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The top-ranked and two-time defending national champion Stanford women's water polo opened a much-anticipated 2013 season in the win column on Friday, defeating No. 10 Michigan, 11-2, at Avery Aquatic Center.

Melissa Seidemann scored five times in her first collegiate action since 2011. She, along with freshman Maggie Steffens and Annika Dries, sat out the 2012 season to prepare for the Olympic Games in London, in which the trio helped lead the U.S. to its first Olympic gold medal.

Steffens made her collegiate debut Friday but Dries sat out with an injury.

The Cardinal (1-0) now travels to Santa Barbara, where it will play four games at the UCSB Winter Invite this weekend. Stanford takes on No. 18 Cal Baptist at 9 a.m. and No. 6 UC Irvine at 2:50 p.m. Saturday, followed by games against No. 8 Loyola Marymount and CSU Bakersfield Sunday at 9:10 a.m. and 12:40 p.m., respectively.

Freshman Anna Yelizarova scored twice while 2012 Peter J. Cutino Award winner Kiley Neushul, Kaitlyn Lo, Kelsey Suggs and Gurpreet Sohi each added a score against Michigan.

In goal, senior Kate Baldoni made six saves to anchor the Cardinal defense that blanked the Wolverines over the game's final 16:45. Michigan goalie Alex Adamson made 10 saves.

It took the Cardinal just over five minutes to jump out to a 4-0 lead on goals from Neushul (7:46), Lo (6:48) and Seidemann (5:14 and 2:55). Yet the Cardinal experienced a scoring drought of 11:54 until Seidemann added her third goal 59 seconds into the second half.

Stanford's defense picked up the slack just fine, however, allowing just a pair of goals to the Wolverines in the first half. Bryce Beckwith netted the first for Michigan with 2:24 remaining in the opening period, while Kiki Golden scored with 45 seconds left in the half to cut the Cardinal lead to 4-2 at halftime.

Seidemann's goal reignited the Cardinal offense as the second half got underway. The Walnut Creek native added her fourth just 53 seconds later to double the Cardinal lead at 6-2 with 6:08 to go in the third frame. Suggs netted her first of the year at the 3:10 mark to up the lead to five at 7-2.

Baldoni and the Cardinal defense continued to limit Michigan chances on the other end of the pool, killing off the only 6-on-5 they faced over the final 16 minutes. Seidemann effectively put the game on ice 1:02 into the final period, netting her fifth goal, while Yelizarova's brace sandwiched a goal from Sohi.

— Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford Media Relations

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