April 6, 2012

No. 11 University of Maryland Stymies Salem International University, 21-1, in Western Division Game

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Maryland water polo team set up a showdown for the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Western Division regular-season crown by setting a school scoring record in a 21-1 league win over Salem International University at home in the Eppley Recreation Center.

The Terps (16-4, 5-0) scored the first eight goals of the game and cruised past undermanned Salem International. Allison Campbell, Katie Ermakova and Nicole Tobin had four goals each for the Terps who won their fifth straight game and will meet No. 13 University of Michigan (16-10, 4-1 CWPA West) at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 7 for the division title.

Freshman Hailey Smith had three goals and six other Terps scored once against the Tigers (0-14, 0-6) who had just seven players dressed for the game.

Ermakova and Simone Lewis matched team-high honors with three assists apiece. Ermakova had a career-high seven points. Tobin's four goals were a career best.

Rachel Stein had eight stops in net for Maryland which set the program record for goals scored in a 20-12 win over Wagner on Feb. 24, 2008.

"We got a chance to play a lot of people and work on some offensive sets," Maryland head coach Carl Salyer said.

Michigan didn't get much resistance from George Washington University (8-11) in the second game of the evening. The Wolverines downed the Colonials, 16-4, in a non-divisional game.

Maryland can claim the outright division title with a win over Michigan. A loss would create a three-way tie with 12th-ranked Indiana University (24-7, 5-1 CWPA West) and the top three seeds in next week's seven-team CWPA Western Division Tournament would be determined by goal differential.

"We're looking forward to tomorrow," Salyer said. "It's one of the biggest games we've played at home in the history of the program."

The Terps will also play host to three other games Saturday at Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium. The Wolverines face Bucknell University at 9:30 a.m. followed by GWU and Salem International at 11 a.m. Bucknell and George Washington cap off the weekend games with a 2:30 p.m. tilt.

Saturday will serve as Senior Day for the Terps. Christine Goetsch, Carly Hoshko and Shelby Reyes will be honored prior to the Michigan game.

"Those ladies have meant a lot to our program over the last four years and hopefully we can send them out with a win," Salyer said.

Admission is free to all four games Saturday. Parking is available in either Lot 1 or Stadium Drive garage. Click here to view a campus parking map.

For those not able to attend, the Maryland-Michigan game will be streamed live on Terps TV free of charge. Click here to view the game. There is no play-by-play available for the game.

Release courtesy Maryland Athletic Communications


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