University of Michigan Athletics

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan water polo team opened the CWPA Championships with a decisive 20-10 win over St. Francis in the first round on Friday (April 25) evening at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.

Emma Gustafsson led the way for the Wolverines with a standout performance, scoring six goals and adding two assists to power the Michigan (18-10) offense. Ari Karampetsou recorded a hat trick of her own, while four additional Wolverines each tallied two goals: Issy Jackson, Kaia Levenfeld, Jillian Schlom, and Sophia Panossian.

U-M struck early in the first quarter, with Panossian scoring just 24 seconds into the game. After a quick response from St. Francis (13-17), Karampetsou scored her first of the night to put the Wolverines back in front, 2-1. Panossian added her second goal shortly after, and Karampetsou converted a penalty shot to make it 4-1. Although St. Francis responded with two more goals, Michigan closed the period with a power-play goal from Gustafsson to take a 5-3 lead after eight minutes.

In the second quarter, U-M continued to find success offensively. Jackson opened the frame with a goal, and both Schlom and Claire Eusey added to the tally as the Wolverines pushed a 8-5 lead. Gustafsson scored her second goal of the night in the final minute before halftime, sending Michigan into the break with a 9-6 advantage.

The Maize and Blue offense surged in the third quarter, outscoring St. Francis 6-3 in the frame. Jackson opened the quarter with her second goal of the game, and Gustafsson continued her strong performance by scoring three goals in the period. Karampetsou added her third goal of the game, and Maiken Pardon added another for U-M late in the quarter to stretch the lead to 15-9 heading into the final frame.

In the fourth, Michigan closed strong, scoring five goals while allowing just one. Schlom added her second goal early in the quarter, and Levenfeld followed with two goals to push the game out of reach. Gustafsson tallied her sixth and final goal with just over four minutes remaining, and Jordan Schneider scored Michigan’s 20th goal to wrap up the win.

With the win, the Maize and Blue will advance to face Harvard on Saturday (April 26) at 3 p.m. at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center. The contest can be streamed on ESPN+.