Hoosiers fall short of division title

Trailing by five goals in the third period of the College Water Polo Association Western Division Championship game, the No. 8 Hoosiers refused to quit. Over the next period and a half, IU scored six of the last seven goals of regulation to force overtime against No. 10 Michigan Saturday night in Grove City, Penn. \nWith 5:04 remaining in the third period, Michigan had gained its largest lead of the game at 8-3. But IU rallied and responded with two straight goals to cut the lead to three going into the final period of regulation. The Hoosiers scored the first two goals of the fourth period to pull within one of the Wolverines. Michigan responded with a goal of its own to push the advantage back to two. After scoring again to move within one, IU got its chance to tie the game with less than one minute remaining -- senior attacker Kandace Waldthaler drew a penalty shot and converted to tie the game at nine and send it into overtime. \n"I was happy with the way the ladies fought back to force overtime," IU coach Barry King said. "We could have easily mailed it in after we got down by five goals, but we came back and had a chance to win."\nThe comeback stalled in the extra session, however. Michigan scored two goals in the first of two three-minute overtime periods. IU did not score until two seconds were remaining in the final overtime period, while falling one goal short of its first postseason CWPA Western Division Championship.\n"There were some things that we could have done better, but I was encouraged by our comeback," King said. "I am happy, considering the work it took to come back and force overtime. The girls fought real hard and got themselves in a position to win the game."\nIU defeated Grove City College 16-1 Friday in the opening round of the tournament. The high-scoring continued Saturday morning as the Hoosiers beat Washington and Jefferson College 15-1. The wins were the second for IU against both schools this season. The Hoosiers have never lost to either team.\n"I think we are right in the place we need to be," King said. "There is not a whole lot of disappointment involved with this weekend. It is just one more step toward the goal of being in the (CWPA Eastern Conference) championship game next weekend. We are healthy. We are excited. I think we will be ready to go and make our best attempt at winning the championship."\nBy finishing in the top two this weekend, IU received a bid to play in the CWPA Eastern Conference Championship in Bloomington next weekend. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Freshman center Carolyn Conway, who had a hat trick against Grove City, is hopeful about next weekend.\n"In a way, I think it is actually a good thing we lost to Michigan because now we are looking for revenge in Easterns," Conway said. "It just makes us even hungrier to win. We feel like we need to go out there and prove to everyone how good we really are." \nWhile Conway is looking for revenge, Waldthaler wants the final chapter of her IU career to have a happy ending.\n"It is rough losing to Michigan, but we played well coming back," Waldthaler said. "It showed a lot of character that we did not give up. It is a little disappointing, but I am looking forward to the next weekend a lot more. I am ready to play and do well. I want to finish on top."\nSeniors Waldthaler, attacker Krista Peterson and goalie Jessica Goldner will be playing in their home pool for the last time next weekend. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Steve Brennan at sgbrenna@indiana.edu.