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VIDEO: MVP C. Lopes da Silva Interview (courtesy Big West Conference)

HONOLULU – The No. 6 University of Hawai'i women's water polo team (18-8, 3-2 Big West) won the 2015 Big West Championship title Sunday night, after rising past top-seeded No. 5 UC Irvine, 9-8 in the final seconds of an overtime thriller.  It is UH's second Big West tournament title since joining the conference in 2013.

The Rainbow Wahine earn an automatic bid into the 2015 NCAA Women's Water Polo Tournament, May 8-10 in Stanford, Calif. for what will be the program's fifth-ever appearance.

After a roller-coaster of a match and nearly six periods in, senior Caity Lopes da Silva scored the game-winner with just 10 seconds winding down in the second overtime period. Lopes da Silva was named the 2015 Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player, finishing the night with a hat trick for the Rainbow Wahine.  

Gabi Mantellato Dias also contributed three of UH's nine goals, while Claire Nixon hit two huge game-changing shots, both from beyond the five-meter mark. Additionally, goalkeeper Sarah Logan held down the cage with a career-high 10 saves on the night.

Mantellato Dias fired off back-to-back power-play goals in the first quarter to give UH an early 2-0 advantage. With one man down late in the period, Mary Brooks hammered in a shot, but Logan instantly rejected the attempt to shut the Anteaters out in the first.

In the second quarter, Lopes da Silva angled in a goal off of the post, extending UH's run to three-straight. However, UCI's Natalie Seidemann cut off the Rainbow Wahine's advantage after scoring the Anteaters' first goal straight in from the set. But in the final play of the first half, sophomore Chloe Barr caught the rebound and scored in UH's second attempt off the 6-on-5 to give the Rainbow Wahine a commanding 4-1 lead by halftime.

Danielle Warde made a fast break down the pool after a UCI steal and took it all the way to the cage to top off an explosive three-straight goals by the 'Eaters in the third. With the score tied 4-4, Nixon answered back with a huge momentum swing to give the Rainbow Wahine back a one-point advantage. But with UCI drawing a Rainbow Wahine exclusion on the possession immediately after,  Mary Brooks tied it for the 'Eaters again 5-5 at the buzzer.

Early in the fourth, Warde launched one in clean all the way from nine-meters out, giving UCI its first lead of the night, 6-5.  The Rainbow Wahine matched the Anteaters goal-for-goal to follow, but in the final minute of regulation UCI had the upper-hand with a one-point advantage. With just 38 seconds on the clock,
Lopes da Silva skipped one in to tie it 7-7. UCI had the final possession, and in a desperate attempt to win it, McKenna Mitchell tried to end it with a skip shot from the inside, but bounced it just over the top bar.

In an intense first overtime period, Nixon put UH ahead with her second long-shot hitting the net clean. UCI followed up with a goal another buzzer goal by Mary Brooks to tie it 8-8 before heading into the final overtime period.

The Rainbow Wahine hit the road again, May 8-10 for the NCAA Water Polo Tournament hosted by Stanford. 


Championship Match Scoring By Quarters: