Water Polo Drops Double Overtime Thriller
TEMPE, Ariz.- The Sun Devils closed the ASU Cross-Conference challenge with an 8-10 loss in double overtime against No. 8 Michigan. Vanda Baksa led all Sun Devil scorers with five points, and defensively she tallied two steals though Lara Kiss led that category with four on the day.
Forty seconds into the first period, freshman Vanda Baska buried a penalty to put the home side up, early. Less than two minutes later, Baska was found unguarded and able to deliver a perfectly placed assist for Amira Van Buren who put the Sun Devils up 2-0. The Wolverines scored two unanswered goals to make the game level at the end of the first.
hat trick for the freshman ?? pic.twitter.com/DRoX3zbaRA
— Sun Devil Water Polo (@SunDevilWP) January 23, 2022
The second period was a defensive showcase from the Sun Devils. No other team in the challenge this weekend had held the Wolverines to less goals than the Sun Devils did in the period, with just one goal conceded. Itzahiana Baca and company, along with a second goal from Baska, helped the Sun Devils go into the second half with a stalemate of 3-3.
Sun Devils water polo edged ahead in the third with Blaire McDowell's strike into her nearside of the net and a second goal from the senior with a soaring floater into the upper center. The captain, Van Buren, ensured the lead with a quick shot to put them up 6-5 going into the fourth.
OK CAPTAIN ?? pic.twitter.com/QxUIJ2ISwU
— Sun Devil Water Polo (@SunDevilWP) January 23, 2022
Michigan tied it up early in the fourth, but Baska's penalty shot to award her a hat trick got the Sun Devils back to a lead. Another goal from the Wolverines called for Emily Bennett to score the goal that would put the Sun Devils up by one again, with less than four minutes to go in the match. Another goal from the Wolverines meant the game would be seeing an extra period, or two.
The first segment of overtime play was controlled well by the Sun Devils defense, but they were unable to capitalize on the offensive front, meaning an extra three minutes would be played to see who could pull ahead of the 8-8 tie that was at hand.As time ticked away, Michigan pulled ahead with two goals in the second installment of overtime, which meant the Sun Devils fight on defense would result in defeat.
UP NEXT: The Sun Devils will look to build on the performance when they go up against Loyola Marymount on January 29th and the 30th at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.