No. 3 UCLA Rallies to Beat No. 4 Hawai'i, 13-12

Saturday, February 3

San Diego, CA

5:40 PM

UCLA

7-0

Hawai'i

7-1

Hawaii (W)

UCLA (W)

Graduate student Hannah Palmer led the Bruins with a hat trick, including the game-winning goal.

Photo by: Minette Rubin

No. 3 UCLA Rallies to Beat No. 4 Hawai'i, 13-12

February 03, 2024 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- No. 3 UCLA (7-0) rallied from a five-goal deficit to beat No. 4 Hawai'i (7-1), 13-12, in double overtime in the semifinals of the Triton Invitational on Saturday evening at UC San Diego's Triton Pool. UCLA improved to 57-3 all-time in the series history with the Rainbow Wahine.

The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, paced by graduate student Hannah Palmer's first hat trick of the season, which included the game-winning goal at the 2:33 mark of the second overtime period. Sophomores Lily Gess and Anna Pearson and freshman Panni Szegedi also scored multiple goals against the Rainbow Wahine, netting two apiece.

Freshman Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and went the distance, recording nine saves and four steals, while allowing 12 goals.

The Bruins were blanked in the first period, 5-0. Hawai'i scored one goal from the front court, two on counters, one on a power play (out of five chances) and one on a penalty shot. Meanwhile the Bruins were 0-for-1 on power plays and had three turnovers.

UCLA won the second quarter, 5-2, to trim the lead to 7-5 heading into the break. Palmer finally got the Bruins on the board with a strike from the front court (6:29), but UH pushed the lead back to five at 6-1 (4:32). Graduate student Brooke Doten scored from two meters (4:04) and senior Anneliese Miller added a goal on a counter (3:28) to cut UH's lead to 6-3. After a score by Hawai'i, Pearson scored her first from two meters (1:31) and Gess scored on a counter (0:30) to end the scoring in the second period.

Hawai'i won the third quarter, 4-3, to build an 11-8 lead heading into the final stanza. UH opened the scoring in the third (6:22), but Pearson netted her second of the game from two meters (5:56) to make it 8-6 Hawai'i. Then Szegedi scored her first on a penalty shot that was drawn by Pearson (5:28) to pull to within one. The Rainbow Wahine would answer (5:05), but Gess would score her second on a counter (3:34) to cut UH's lead to 9-8. Hawai'i would scored the final two goals of the third (3:16 and 1:15) to push its lead to 11-8 by the end of the third.

The Bruins dominated the fourth period, 4-1, to send the game into overtime, tied at 12-12 at the end of regulation. Palmer opened the scoring in the fourth with her second goal from the front court (7:42). But UH pushed the lead back to three at 12-9 with a shot from the front court (6:45). It would be the last time Hawai'i would score in the game, being held scoreless for the final 12:45 of the game (the last 6:45 of the fourth quarter plus six minutes combined in the two overtime periods). Senior Malia Allen started the final comeback with a strike from the front court (5:43) to make it 10-12. Then sophomore Taylor Smith scored on a counter (5:07) to pull the Bruins to within one goal again at 11-12. Hawai'i had two more power play chances down the stretch, but the Bruins' defense stepped up to stop both of them. But Szegedi scored her second of the game on a power play (2:23) to tie the game at 12-12, the first tie of the game since it began at 0-0.

Neither team scored in the first overtime period with UCLA going 0-for-2 on power plays. Palmer would complete her hat trick with another strike from the front court (2:33). Hawai'i would get one power play opportunity down the stretch, but UCLA's defense rose to the challenge to make the stop.

UP NEXT: The Bruins will face No. 5 Fresno State (12:40 p.m.) in the finals on Sunday as the Bulldogs knocked off No. 1 USC, 8-7, in their semifinal game.

No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 4 Hawai'i (Triton Invitational - Semifinals - Game 7)

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	1OT	2OT	FINAL
No. 4 Hawai'i	5	2	4	1	0	0	12
No. 3 UCLA	0	5	3	4	0	1	13

6x5 - UCLA - 2/12 - UH - 3/15
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - UH - 2/2

UH Goals: Alba Bonamusa Boix 4, Lucia Gomez de la Puente 4, Jordan Wedderburn 2, Stevilyn Griffin 1, Lot Stertefeld 1
UH Saves: not available

UCLA Goals: Hannah Palmer 3, Lily Gess 2, Anna Pearson 2, Panni Szegedi 2, Brooke Doten 1, Taylor Smith 1, Anneliese Miller 1, Malia Allen 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 9