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HONOLULU – The fifth-ranked University of Hawai'i women's water polo team topped No. 3 UCLA 9-8 in six overtimes Saturday Night at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.

 

UH (9-6, 1-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) grabbed its first conference victory of the season and defeated the Bruins (12-5, 1-1 MPSF) for just the second time in program history in its home-opener before a crowd of 400 fans.

 

Sophomore Monika Eggens scored the game-winning goal with 2:05 left in the fourth sudden-death period and ended UH's longest match in school history. Monika's sister Carmen Eggens tallied a match-high five goals before being assessed a misconduct ejection just before the end of the first overtime.  

 

UH began the match by outscoring UCLA in the first quarter, 3-2. Freshman Amarens Genee scored the first goal and Carmen Eggens followed up with a second, giving the Rainbow Wahine a 2-0 lead. The Bruins quickly answered back with one goal by Kelly Easterday, but Carmen Eggens followed through with another goal. UCLA pulled within one with 17 seconds left after KK Clark's first of two goals in the match.

 

It was all UCLA in the second quarter, as Easterday and Leslee Kaczmarek muscled in two for the Bruins for a 4-3 halftime lead.

 

The Rainbow Wahine began the second half with a barrage of goals by senior center Leonie Van Der Molen, and consecutive goals by Carmen Eggens for a 6-4 lead. The Bruins soon climbed back with two goals by Megan Burmeister and Clark, tying the score 6-6 to end the third quarter.

 

UH shortly took back the lead in the fourth when Carmen Eggens scored her fourth goal just over a minute in. The Bruins responded with another goal by Easterday. After a three-minute scoring drought by both teams, junior Saara Majuri took the lead back for UH with 2:34 remaining. UCLA tied it at 8-8 with 1:11 left as Easterday recorded her fourth goal.

 

The score remained tied after the first two overtime periods, and the teams were forced into sudden-death overtime. Finally after three quiet sudden-death periods Monika Eggens found the net from 10 meters out. 

 

The Rainbow Wahine will next host No. 1 USC in exhibition at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex on Mar. 17 at 4:00 p.m. HT.

Hawai'i 9, UCLA 8
UH    3    0    3    2    0    0    1    =    9
UCLA    2    2    2    2    0    0    =    8

Hawai'i Scoring: Carmen Eggens 5, Leonie Van Der Molen, Amarens Genee, Monika Eggens, Saara Majuri
UCLA Scoring: Kelly Easterday 4, KK Clark 2, Megan Burmeister, Leslee Kaczmarek

Hawai'i Saves: Serena Bredin 16
UCLA Saves: Caitlin Dement 14