Harvard Scoresheet (pdf) | Bucknell Scoresheet (pdf)

PROVIDENCE, R.I.  – The University of Hawai'i women's water polo squad remained perfect in their east coast run, topping No. 21 Harvard, 13-8, and Bucknell, 14-11, on the second day of action, Saturday at the Bruno Classic at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.

Facing their second ranked foe of the tournament, the Rainbow Wahine scrapped it out early with the Harvard Crimson. The Crimson put one on the board first, as Kristen Hong scored the first of her two goals at 5:18 in the first quarter, Melissa Balding followed to take a 2-0 advantage.

The Rainbow Wahine came storming back, netting goals from Corona, Calif. freshman Hannah Thompson and Oostzaan, Netherlands freshman Femke Aan, who scored twice in a 24-second span to knot the score up at 2-2 to end the first quarter.

Although the Crimson pulled ahead at 7:43 in the second, the Rainbow Wahine went on a 4-0 run over the next five minutes, sparked byBarcelona, Spain freshman Irene Gonzalez' three scores, pulling ahead 8-7 into halftime.

Heading into the fourth, UH maintained a two-goal advantage and shut out the Crimson in the final frame, tacking on double-up scores by Gonzalez and also netting a final score from Aan to top Harvard, 13-8.

Gonzalez paced the Rainbow Wahine with five goals, while Aan added three.

Scoring By Quarters vs. Harvard
Harvard –   2    5    1    0  =  8
Hawai'i –    2    6    2    3  =  13
UH Scoring vs. Harvard: Julia Barton 1, Femke Aan 3, Danika Kotylak 1, Irene Gonzalez 5, Hannah Thompson 2, Carla Abellan 1
 
Retuning in the afternoon, UH fell behind Bucknell early, and came out of the first with a narrow edge at 4-2. Coming down the stretch in the second quarter, Riverside, Calif. junior Nikki-Marie Bell, Kotylak, Thompson and Aan combined for a four-goal push for an 8-3 lead into the half.

In the third, the Rainbow Wahine outscored the Bison 3-1 in the third to grow their lead to six goals.

UH weathered the storm in the final frame, as Bucknell outscored UH 6-3 in the final period, but the Rainbow Wahine held firm, leading to the 14-11 victory, remaining a perfect 4-0 at the Bruno Classic and 9-1 on the year.

Aan put away four goals for the Rainbow Wahine, while Gonzalez and Bell each tabbed three goals apiece.

Scoring By Quarters vs. Bucknell
Bucknell –  2    1    2    6  =  11
Hawai'i –    4    4    3    3  =  14
UH Scoring vs. Bucknell: Femke Aan 4, Danika Kotylak 2, Irene Gonzalez 3, Nikki-Marie Bell 3, Taylor Molde 1, Carla Abellan 1
 
Day three of the Bruno Classic is set for Sunday, as UH takes on No. 24 Marist at 8:00 a.m. ET (3:00 a.m. HT) and a finale vs. No. 17 Hartwick at 11:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. HT) at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center.