Hat trick helps University of Hawaii women win Big West water polo title

Elyse Lemay-Lavoie scored a hat trick and Hawaii held off a late shot attempt as the second-seeded Rainbow Wahine water polo team defeated top-seeded UC Irvine 7-6 in the Big West tournament championship game on Sunday in Long Beach, Calif.

The win earned the Rainbow Wahine (18-5) an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, to be held at Stanford on May 10-12. It will be UH’s first appearance in the NCAAs since the 2015 season. The Rainbow Wahine will find out their NCAA opponent today.

On UC Irvine’s last possession, the Anteaters’ Danielle Ayala fired a late shot but Bridget Layburn’s save sealed UH’s victory.

Senior All-American Irene Gonzalez was named tournament most valuable player after scoring six goals in the semifinals and one in the championship. Lemay-Lavoie’s three goals was her eighth hat trick of the season.

The Anteaters (19-7) scored the first goal before the Rainbow Wahine poured in three straight goals, two by Lemay-Lavoie and one from Gonzalez.

UCI would rally to take a 4-3 lead before freshman Maxine Schaap tied it.

In the third period, the Rainbow Wahine blanked the Anteaters, holding UCI to 0-for-7 shooting. UH took full advantage as Lemay-Lavoie, Carmen Baringo and Femke Aan scored to put UH up 7-4.

In the cage, Molly DiLalla got the start in the first half, recording six saves, while Layburn, a freshman, had 10 saves.