Michigan Water Polo: USC drop Michigan in NCAA opener:

from MGoBlue.com
http://www.mgoblue.com/water-polo-w/article.aspx?id=137088

Michigan Drops NCAA Opener to No. 2 Southern Cal

May 9, 2008
Site: Palo Alto, Calif. (Avery Aquatic Center)
Event: NCAA Championship (First Round)
Score: #2 Southern Cal 12, #10 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (33-10), USC (20-7)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, May 10 -- vs. Marist at NCAA Championship (Palo Alto, Calif.), 12:30 p.m. PDT

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan water polo could not slow No. 2-ranked Southern Cal in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Championship, falling 12-3 Friday afternoon (May 9) at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center. Despite falling behind by seven goals at the half, the sixth-seeded Wolverines matched the No. 3 seed's two goals in the third quarter and added another tally in the fourth.
Junior Mary Chatigny (Palm Springs, Calif./Palm Springs) scored twice for the Maize and Blue, while sophomore Leah Robertson (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) turned in a four-steal day. Junior Brittany May (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) made five stops in net.

USC jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opening frame. The Trojans got their first two markers on hard shots from seven meters into the right corner of the cage, one with an extra attacker, and two more from in close. U-M was not without its chances. Juniors Sharayah Hernandez (Pico Rivera, Calif./El Rancho) and Julie Hyrne (Sunnyvale, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) found iron within a minute of each other following the first two USC goals. Freshman Cara Reitz (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and Chatigny generated shots later in the period, but neither found its way into the back of the cage.

The two teams tightened up in the second period. Michigan tried to chip into the lead with a pair of early breakaways. Freshman Alison Mantel (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) took a pass from Robertson on the move across mid-pool. As she tried to line up her shot, two Trojans caught up and dunked her before the shot could be taken. Freshman Keller Felt (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla) got a breakaway of her own, streaking down the pool with Mantel toward the cage. Despite the fast break, Felt was caught as well, but drew a power play. On the ensuing advantage, she almost cashed in on her drawn kickout, driving a cross-cage pass off the bar. At 2:17, USC converted on a one-timer to take a 6-0 lead. The Trojans added another goal on a desperation shot from two meters with 54 seconds remaining in the half and took a 7- lead into the break.

The Wolverines got a boost from their keeper coming out of the halftime break. Just 25 seconds into the third frame, USC tried to set up a cross-cage one-timer. May lunged across the net and arched her body enough to get a hand on the ball and steer it aside. On the ensuing trip down the pool, Mantel tried to deposit a skip shot from the left side but was denied by the keeper. The Trojans got two quick goals -- one on a counterattack and one on a power play -- to extend their lead to 9-0 before the Wolverines offense found its spark.

With one second left on a 6-on-5, Chatigny let a howitzer go from six meters into the upper left corner of the cage. A minute later, Chatigny almost turned a May save into her second goal, taking a pass off the save and making an attempt from left side of the cage. She did not have to wait long to bury her second marker, however, as she took a long pass from freshman Ryley Plunkett (Modesto, Calif./Johansen) and was off to the races. Chatigny and Felt screamed across the water ahead of a pack of USC defenders before Chatigny decided to shoot from three meters and buried the ball into the left side of the cage.

In the final stanza, USC scored a minute in to take a 10-2 lead and hit the back of the net again at 4:23 on a sweep shot at two meters. Michigan refused to give up, generating scoring chances for freshman Lauren Orth (Poway, Calif./Poway) and Hyrne before junior Carrie Frost (Saline, Mich./Saline) punched through with a goal. With a defender on her back, Frost turned and fired a shot across the goal mouth and into the back of the cage. Reitz came close to adding another late U-M goal on a cross-feed from Hernandez but was turned aside by the Trojan keeper.

Michigan will move into the consolation bracket to take on Marist at 12:30 p.m. PDT on day two of the 2008 NCAA Championship. The teams will battle for the right to play in Sunday's fifth-place game.

Game Summary by Periods
1..2..3..4..F

Southern Cal
5..2..2..3..12
Michigan
0..0..2..1..3

USC Goals: Veronika Bartunkova 4, Sarah Van Norman 4, Alexandra Kiss 2, Jordan Anae, Miranda Nichols.
U-M Goals: Mary Chatigny 2, Carrie Frost.