It was a dramatic and historic day for the University of Hawaii women’s water polo team in Irvine, Calif., on Sunday.

Monika Eggens scored four goals, including the game-winner with 44 seconds left in the second overtime period to give the Rainbow Wahine a 5-4 victory over UC Irvine and the Big West tournament title.

It was the first conference championship in the program’s history. The Wahine move on to the eight-team NCAA championship tournament, and they’ll find out their first-round opponent today by watching a selection show that will be broadcast at 2 p.m. on NCAA.com.

UH’s eighth straight win didn’t come easy. The two teams battled furiously all season in three matches, all of which were decided by one goal.

Hawaii ended Irvine’s hold on the Big West title. The Anteaters have won all four tournaments since the event’s inception.

Eggens’ third goal of the match gave UH a 4-3 lead with 4:26 left, and the Wahine looked poised to win in regulation, holding the ball with less than a minute remaining and a player advantage. But UCI earned a power play and Hannah Crogham scored with eight seconds to go, sending the match to overtime.

The first three-minute overtime period went scoreless, and the second one nearly did, but the Rainbow Wahine’s Paula Chillida Esforzado found Eggens with a pass near the mouth of the goal and Eggens put it in from point-blank range.

The Anteaters had one more possession, but the Rainbow Wahine held on for the victory.