NCAA Bound! Michigan Water Polo Blasts No. 14 Hartwick in CWPA Eastern Final

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, April 26 THE No. 12-ranked University of Michigan water polo team doubled up No. 14-ranked Hartwick, 12-6, to complete its bid to repeat as champions of the CWPA Eastern Championship on Sunday (April 26) at Harvard's Blodgett Pool. The Wolverines' fourth Eastern title gives them an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship (Fri-Sun., May 8-10) in College Park, Md.

Senior Julie Hyrne (Sunnyvale, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) delivered the game-winning goal for the second consecutive match as part of a three-goal, four drawn-ejection effort. Junior Leah Robertson (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) tallied three points and a game-high five steals, while sophomore Lauren Orth (Poway, Calif./Poway) converted on a pair of five-meter penalties. Senior/junior Brittany May (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) sparked the Wolverines defensively with 12 saves, one shy of her career high.

Michigan's opponent in its second straight trip to the NCAA Championships will be announced on Monday (April 27) at 7 p.m. on NCAA.com. This season's national championship tournament will be played at Maryland in College Park, Md., Fri-Sun., May 8-10.

GAME SUMMARY
By Period 1 2 3 4 F
Michigan 1 5 2 4 12
Hartwick 2 2 2 0 6

U-M Goals: Julie Hyrne 3, Alison Mantel 2, Lauren Orth 2, Mary Chatigny, Leah Robertson, Carrie Frost, Cara Reitz, Sharayah Hernandez.
Hartwick Goals: Sian Ellis-Tewhiu 3, Kirsten Hudson 2, Jessica McKee.
Saves: U-M 12 (Brittany May), Hartwick 10 (Jessica Dorman)
Ejections: U-M 9, Hartwick 12

2009 Eastern All-Tournament Team

First Team
Stephanie Laing (Goalie), Brown University Lauren Presant, Brown University Sarah Glick, Brown University Leah Robertson, University of Michigan Julie Hyrne, University of Michigan Kirsten Hudson, Hartwick College Phoebe Champion, Princeton University

Second Team
Jessica Dorman (Goalie), Hartwick College Jessica McKee, Hartwick College Elina Goldenberg, University of Maryland Devan Kennifer, Harvard University Kelsey Campbell, Indiana University Maggie Hannon, Indiana University Aubrey Rowe, Bucknell University

MVP: Kirsten Hudson, Hartwick College
Rookie of the Tournament: Devan Kennifer, Harvard University "Doc Hunkler" Eastern Coach of the Year: Matt Anderson, University of Michigan

N O T E S

• The Wolverines claim their fourth Eastern Championship title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship (2002, '05, '08, '09).

• With its fourth title, Michigan now has the second-most CWPA Eastern Championship banners hanging in its arena. Only Slippery Rock has won more crowns than the Maize and Blue.

• Michigan improves to 4-2 in Eastern Championship title game. Three of U-M's championship wins, including the last two, have come against Hartwick. • Michigan becomes the fourth program to successfully defend its crown and win back-to-back Eastern Championship titles. Only Hartwick (2006-07), UMass (1998-99) and Slippery Rock (1988-96) have completed a triumphant defense.

• The Maize and Blue improves to 10-4 all-time and 3-2 at the Eastern Championship against Hartwick.

• The Wolverines extend their winning streak to 25 games. The program record of 27 consecutive wins was set last season.

• Senior/junior Brittany May recorded her 200th save of the season today, making her just the third Wolverine to record 200 stops in a season. Only Betsey Armstrong (2003-05) and Kristen Davis (2007) have reached the plateau. May now has 210 saves this season.

• Head coach Matt Anderson was named Doc Hunkler Coach of the Championship for the third time. He was also recognized with the 2005 and 2008 award.

• Michigan becomes the first second seed to win the conference title since the 2005 Wolverines knocked off host and No. 1 seed Indiana in 2005 for the program's second Eastern title.

Thanks to Ryan Sosin, University of Michigan Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations for this press release

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