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No. 14 Michigan Overpowers Maryland 10-2 at Fluid Four Championship
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Senior
Mary Chatigny (Palm Springs, Calif./Palm Springs)
set a new program record for career games played, appearing in her
153rd career match on Saturday, March 28 as the No. 14-ranked
University of Michigan water polo team upended Maryland, 10-2, in
the first game of the Fluid Four at the Counsilman-Billingsley
Aquatic Center.
The Wolverine defense shined in the contest, led by three steal
effort from senior Carrie Frost (Saline,
Mich./Saline). Senior Kelsey Haley (Portola
Valley, Calif./Menlo) and sophomores Ryley
Plunkett (Modesto, Calif./Johansen) and Keller
Felt (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla) each had a pair of steals
on the day.
When Wolverine netminder senior/junior Brittany May (Santa
Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) was called upon, she
answered with saves on all but one Maryland attempt. Of her eight
stops in the game, three came while killing off a penalty. Freshman
Tara Brigham (Baytown, Texas/Sterling) came in for
mop up duty late in the forth and came away with a block on a
five-meter penalty shot as part of a three save effort.
Senior Julie Hyrne (Sunnyvale, Calif./Archbishop
Mitty) had a part in four of Michigan's first five goals,
including her second hat trick in three games. Hyrne's first goal
was a throw away shot as the shot clock approached zero just under
three minutes into the opening period. Two minutes later, Hyrne
found freshman Meagan Cobb (Hudsonville,
Mich./Hudsonville) at two meters where, after fighting off
a defender, Cobb flung home the Maize and Blue’s second goal
of the game. Hyrne had to shake off a defender of her own inside
the final minute of period number one to secure a 3-0 lead for the
Wolverines after one frame.
Michigan (22-8) had several chances with the extra-attacker early
in the second period, including a post strike from Chatigny, but it
was not until Frost drew a five-meter penalty shot that the
Wolverine lead expanded again. Sophomore Lauren Orth
(Poway, Calif./Poway) was summoned off the Michigan bench
to deliver the shot and the goal. Hyrne completed her hat trick and
gave U-M a 5-0 lead at the break with a goal with five seconds
remaining in the second period. Playing on the post during a 6-on-5
opportunity, Hyrne rattled a shot off the crossbar and far post
before it settled into the back of the cage.
Coming out of half time, the Maize and Blue continued to look
strong at five meters. Cobb netted her second score just 17 seconds
in on a blast from the two meters set. Michigan's lead grew to 7-0
at 4:19 when Felt sunk a penalty toss into the back of the net. The
Terps broke up the shutout bid with a two-on-none counter attack
off a steal midway through the period. Maryland tried to generate
some momentum off the goal, setting up a one timer on a subsequent
power play, but May dashed across the goal mouth to make the stop.
Frost ended the scoring for the period with a power-play score,
using a deke before powering a shot top shelf.
May was tested again early in the final frame, having to come up
with a big save on a two-on-one opportunity for Maryland. Less than
30 seconds later, U-M added to its lead, going up by a 9-1 tally on
a goal from senior Carrie Stover (Ann Arbor,
Mich./Pioneer). Sophomore Cara Reitz (Miami,
Fla./Gulliver) and Stover were both coming down the left
side when the elder was fed a pass in close where she thread it
through the goalies arms and in. Freshman Milli Brown
(Rockford, Mich./Rockford) put a cap on the U-M scoring at
3:47 to put the Maize and Blue in double-digit scoring. Brigham
came in following the goal and was quickly tasked with a penalty
shot, which she easily turned aside. The Terps (9-10) scored one
more goal, converting on a shot from six meters out inside the
final minute to put a 10-2 score on the board.
Release courtesy Michigan Athletic Communications
