In its final tournament before the playoffs, the No. 12 Michigan water polo team went 3-1 in the Long Beach Invitational in Long Beach, Calif. Yesterday, the Wolverines won both of their games. In the morning, Michigan beat No. 13 San Diego State, 7-6, as junior center Megan Hausmann scored the winning goal. In the final game of the weekend, the Wolverines won another close game, beating No. 11 UC-Irvine, 7-5.

On the day, sophomore driver Shana Welch scored four goals, while senior driver Jo Antonsen added two goals and three assists. The team finished the regular season with an impressive 22-12 overall record.

On Saturday, Michigan lost to No. 4 Hawaii, 5-4. But in the afternoon, the Wolverines bounced back with a 14-12 victory over Cal. State-Bakersfield.

In the victory, Welch set a Michigan single-game record with eight goals. Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that Welch set the record despite playing just 12 minutes of the 28-minute contest.

“I wouldn’t have taken Shana out of the game if I knew she had set the record,” Michigan coach Matt Anderson said. “If I had left her in the pool, she would have set a record that never would have been broken.”

While Welch continued to be effective yesterday, the Wolverines’ veterans proved to be the difference in their final regular season games.

“(Goalkeeper) Betsey Armstrong had her best weekend of the season,” Anderson said. “Also, (senior) Sheetal Narsai came up big and helped us out a lot.”

With the playoffs starting this weekend in Grove City, Penn., Michigan looks to utilize its extensive experience in close games. The Wolverines have competed in a total of nine games that have been decided by one goal.

“The reality is that any team in the top-14 of the standings has a legit shot at winning the championship,” Anderson said. “Recently, we’ve been successful in close games, which bodes well for the playoffs.”