Scoresheet (pdf)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The No. 4 University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine water polo team (18-6, 3-1 Big West) fell to the No. 14 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (14-11, 2-1 Big West) Sunday afternoon at the Campus Pool in Santa Barbara, Calif., 7-5 The loss ends a five game winning streak, and also marks the first conference loss of the season for the 'Bows.
 
Third-quarter UCSB scoring proved to be the kill stroke for UH's five-game win streak, dealing the Rainbow Wahine their first conference loss of the year.
 
The Gauchos got on the board with an early goal by Brenna Thomas, taking a 1-0 lead in the first quarter. However, Hawai'i junior Danika Kotylak countered just over a minute later to knot the score at 1-1. UCSB's Miranda Schrader brought the Gauchos up by one again with just one minute remaining in the first, but the lead was short lived, as UH freshman Femke Aan netted her first goal on a buzzer-beater to tie the score at 2-2 going into the second period.
 
Rainbow Wahine freshman Irene Gonzalez netted the first goal of the second with 3:53 left in the half, giving UH a one-score lead, 3-2. However, UCSB's Jenna Solberg countered with her only goal of the match to, once again, knot the score, this time 3-3 going into halftime.
 
The Gauchos outscored the Rainbow Wahine 3-1 in the third period, making the difference in the match. UCSB came out strong to start the second half, tacking up the first two goals of the third by Bryn Hudson and Lauren Martin. Following a Hawai'i timeout, Aan netted the first UH goal since the second period to bring the 'Bows within one. However, UCSB's Hudson countered with her second goal to push the Gauchos' lead back up to two at 6-4.
 
UH was able to hold the Gauchos to just one goal in the fourth, but was unable to get their own offense rolling. UCSB's Sophie Trabucco netted the Gauchos' final goal of the match with 3:51 left in the fourth to extend their lead, 7-4. Rainbow Wahine freshman Julia Barton registered her only goal of the match with just nine seconds left on the clock, drawing the final score to 7-5 in UCSB's favor.
 
UH looks to finish the regular season strong in a final home match against No. 16 Long Beach State on Saturday, April 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatics Complex.
 
Sunday, April 10
Santa Barbara, Calif. (Campus Pool)
Scoring by Quarters:
UCSB –   2   1   3   1   =   7
Hawai'i – 2   1   1   1   =   5
UH Scoring: Femke Aan 2, Julia Barton 1, Irene Gonzalez 1, Danika Kotylak 1
UCSB Scoring: Bryn Husdon 2, Miranda Schrader 1, Lauren Martin 1, Jenna Solberg 1, Brenna Thomas 1, Sophie Trabucco 1