After splitting its West Coast road trip April 13-14, Indiana water polo received a break from extensive travel Saturday, voyaging five hours north to face the No. 13 Michigan Wolverines.
While it was a close first half, Indiana broke away in the third quarter and Michigan couldn’t come back, resulting in a 10-7 victory for the Hoosiers.
Michigan had a quick start in the first frame, logging the first goal within 50 seconds. About two minutes later, Indiana responded with a goal of its own by sophomore utility player Nicole Tyner.
The Wolverines took the lead again with another goal just 20 seconds after Tyner’s goal. Neither team found the net until about two minutes left to play, when Tyner bagged her second goal of the day off a powerplay.
Under the last minute of the frame with the score all square, sophomore Grace Klingler notched one more goal for the Hoosiers, giving them a slight 3-2 advantage after the first frame.
The second frame started slowly as both teams struggled finding the back of the net. Klingler started things for Indiana at the 3:13 mark, with the Hoosiers extending their lead off a powerplay.
Michigan diminished Indiana’s lead down to one goal at the 2:29 mark in the second quarter, but senior defender Kallie White found the back of the net right as the clock hit zero to give Indiana a 5-3 lead at halftime.
Indiana’s defense excelled in the third quarter, holding the Wolverines to only one goal. It also broke away from what was once a tightly contested game by scoring four goals in the frame as well, giving the Hoosiers a comfortable 9-4 lead heading into the last frame.
In the fourth quarter, Michigan outscored Indiana 3-1, but it wouldn’t be enough for the Wolverines as Indiana held on to win its final regular season game.
Indiana’s next match will be at the MPSF Tournament, which will be held April 26-28 at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
