Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics

Social Media Content Stream

Bridget Layburn save
JEFF LIANG
12
Long Beach State LBSU (18-8)
13
Winner Hawai'i HAW (21-5)
Long Beach State LBSU
(18-8)
12
Final
13
Hawai'i HAW
(21-5)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Long Beach State LBSU 3 3 3 3 12
Hawai'i HAW 5 1 4 3 13

Game Recap: Women's Water Polo |

Water Polo Holds Off Long Beach State 13-12; Advance To Big West Finals

SANTA BARBARA, Calif  -- The  University of Hawai'i women's water polo moved on to the Big West Championship title match with a gritty 13-12 semifinal win over Long Beach State Saturday at the UCSB Campus Pool. Lot Stertefeld and Alba Bonamusa Boix each scored four goals and goalkeeper Bridget Layburn made a game-winning stop in the waning seconds to secure the win. 

The victory catapults the No. 2 seed Rainbow Wahine into Sunday's finals where they will meet top-seeded UC Irvine (19-6) at 12:00 p.m. PT/9:00 a.m. HT. The Anteaters defeated UC San Diego, 12-6, in the first semifinal of the day. It marks the fifth straight time the two conference juggernauts will meet for the tournament title with the teams splitting the previous four meetings. 

UH's route to the finals was anything but easy. The 'Bows never trailed versus the Beach (18-8) after the midway point of the first quarter and took the lead for good in the opening minute of the second period. But LBSU was relentless throughout the match with the outcome in question all the way up to the final horn.

The first half was a roller coaster affair. Long Beach State scored on each of their first two possessions to take an early lead. UH then scored six of the next seven goals of the match to take a three-goal lead early in the second half. But LBSU shifted momentum again with three unanswered goals to knot things up, 6-6, at the break. 

The 'Bows took the lead for good with two goals in the first 90 seconds of the second half and held a 12-9 lead with a little more than five minutes left in the match. But the No. 3 seed Beach wouldn't fold as Rachael Kowalchick's third goal of the match made it 13-12 with two minutes left.  LBSU had one last chance to send the match into overtime, but Layburn stuffed Gabriella Matafora-Adams's skip shot with less than 10 seconds left to seal the deal. Layburn finished the match with nine saves.

The win marked UH's third over the Beach this season and 10th straight overall in the series history. The 'Bows advanced to the finals for the eighth time in 10 years and now seeks its fifth-ever tournament title.  
 
#HawaiiWWP
Print Friendly Version