USC
Michigan
USC Tops Michigan 12-3 In NCAA Quarters
May 09, 2008 | Women's Water Polo
May 9, 2008
PALO ALTO, CALIF. - The USC women's water polo team scored a spot in the NCAA Semifinals with a powerful 12-3 win over Michigan on the first day of NCAA competition in Palo Alto. Behind four-goal efforts from freshman Sarah Van Norman and senior Veronika Bartunkova, the Trojans worked well ahead of the Wolverines on Friday afternoon at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center. USC will face Stanford in the semifinals at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday (May 10) for the right to move into Sunday's NCAA Championship game.
With the win, USC improves to 20-7 overall, securing the Trojans' 11th consecutive 20-win season.
USC peeled out to a 5-0 lead in the first period and padded things further with another shutout in the second. By halftime, senior Veronika Barunkova had already tallied a hat trick for the Trojans. USC goalies Tumua Anae and Whitney Morgan split time in the game, combining for 12 saves to anchor a strong Trojan defense.
Senior Miranda Nichols struck first for the Women of Troy, taking a pass popped out of set from Jordan Anae and slamming in the score for USC early in the first. Alexandra Kiss blasted in a no-look strike a minute later, and then Bartunkova's first of the day came as she finished off USC's first 6-on-5 advantage with a skip shot for a 3-0 USC lead. At 3:31, Bartunkova blasted in another on an even score, and in the final minute of play freshman Sarah Van Norman shoved in a goal out of two meters for a 5-0 USC lead going into the next period of play.
Scoring slowed somewhat in the second period for the Trojans, but their defense still reigned supreme. Anae and Kally Lucas chased down a Michigan counterattack opportunity, and then the USC defense squelched two Wolverine power plays. After a Bartunkova steal, Van Norman earned the Trojans a 6-on-5, and BArtunkova took a cross from Julie Spataru and punched in her third of the day for a 6-0 USC lead at 2:17 in the second. Once again, Van Norman provided a final-minute score for USC, managing a slick score out of set while submerged to make it 7-0 USC entering the second half of action.
Bartunkova welcomed Van Norman into the hat trick column in the third period, delivering a cross to the freshman on the left post, and Van Norman deposited her third goal to the back of the net for an 8-0 USC advantage. Van Norman made it a career day on USC's next possession, taking a pass on a USC 6-on-5 and converting for her fourth goal and a 9-0 USC lead. Michigan would end the Trojans scoring streak with a 6-on-5 goal next, getting a nice score to the top left from Mary Chatigny at 2:16. Chatigny got another for the Wolverines with 19 seconds remaining in the third with a crosscage score of the counter, making it 9-2 USC entering the final frame.
In the fourth, Bartunkova busted out with her fourth of the day, assisted on the 6-on-5 strike by Miranda Nichols to get USC up 10-2. At 4:23, Jordan Anae delivered a sweep out of set for the Trojans, taking USC ahead 11-2. Freshman Jessica Kutcher lifted USC up 12-2 by earning a 6-on-5 and then finishing it off with 2:24 left to play. Michigan managed one last score, as a shot from two meters squeezed across the goalline to make it 12-3 USC with a minute to go.
USC is in pursuit of its third national championship, last winning the NCAA crown in 2004. This is USC's fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.
2008 NCAA Quartefinals
May 9 - Avery Aquatic Center (Palo Alto, Calif.)
USC 12, Michigan 3
MICH 0 - 0 - 2 - 1 = 3
USC 5 - 2 - 2 - 3 = 12
SCORING:
USC - Sarah Van Norman 4, Veronika Bartunkova 4, Miranda Nichols, Alexandra Kiss, Jordan Anae, Jessica Kutcher.
MICH - Mary Chatigny, Carrie Frost.
SAVES: Tumua Anae (USC) 4, Whitney Morgan (USC) 8, Brittany May (MICH) 4.
