IRVINE, Calif. – The No. 6 University of Hawai`i women's water polo team (2-6, 0-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) faced two upsets Saturday on the opening day of the UC Irvine Invitational at the Anteater Aquatics Complex. After first falling short to No. 12 Michigan, 9-8, UH dropped a second match to No. 17 CS Northridge, 9-7.
 
UH rallied back-and-fourth with Michigan the entire match, and with the score tied 8-8 in the final minutes of the game, the Rainbow Wahine fell behind to a successful penalty shot by the Wolverines and couldn't recover.
 
Both teams matched each other goal-for-goal in nearly every quarter and went into halftime tied at 4-4. It was in the third however, that the Wolverines outscored the Rainbow Wahine by one to inch away with a 8-7 lead going into the fourth.
 
Junior Amarens Genee backhanded in a vital goal for UH to tie it 8-8 in the fourth, but following a penalty call on the Rainbow Wahine with 1:57 left, Lauren Thatcher powered in the goal for Michigan to lead them to a 9-8 win.
 
Genee matched her career-high five goals to lead UH, while Emily Scott added two and Sivan Pardon added one.
 
The Rainbow Wahine started off neck and neck with CS Northridge tied 5-5 at halftime, but the Matadors were able to take off with the lead in the third and never looked back.
 
They tied 3-3 in the first, 1-1 in the second going 5-5 by halftime. Following another lead change by Danielle Lewis, 7-6 for UH, CSUN answered back with a goal by Pettinger, and scored three unanswered goals to run away with the victory after a silent final period.
 
Monique Wilson and Amarens Genee led the Rainbow Wahine with two goals each.
 
Action continues tomorrow, Feb. 26 as UH takes on Long Beach State at 11:45 a.m. The final match will be determined by the results of this game.
 
Box Score      1          2          3          4          F
Hawai'i            3          1          3          1          8
Michigan         3          1          4          1          9
 
Hawai'i goals: Amarens Genee - 5, Emily Scott - 2, Sivan Pardon
Michigan goals: Golden - 3, Thatcher - 3, Ivry, Colton, Pratt
Saves: Serena Reid (HAW) - 5, Adamson (MICH) - 9
 
Box Score      1          2          3          4          F
CSUN             3          2          4          0          9
Hawai'i            3          2          2          0          7
Recap:
 
CSUN goals: Pettinger - 3, Ferriera - 2, Jamison, Doll, Young, Photopolus
HAW goals: Monique Wilson - 2, Amarens Genee - 2, Caity Lopes de Silva, Emily Scott, Danielle Lewis
Saves: Harvey (CSUN) - 6, Serena Reid (HAW) – 4