Hoosiers top Wolverines in late-game thriller

Locked at seven goals apiece, freshman Alexis Jones netted a last-minute goal to top rival No. 9 Michigan. The No. 15 Indiana women’s water polo team overtook its archrival Saturday in an 8-7 win.

“The most important thing is that we are continuing some momentum that we know we’ve created for ourselves throughout the season,” IU Coach Barry King said. “I loved how we got some contributions from people that haven’t necessarily been doing it up to this point or had been waiting on some other people to do it.”

Both Jones and sophomore Shae Fournier found the twine twice. Fournier’s first goal put her atop the history books. It was her 81st goal this season, pushing her past the 80-goal single season scoring mark set by Jakie Köhli. Her later goal would extend the record to 82 goals.

With 46 seconds left and on the team’s final power play, sophomore Meghan Lappan found Jones to put Indiana up 8-7, a lead the team wouldn’t relinquish.

“Alexis Jones had the game of her life today,” King said.

Tied at 1-1, Michigan netted two goals in the middle of the second quarter to put it up 3-1. After Fournier scored her record-setting goal to put IU within one, Michigan countered with its own goal 15 seconds later to go ahead by two again.

IU would come back and tack three straight goals. However, Michigan would rally with two goals to regain the lead.

The teams would combine for five goals to be tied at seven before Jones would score the eventual game winner.

King had been preaching all season about the team’s supporting cast and how important it is to contribute to the scoring efforts. Jones’ goal served King’s effort.

“Every time you’re in one of those games, it’s a learning experience, and the true value of those experiences are whether or not you can bring what you learned the next time it happens, and this group keeps finding ways to win,” King said. “I’d like us to find a way to win a lot earlier in the game, but that’s just the invaluable experience as we move through.”

Senior goalie Cassie Wyckoff saved 15 in her 20th double-digit save performance of the season. Her IU saves record was boosted to 1,060.

The Hoosiers will suit up again April 14 and 15 when they play the CWPA Western Division Championship at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

“That’s really the most important thing, is, we build toward the end of the year,” King said.