Late surge carries Wahine by SDSU

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i water polo team scored three goals in the final two minutes last night to dispatch San Diego State, 9-4, and clinch the No. 6 seed in next week's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships.

Hawai'i's Eko Lapp, left, and San Diego State's Holly Hartzell get out of the water for a jump ball. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Wahine needed to win by at least two points to break a three-way tie for sixth place in the MPSF. Had they lost, they would have been the No. 8 seed in next week's tournament, which they will play host.

"The eighth seed plays the ninth seed in the tournament and the ninth seed is Long Beach State, which is no slouch," said Hawai'i head coach Shari Smart. "We definitely didn't want to come out on the bottom of that three-way tie."

Instead, the Wahine will face 11th-seeded Pacific in the opening round, which they beat 11-1 on Saturday.

On a night when the program celebrated its Magnificent Seven seniors, it was a freshman who led the way.

Karin vanHoff scored four goals on seven attempts in a breakout performance that had Smart beaming.

"Karin stepped up like you won't believe," Smart said. "She's always had the talent and the ability, but she's been a little inconsistent. I think tonight she came out with something to prove."

Hawai'i grabbed the advantage early with a pair of goals by senior Eko Lapp and led throughout the match.

The Aztecs (18-13, 4-6) had a chance to tie the score at 3-3 going into the half, but Kelly Falcone's shot from the left wing sailed wide, giving the Wahine possession of the ball with 20 seconds left.

Hawai'i worked the ball patiently until Christi Bardecki found an open lane and dumped the ball to vanHoff, who scored a point-blank goal with eight seconds on the clock.

Both teams scored to start the third period. What followed was six minutes of intense defense by both teams. Lapp broke up a pair of scoring opportunities with steals and goalie Christa Tackaberry knocked down two shot attempts in the period.

Falcone's goal with one second left in the period spoiled the effort, however.

Ahead just 5-4 to start the fourth period, the Wahine took command. They hit the magic margin when Amy Morrow fed vanHoff for an extra-man goal.

With 1:53 left in the game, Rebecca Angus took a cross-pool pass from Morrow and fired the ball past SDSU goalie Ashley Zabel.

Thirty seconds later, vanHoff found an opening on the right side to score her final goal. Lapp stole the ball on the next SDSU possession and Andy Nishioka sealed the game with a blind backhand goal.

"That was emotion," Smart said. "That was leadership and emotion and wanting to pound the final nail in the coffin."

Said senior Mandy Foster: "We knew we needed two goals to break the tie. We just wanted to kick some okole — and we did."

It was an especially sweet weekend for Foster, nee Crawford, who got married on Friday.

UH goalies Sarah Shepard and Tackaberry combined for 11 saves.

After the game, the seven departing seniors — Angus, Bardecki, Foster, Lapp, Morrow, Nishioka and Shepard — donned leis and inner tubes for the traditional Senior Float.

The Wahine have a hectic week ahead of them with finals looming and classes still to be made up from the recent UH professors strike.

"I'm a little concerned because we have huge academic needs going on right now," Smart said. "The fact that school is in session on the weekends and we have games the next two weekends in a row, we're even more behind than the normal student body.

"It's putting a lot of extra pressure on the players and I think it's going to be a distraction," she said.

The MPSF Water Polo Championships begin a three-day run starting Friday at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.