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No. 10 Michigan Handles Marist 7-4 in 2008 NCAA Second Round
PALO ALTO, Calif.
-- No. 10 nationally ranked the University of Michigan
used scoring from seven players, including a goal and two assists
from driver Mary Chatigny (Jr., Palm Springs, Calif./Palm
Springs), to outlast and overpower Metro Atlantic
Conference champion Marist College 7-4 in the second round of the
2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship
at Stanford University's Avery Stadium.
Michigan, the 2008 Collegiate Water Polo Association champion,
will face-off with No. 5-ranked San Diego State University, an 11-4
winner over Division III No. 1-ranked Pomona-Pitzer College in the
second round, in the fifth place game at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, May
11, while Marist will take on Pomona Pitzer at 12:30 p.m. in the
seventh place game.
The game will mark the second meeting between the Wolverines and
Aztecs this year as San Diego State recorded a 10-9 victory over
Michigan earlier this season.
In a game of halves in which Michigan pulled away in the second
half while being outshot 15-9, the Wolverines never trailed and
took a 1-0 lead 14 seconds into the game as center Michelle
Keeley (Sr., Rockford, Mich./Rockford) lobbed a shot into
the left side of the cage for a 1-0 lead with 7:46 left in the
first period.
Marist countered to knot the game for the final time as two-meter
Katelin McCahill (Jr., East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand
Rapids) lobbed a shot from seven meters out which sailed
inside the right post and into the twine at the 2:39 mark to even
the score at 1-1.
Drivers Carrie Frost (Jr., Saline, Mich./Saline)
and Cara Reitz (Fr., Miami, Fla./Gulliver
Preparatory) put the Wolverines in front to stay with 47
seconds left in the first period as Frost crossed a pass from the
right side to Reitz who ripped a shot into the upper 90 of the cage
on an exclusion opportunity to give Michigan a 2-1 lead.
The lead ballooned to 3-1 with 2:12 left in the second period as
Frost slipped a pass to Chatigny in the center who backhanded a
blast over the outstretched arm of Marist goalie Elizabeth
Davis (Sr., Albuquerque, N.M./Valley). Marist responded
with 1:06 left in the first half to pull to within 3-2 as Colleen
Lischwe ripped a shot which deflected off the the left index finger
of Michigan netminder Brittany May (Jr., Santa Barbara,
Calif./Santa Barbara) and into the back of the cage to put
the Red Foxes within a score at the break.
Overall, the first half was evenly matched as both teams fired off
10 shots, both won a face-off and each goalie recorded four saves.
The key to the half, however, was exclusions as Michigan drew
seven, including four in the second period, to Marist's five.
Michigan began to pull away in the opening minutes of the third
period as driver Sharayah Hernandez (Jr., Pico Rivera,
Calif./El Rancho) drilled an even-strength goal as she
blasted a shot inside the near post at 7:38, two seconds following
the conclusion of an ejection on Marist's Rachel Sunday
(So., Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) which occurred with
two seconds left in the first period.
Driver Alison Mantel (Fr., Miami, Fla./Gulliver
Preparatory) pushed the lead to 5-2 at the 6:38 mark as
she registered a goal with a shot from five meters out which sailed
into the upper right corner of the cage.
Two-meter Sarah Roberts (Fr., Newport Beach,
Calif./Newport Harbor) cushioned the margin with a score
off an assist from center Julie Hyrne (Jr., Sunnyvale,
Calif./Archbishop Mitty) as an ejection was whistled
against Marist's Angie Rampton (So., Simi Valley,
Calif./Royal) with 2:14 left in the third period as the
first three shots taken by Michigan in the quarter found the back
of the cage.
Marist sliced the lead back to 6-3 with a marker by utility-player
Rosie Pauli (Fr., Sacramento, Calif./St. Francis)
with 1:02 left in the third period and moved back to within a pair
of scores at 6-4 wtih 6:01 left in the fourth period as
utility-player Samantha Swartz (So., Harleysville,
Pa./Souderton) finished a cross pass.
However, the Michigan offense and defense stepped up to preserve
the win as two-meter defender Terri Bukofzer (So., Vernon
Hills, Ill./Stevenson) broke away and converted on a
scoring chance to set the final at 7-4.
Unlike the first half in which the two teams were evenly matched,
the second half saw Marist outshoot Michigan 15-9. However,
Michigan cashed in on their chances to score going three-for-three
to open the third period and punching in their second shot of five
in the fourth to hold on for the win.
Further, the teams nearly hit as many posts as goals were recorded
as the teams combined to draw iron 10 times, including six shots
that rang off the bar by Marist.
In cage, May and Davis finished with 11 and nine saves,
respectively.
Coverage of all 12 games of the NCAA Championship is available at
the NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship site.
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | -- | Final |
| Marist College | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -- | 4 |
| University of Michigan | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | -- | 7 |
Michigan Goals -- Alison Mantel; Terri Bukofzer;
Carrie Frost; Michelle Keeley; Sharayah Hernandez; Sarah Roberts;
Cara Reitz
Marist Goals -- Katelin McCahill; Colleen
Lischwe; Rosie Pauli; Samantha Swartz
Michigan Assists -- Mary Chatigny (2); Carrie
Frost; Julie Hyrne
Marist Assists -- Katelin McCahill
Saves: Michigan - Brittany May (11 / 1-3-3-4) ;
Marist - (9 / 2-2-2-3)
Exclusions: Michigan - 10 (2-3-3-2) ; Marist - 12
(3-4-2-3)
Shots: Michigan - 19 (6-4-4-5) ; Marist - 25
(3-7-8-7)
Sprints: Michigan - 3 (1-0-1-1) / Marist - 1
(0-1-0-0)
