Irvine, Calif. - The No. 12 Pacific women's water polo team split Saturday at the UC Irvine invitational. The Tigers downed No. 17 UC Santa Barbara 7-6 after falling 7-6 to No. 6 Hawai'i.
Karolina Hlavata scored four goals in Pacific's win over UCSB, while Viktoriya Szmodics scored the only goal of the fourth quarter for the game winning goal. Hlavata also tallied twice against Hawai'i.
Pacific fell behind 2-0 to UC Santa Barbara in the afternoon contest, as Brenna Thomas and Taylor Shore scored first quarter goals before Hlavata tallied back-to-back to tie the game at 2-2. But Shore struck with 27 seconds left in the first for a 3-2 Gauchos lead.
In the second, Megan Torre set up Hlavata's third goal, and Rachel Krieger gave Pacific a 4-3 lead with 4:01 left in the first half. But Kristen Denny tied the game at 4-4 headed into halftime with a UCSB marker.
In the third, Torre scored to put Pacific in front, but Thomas answered for the Gauchos. Immediately, the Tigers had an answer as Hlavata's fourth came 21 seconds later for a 5-4 Pacific lead. Shore responded on the Gauchos next possession as the game headed into the fourth knotted at 6-6.
After 9:20 of scoreless water polo, Szmodics finally broke through with 1:43 to go and the Tigers fended off the final UCSB possessions.
Alexis Hollinrake made eight saves in goal while UCSB's Mackenzi Brokaw tallied 10.
Earlier in the day, the Tigers opened the tournament with a 7-6 loss to No. 6 Hawai'i. Hlavata put Pacific on the board in the first quarter, but Nikki-Marie Bell tied it with 31 seconds to go in the first with a 6-on-5 goal, and just eight seconds before the period break, Irene Gonzalez put the Rainbow Wahine up 2-1.
Torre tied the game early in the second off an assist from Ellen Tiedemann and Hlavata posted another goal for a 3-2 Pacific advantage. But Danika Kotylak's 6-on-5 goal tied the score at 3-3 headed into halftime.
Krieger gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead three minutes into the third period, but Hawai'i reeled off three straight goals as Bell and Gonzalez scored in the third, and Gonzalez opened the fourth by giving the Rainbow Wahine a 6-4 lead.
Aelish Guinn tallied with 6:46 remaining as the Tigers pulled within one, but with 1:33 to go, Bell capped the hat trick for Hawai'i.
The Tigers could only get one goal back and Szmodics finished in the waning seconds and Pacific fell just short.
Hollinrake posted nine saves, whiles Ymane Hage recorded 10 for Hawai'i.
Hawai'i improved to 12-2 overall and moved into the quarterfinals with the win.
The Tigers are off to the consolation semifinals on Sunday after their win over UCSB in the consolation quarterfinals.
Pacific will face San Jose State at 9:15 a.m. at Corona del Mar High School pool.
