SAN DIEGO – After falling on Wednesday after scoring five first quarter goals, the University of Hawai'i water polo team jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second quarter and didn't relinquish the lead in an 12-8 win over UC San Diego on Thursday.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (1-1) got hattricks from freshmen Lucia Gomez de la Puenta and Lara Luka and two-goal games from sophomore Emma van Rossum and redshirt junior Lalelei Mata'afa. The Rainbow Wahine scored three goals in all four quarters on their way to their first win of 2021.
 
Sophomore Molly DiLalla came up with a big save in the first period to keep UCSD (1-1) out of the net on a penalty shot which would have tied the game early in the first quarter, but the save and two more goals in the frame gave the Wahine a 3-0 lead after the first.
 
Hawai'i and UCSD traded goals in the second quarter with the Tritons scoring four in the period and three in the third period. However, defense and consistent offensive pressure allowed the Wahine to hold the Tritons to one goal in the fourth quarter to pull away to win by four.
 
Gomez de la Puenta ended the series with five goals on eight shots and three assists. DiLalla has saved 13 shots and Gomez de la Puenta and van Rossum each had four steals in the series.
 
The Wahine will return to Manoa for a three-game series against UC Irvine March 25-27.