IU falls to No. 19 Michigan

When the IU water polo team hosted No. 19 Michigan two weeks ago the Hoosiers needed overtime to win. On Sunday in Ann Arbor, Mich., at the Western Division championship match the teams went into overtime again. But unlike two weeks ago, the game Saturday went to Michigan.\nThe game was a back-and-forth affair and the teams were deadlocked at the end of each quarter. In the fourth frame the Hoosiers had a two-goal lead late to go up 6-4, but the Wolverines were able to force overtime.\nThe overtime, which always has two periods in water polo, was reminiscent of the whole game as neither team was able to score in the first period. The Hoosiers stayed cold in the second overtime period and Michigan sophomore Julie Hyrne was able to hit two goals to end the game at 8-6.\nThe beginning of the tournament couldn’t have started better for the Hoosiers. \nIn their first round game on Saturday they routed Penn State-Behrend 23-0; the 23 goals set a new program record at IU. Four of those goals were tallied by senior attacker Kara Woolley, which tied her career high. \nIn the semifinals the Hoosiers met Gannon, defeating them by a score of 11-5. The game was tied at two after the first quarter. In the second quarter IU took the lead and never gave it up. Junior attacker Brooke Zimmerman was the leading scorer in the game with four. \nThe championship loss to Michigan ended a nine-game winning streak for the Hoosiers and dropped their record to 17-13. It was the third year in a row that IU has lost to Michigan in the Western Division final. The Hoosiers will play next weekend in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern championships with an opportunity to advance to the NCAA championship tournament.