BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Goalies Heidi Ritner (Gr., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar), Sophie Jackson (Jr., West Yorkshire, England/The Crossley Heath Grammar School) and Alex Brown (So., Clayton, Calif./Carondelet) of No. 7-ranked the University of Michigan combined for 12 saves in victories over Mount St. Mary’s University (16-0 W) and No. 20 Bucknell University (12-5 W) to claim the 2021 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division I Championship on Saturday, April 24 at home in Canham Natatorium. For their combined performance, the trio share honors as the April 26 CWPA Division I Defensive Player of the Week.
Facing the Mountaineers of Mount St. Marys, Ritner did not record a save in the first half prior to Brown and Jackson notching pairs of stops in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
The trio repeated the feat in the league title game versus Bucknell as Ritner allowed three goals with three saves in the first half prior to Brown stopping five shots in the third quarter with a goal allowed before Jackson closed out the Wolverines’ 10th overall and fifth consecutive CWPA Championship in the fourth quarter.
The honor marks the inaugural weekly recognition for Jackson, while Brown claims her second Defensive Player of the Week nod after previously garnering the March 22 award.
Ritner – who was the goalie of record in both victories and garnered All-Tournament First Team status – claims her 17th Defensive Player of the Week and 22nd overall weekly honor from the league office during her time with the Maize & Blue. The January 23, February 13, February 27, April 10 and May 15 Rookie of the Week during the 2017 season, she picked up Defensive Player of the Week nods in 2017 (January 23, February 27, April 10, May 15), 2018 (January 22, March 12, May 14), 2019 (February 25, March 18, April 15) and the COVID-19 abbreviated 2020 (January 20, January 27, February 24) campaigns. Ritner was previously named the February 22, March 1 and April 12 Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season.
April 26 Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Defensive Player of the Week Honor Roll: Sam Gove (Bucknell University); Rebekka Williams (Mount St. Mary’s University); Rosalinda Rivera (Saint Francis University)
