After two excruciating years of losing the NCAA at-large lottery, Hawai'i has re-surfaced at the NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship. The fourth-ranked Rainbow Wahine open today against ninth-ranked Loyola Marymount, at Eppley Recreation Center in College Park, Md.

The 'Bows (18-8) finished fourth in their first two NCAA appearances (2005 and 2006). This year they beat seven-time national champion UCLA for the first time in history, reached No. 3 in the national rankings for the first time and won nine of their last 10 to sprint into the final eight.

Now, all they have to do to win their first NCAA title, according to coach Michel Roy, is play "perfectly."

"I don't think he means 'perfect,' " said UH sophomore Carmen Eggens. "It just means putting away opponents, coming up solid at the beginning, not letting them have the edge."

Collegiate women's water polo, a blur of a sport to watch, has become so closely contested that losing concentration for a moment makes a massive difference. While UCLA, USC and Stanford have won all eight titles since the NCAA sanctioned the sport, the gap is clearly disappearing in the midst of all those confusing officials' whistles.

"Everything goes so fast in the water," said UH sophomore Leonie Van Der Molen. "It's actually easier to follow out of the water because you can see it all. You have to see everything around you. If you're just one second, or half a second too late then they can score. Or if you move a little too far it can cost you a goal or you won't be able to score. It goes really fast."

After their UCLA upset, the 'Bows lost by a goal to each of the Big Three. They also got to nationals largely on a last-second goal by All-American Kelly Mason against fifth-ranked Cal. They barely held on at the MPSF Tournament, losing by a goal to UCLA, then beating San Diego State and San Jose State by the same slim margin.

Six weeks ago, they won 8-7 at LMU on a late goal by sophomore Saara Majuri. The Lions (24-7) are led by WWPA Player of the Year Nicole Hughes, who has 107 goals — five more than Mason and Van Der Molen combined.

The 'Bows' two leading scorers (Mason is UH's career leader) have been complemented increasingly well by Eggens, probably on her way to Canada's senior national team this summer. Hawai'i has five players with 20-plus goals and Serena Bredin, another sophomore from Canada, can be brilliant in the goal.

They all know this weekend is their last chance to put it all together, at least with seniors Mason and Lisa van Raalte along for the ride.

"If we put everything together that we've learned, if everyone starts doing what they can, then we would be amazing," said Van Der Molen, a member of the Dutch junior national team. "It hasn't happened yet. If we would all have a good game then we could beat a USC."

That would be the "perfection" Roy seeks. "We have to cut down on the big mistakes," he said. "We have to train to recover if we make small mistakes."

The Rainbow Wahine have mastered that in practice, developing a close-knit team chemistry despite training non-stop in an extremely rough sport.

"What happens in the pool," Van Der Molen grins, "stays in the pool."

Hawai'i opened the 2006 nationals with a 12-9 win over Loyola Marymount. The 'Bows have participated in seven postseasons overall, going back to National Collegiate Championships.