LEWISBURG, PA - Ali Thomason scored four times, including a pair in the decisive fourth quarter, as the No. 20 University of Michigan water polo team defeated No. 16 Hartwick 12-10 in the third place game of the CWPA Championship at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium on Sunday afternoon. It is the Wolverines' first victory over the Hawks this season after 'Wick took the previous two meetings (12-10 in overtime on February 16 and 10-6 on April 12).

Hartwick led for 3:18 in the early portion of the first quarter. Katie Ermakova (Columbia, MD) opened the scoring for the Hawks with a tally at 6:58 but Thomason answered for the Wolverines at the 5:40 mark to equalize the score. Hartwick regained the lead 22 seconds later courtesy of a strike by Sami Capparelli (Miami, FL) at 5:18. Audrey Pratt responded for Michigan at 3:18 to make it two-all.

Allison Skaggs netted a man-up tally at 2:28 before Kelsey Nolan buried back-to-back even strength markers at 1:51 and 58 seconds to hand the Maize & Blue a 5-2 lead. Cayley Tonkin (Cape Town, South Africa) trimmed the lead back to 5-3 prior to the conclusion of the period by banging in a power-play goal with 23 seconds on the clock. Hartwick continued to climb back into the game in the waning moments of the second quarter as Ermakova slipped in an even-strength score at 7:18 before Britt Tait (Kariong, Australia) batted in a man-up tally at 6:41 to knot the game at five-all.

Nolan ended Hartwick's three-goal run as she ripped home a marker at 6:31 to put the Wolverines back in front at 6-5. Barbara Lanier pushed the lead to 7-5 as she spun a shot past Hawks' goalie Michaela Davies (Cronulla, Australia) at 5:03 prior to Hathaway Moore putting away a score with 3:20 remaining on the clock for an 8-5 Wolverine lead at the break.

In the third quarter, 'Wick would climb its way back into the contest as Ermakova rocked the cage with a volley midway at 4:35 and Capparelli lined in a five-meter penalty shot at 3:23 to shrink Hartwick's gap down to 8-7. Thomason responded with a tally for the Wolverines with three ticks on the clock to take a 9-7 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Hartwick made one final surge for victory as Jemma Dendy Young (Cape Town, South Africa) chucked in a five-meter penalty shot at 7:35 to make it 9-8 before Tonkin tossed in the equalizer with 6:16 remaining in regulation to balance the score at nine-all. Dendy Young put the Hawks back in front at 5:45 as she cashed in on a six-on-five chance to give Hartwick a10-9 lead.

Thomason then put away scores at 4:53 and 4:10 to tie and then give the Maize and Blue the lead with back-to-back punches in 43 seconds for an 11-10 advantage. Hartwick could not recover from Thomason's spurt as the Hawks' defense allowed a shot from Presley Pender to find the back of the cage for the 12-10 final score.

Ermakova led the way for Hartwick with three goals while Tonkin, Capparelli and Dendy Young each notched pairs of scores. Tait accounted for one goal. Davies took the loss with nine saves in goal. Capparelli and Dendy Young were both named to the All-Tournament first team. Nolan and Skaggs garnered second team accolades with Skaggs also being tabbed as the Rookie of the Tournament.

For Michigan, Nolan joined Thomason by notching a hat-trick, while Moore, Pratt, Skaggs, Pender and Lanier each contributed solo goals. Julia Campbell stopped four shots in the cage.

The Hawks finish the season with a final record of 21-14. Hartwick's fourth-place finish is its third at the Eastern Championships (2011 and 2013). Over the last decade, the Hawks have tallied first (2004, 2006, 2007), second (2002, 2008, 2009), third (2001, 2005, 2010) fourth (2011, 2013), fifth (2003), and sixth (2012) place marks.
 
 

	1	2	3	4	--	Final
No. 20 University of Michigan	5	3	1	3	--	12
No. 16 Hartwick College	3	2	2	3	--	10

 
Hartwick Goals: Katie Ermakova (3); Cayley Tonkin (2); Jemma Dendy Young (2); Sami Capparelli (2); Britt Tait
Michigan Goals: Ali Thomason (4); Kelsey Nolan (3); Hathaway Moore; Audrey Pratt; Allison Skaggs; Presley Pender; Barbara Lanier
Saves: Hartwick - Michaela Davies (9); Michigan - Emily Browning (0), Julia Campbell (4)