Winning a game builds confidence; winning six games creates momentum.

For the No. 12 Michigan women’s water polo team, the six victories this weekend helped them regain some momentum going into a critical part of the season.

After struggling through a vicious trip to the West Coast where they played five ranked teams and finished 2-4, the Wolverines bounced back in the College Water Polo Association tournament this weekend.

Michigan (6-0 CWPA, 14-8 overall) took care of business on Saturday by beating Grove City (0-5, 0-6) 16-3, Washington and Jefferson (0-2) 16-6 and Slippery Rock (4-11, 3-3) 15-4.

On Sunday, the Wolverines had to do a little bit of traveling when they played three schools at three different pools — all within 15 miles of each other in Erie, Penn. First, Michigan beat Gannon (1-3, 2-3) 14-2. Then — finishing their long road trip — the Wolverines easily defeated Penn State-Behrend (0-5) and Mercyhurst (0-2, 2-3), 13-2 and 17-2, respectively.

While disappointed with the lack of wins on the West Coast, Michigan coach Matt Anderson thought that his team played very well the whole week and finishing the trip with victories was a huge key.

The Wolverines were able to improve their scoring, totaling 91 goals on the weekend, with sophomore Shana Welch leading the way with 19 goals. Senior Jo Antonsen and junior Megan Hausmann chipped in with nine assists each. Anderson was happy to see his team start shooting the ball well and actually firing the ball in the back of the net.

“We’re playing well right now,” Anderson said. “This weekend allowed us to take a lot of shots and, just like any type of player, you need to find your shooting touch. On the whole, we ended up shooting as a team almost 50 percent, which is a great percentage to have. This weekend allowed us to get our shooting rhythm back.”

In light of the tough road trip, Anderson wanted to test the character of his team in order to see how they would react to not only the caliber but also the sheer number of their opponents.

“(The road trip) was a test to see how the girls would respond to 13 games in 11 days,” Anderson said. “I’m happy with how they responded. Sure I would have liked a few more wins, but better now than in the last 11 days (of the season).”

While the losses on the West Coast prepared the Wolverines for tougher competition in the latter part of the season, their strong play over the weekend allowed them to regain confidence in their ability to post victories with solid performances.

“We’re better now than we were 12 days ago,” Anderson said. “We have the confidence of going toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the nation and then still being able to come back to the east and be dominant, which is what we always want to be.”

Now with newly found confidence in their ability to score and win, the Wolverines will prepare for bitter rival No. 6 Indiana, who will travel to Ann Arbor on March 18. The winner in the matchup between the two heavyweights will most likely take the CWPA crown and coveted first seed in the CWPA Western Division Championship.

“We’ve gone to battle with the teams in the west,” Anderson said. “Now we have to come back and focus on the task at hand which is Indiana.”