirschfield put Michigan ahead with her first score of the contest, making the score 2-1 with 3:21 to go in the opening half. After another Sun Devils goal tied the game again, Lock beat the clock and scored with one second left to boost the Maize and Blue to a 3-2 halftime lead.
ASU was poised to grab the momentum coming out of the break as it found the back of the net to tie the game for the third time, 3-3. Lock scored her second to briefly give Michigan a one-goal edge before the Sun Devils scored with 4:04 left in the frame, knotting the game at four. Michigan took control with a critical 4-0 run, powered by goals from Hirschfield, Lock and Utassy, to make the score 8-4 in favor of the Maize and Blue with 7:33 in the fourth.
The Sun Devils pulled one back at 5:05 before Lola Ciruli provided an insurance goal at 3:54 to push Michigan’s lead back to four, 9-5. Arizona State scored three straight goals over the final 1:44, but the comeback fell short as Michigan held on for the 9-8 win, finishing with a 3-1 record for the tournament.
Release courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications