May 1, 2010

Los Angeles, Calif. - The No. 4 seed Hawaii women's water polo team (17-8) erased a 3-2 halftime deficit to post a 7-4 victory over eighth-seeded Arizona State in the first consolation match of the 2010 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship at Spieker Aquatics Center on the campus of UCLA on Saturday (May 1) morning.

Arizona State (16-14) got on the board first when Kelly Phelps scored her 14th goal of the season on a 6-on-5 opportunity with 5:35 left in the first period. Hawaii answered with a goal by Saara Majuri (19th of the year) that found the left corner to tie the score at 1-1 with 2:27 left in the first. ASU scored another exclusion goal with 1:06 left when Kelsey White found the top right corner for her 28th goal of the year. Hawaii tied the score at 2-2 with three seconds left when Monika Eggens scored her 57th goal of the year, a skipper that right post. Serena Bredin recorded three saves in the opening period.

ASU reclaimed the lead at 3-2 with 6:50 in the second quarter when Shannon Haas scored her 47th goal of the season, a shot that beat Bredin on the top left corner. The defense for both teams took over as Bredin stopped three more shots in the second quarter and ASU's goalie, Dana Harvey, registered four saves to help her team take the 3-2 lead into halftime.

Hawaii got an equalizing goal at the 3:36 mark of the third period by Dagmar Genee, her 20th goal of the year that skipped past Harvey on the left side. Amarens Genee gave the Rainbow Wahine their first lead of the day on a backhand goal (her 27th goal of the year) with 3:00 left in the third. She struck again with 1:56 left to extend Hawaii's lead to 5-3 to end the scoring for the period. Harvey picked up five saves in the third period, but Hawaii scored three unanswered goals.

ASU's Phelps scored her second of the day on a 6-on-5 opportunity with 7:25 remaining in the fourth period to cut Hawaii's lead to 5-4. Bredin picked up a huge save with 6:15 left in the match with ASU on a 6-on-4 advantage. Hawaii's Amarens Genee completed her hat trick at the 5:48 mark when she fired a point blank shot in the top right corner to increase the lead to 6-4. Eggens scored her second of the day with 2:55 left to end the scoring on the day, giving Hawaii a 7-4 victory.

Bredin finished the match with 12 saves in the cage for Hawaii while Harvey picked up nine stops for Arizona State. ASU's Sarah Harris won all four sprints.

No. 4 Hawaii advances to the 5th-place match vs. the winner of No. 6 San Jose State and No. 7 San Diego State on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

No. 8 Arizona State will face the loser of San Jose State/San Diego State in the 7th-place match at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.

No. 4 Hawaii vs. No. 8 Arizona State (MPSF Consolation Match)

Arizona State Goals: Kelly Phelps 2, Shannon Haas, Kelsey White
Arizona State Saves: Dana Harvey 9

Hawaii Goals: Amarens Genee 3, Monika Eggens 2, Dagmar Genee, Saara Majuri
Hawaii Saves: Serena Bredin 12