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No. 4 California Upends No. 6 Michigan 12-8 at NCAA Championship
SAN DIEGO, Calif.
-- The No. 5-seed and No. 6-nationally ranked University
of Michigan water polo team fell, 12-8, to No. 4-seed and ranked
University of California in the opening round of the NCAA
Championship on Friday evening (May 14) at the Aztec Aquaplex.
Freshman Alex Adamson (Coronado, Calif./Coronado)
made three first-half saves and sophomore Morgan Turner
(Mission Viejo, Calif./Trabuco Hills) stopped six shots in
the second half. Offensively, junior Lauren Orth (Poway,
Calif./Poway) was four-for-five on five-meter penalty
shots, making all three she attempted in the third quarter. Junior
Alison Mantel (Miami, Fla./Gulliver) tallied two
markers.
Michigan kept things close through the first period of play before a tough second frame created a large deficit to overcome. After Cal broke open the scoring in the opening frame, Mantel evened things up on a skip shot from senior Leah Robertson (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor). Orth took the first of her five penalty shots, scoring with just over a minute left to pull U-M to within 3-2. Cal then exploded for four unanswered goals in the second period to carry a 7-2 lead into the break.
Michigan began to find a groove in the second half, pulling back to within four goals with five third-period markers. Turner jumped into the cage and provided a spark with a steal, setting up a rush that resulted in a far bar goal from junior Keller Felt (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla). After alternating goals to a 10-4 score, Orth rattled off a five-meter penalty goal every minute for the final three minutes of the third period. Robertson drew consecutive five-meters before freshman Kiki Golden (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista) drew the third when she was put under inside two meters. However, Cal scored two early in the final frame to put the game out of reach.
The Wolverines will face No. 8-seed and Division III No. 1-nationally ranked Pomona-Pitzer College for a chance at the fifth-place game at the 2010 NCAA Championship. Fans can follow the game on the MGoBlue.com via live blog or listen to live audio at aztecchannel.sdsu.edu.
Release courtesy University of Michigan Athletic Communications
