Terps Advance to CWPA Eastern Title Game
4/28/2012 8:00:00 AM | Water Polo
April 28, 2012
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Maryland water polo team moved within one victory of its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship.
Allison Campbell and Nicole Tobin powered the offense with three goals each, and Shelby Reyes made 11 saves, including a key one in the closing seconds, to lift the fourth-seeded Terrapins to a 9-8 upset win over top-seeded Michigan Saturday night in the semifinals of the CWPA Eastern Championship.
Danielle Robinson's goal near the end of the third quarter snapped a 6-all tie.
Campbell and Tobin added fourth period goals, and Reyes saved a 5-meter penalty shot from Michigan leading-scorer Kiki Golden with no time left on the clock to secure Maryland's first win in the semifinal round.
The 14th-ranked Terps (20-6) will face second-seeded and 13th-ranked Princeton at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the championship game. The winner gains an automatic bid to the eight-team NCAA Championship (May 11-13 in San Diego).
The Tigers (27-4) defeated the host Brown Bears, 7-6, in overtime in the other semifinal game.
Maryland and Princeton, which won the CWPA Southern Division title, played earlier this season with the Terps winning 7-6 on March 31 in College Park.
The Terps were in control vs. Michigan early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a pair of goals by Campbell and one by Katie Ermakova.
But the Wolverines battled back to tie the game at 4-all at the half.
Lauren Dudley and Meagan Cobb each scored twice for Michigan, but the Terps held Golden to just two goals. Golden entered the game with 60 goals on the season.
The Terps are assured of their best-ever finish in the CWPA Eastern Championship. They were third in both 2009 and 2011.
Click here for video streaming of the CWPA Eastern Championship.
For in-game updates, follow the Maryland water polo team on twitter.
CWPA Eastern Championship Results
Saturday, April 28Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatic Center
Providence, R.I.
No. 14 Maryland 9, No.10 Michigan 8
1st 2nd 3rd 4th F Maryland (20-6) 3 1 3 2 9 Michigan (22-12) 0 4 2 2 8Maryland Goals:Tobin 3, Campbell 3, Ermakova, Robinson, Hoshko
Michigan Goals: Dudley 2, Cobb 2, Golden 2, Nolan, Moore
Maryland Blocks: Reyes 11
Michigan Blocks: Adamson 7
Material from College Water Polo Association contributed to this release.
