IRVINE, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i women's water polo team handed UC Irvine their first conference loss 11-8 on Friday evening at the Anteater Aquatic Complex.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (14-5, 5-0) take sole possession of first place in the Big West Conference, while the Anteaters (17-6, 3-1) drop into second place with two games left before the conference tournament in Honolulu.
 
Both teams battled in a defensive first quarter, with one goal coming from either side. Freshman utility Morgan McDowall netted the only goal for UH in the first and the first goal of the match.
 
Hawai'i found their groove in the second quarter, where they exploded for seven goals. McDowall finished the first-half hattrick, while senior attacker Elyse Lemay-Lavoie picked up two of her own. Sophomore utility Lot Stertefeld and freshman Jordan Wedderburn also found the back of the net, helping put UH out in front 8-3 at the half.
 
UH dialed it back after they scored seven goals in the second, but that did not stop McDowall from posting two more goals, making it five in the match and a 10-5 Wahine lead headed into the final eight minutes.
 
UCI would not go away quietly as they scored three goals in the fourth, but sophomore attacker Alba Bonamusa Boix added one more to put the game out of reach.
 
McDowall led the way for UH with a game-high five goals. At the same time, freshman utility Paula Prats Rodriguez created opportunities with her three assists.
 
Senior goalkeeper Molly DiLalla got her second consecutive 32-minute start, where she posted her second straight game with 13 saves.
 
The Rainbow Wahine takes a short ride to play Long Beach and finishes their conference schedule on Sunday, with the first sprint slated for 9:00 am HT.