May 10, 2008
STANFORD, CALIF. - In a game that was close in the first half, sixth-seeded Michigan scored three straight goals to start the third quarter on their way to defeating the Marist women's water polo team 7-4 in the consolation semifinals of the NCAA Women's Water Polo Championships on Saturday at the Avery Aquatic Center.
The game did not start easily for the Red Foxes, as Michigan scored 14 seconds into the game off of a shot by Michelle Keeley. Marist would not be deterred, as junior Katelin McCahill (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) tied the game with 2:39 to go in the opening quarter. In a back and forth quarter, the Wolverines took back the lead on a goal by Cara Reitz with 47 seconds left in the first, making the score 2-1.
Both defenses stepped up in the second quarter with no goals being allowed in the first 5:48 of the period. Michigan went ahead 3-1 with 2:12 left in the half when Carrie Frost put the ball in the back of the cage. The Red Foxes responded with a goal from freshman Colleen Lischwe (Kirkwood, Mo.), who beat Michigan goalie Brittany May cross-cage with 1:06 to go to make the score 3-2 going into halftime. Coming out of the break, Michigan scored three straight goals to go ahead 6-2 with 2:14 to go in the third quarter. Freshman Rosie Pauli (Sacramento, Calif.) put the Red Foxes back on the board with a goal at the 1:02 mark, making the score 6-3.
Samantha Swartz (Harleysville, Pa.) got Marist within two, 6-4, with her goal 1:59 into the fourth quarter but that would be as close as the Red Foxes would get. The Wolverines added a goal with 5:09 left to make the score 7-4. Marist had a lot of empty possessions late in the game and had shots go off the cage and could not get past Michigan.
Senior goalie Elizabeth Davis (Albuquerque, N.M.) made five saves in the game for Marist, three of which came in the first half. May had 10 saves for Michigan. Swartz led the Red Foxes with six shots on goal, with Pauli adding five shots.
Marist will play for seventh place on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. EDT against the loser of the Pomona-Pitzer/San Diego State consolation semifinal.
