Courtesy: USC Athletics
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — The No. 1 USC women’s water polo team fell behind and was unable to catch up with No. 4 Hawai’i in today’s third-place game at the Triton Invitational, taking a 10-6 loss to the Rainbow Wahine in San Diego. USC is now 4-2 overall after taking its first losses of the year at this weekend’s event.
The Rainbow Wahine struck first before USC’s Honnie Vandeweghe-O’Shea delivered an equalizer, but Hawai’i went back-to-back next to take a two-goal advantage. Julia Janov broke that up with a 6-on-5 score after Hannah Meyer drew an exclusion, and then Hawai’i hit again to hold a 4-2 lead after eight minutes of action. The Trojans would come up empty in the next period while the Rainbow Wahine knocked in a pair to lead it 6-2 at halftime. USC went into a five-goal hole early in the third but then generated some offense when Janov earned a 5-meter penalty shot the Alejandra Aznar deposited before Abigail Hendrix hit on a lob to get it to 7-4. Again, Hawai’i had a response, and USC was down 8-4 entering the fourth. Janov punched up two more goals for the Trojans in the final frame, only to see Hawai’i score a 5-meter penalty shot and then add another en route to the 10-6 decision.
TRITON INVITATIONAL
THIRD PLACE
#4 Hawai’i 10, #1 USC 6
Feb. 4, 2024 | Canyonview Aquatic Center (San Diego, Calif.)
USC 2 – 0 – 2 – 2 = 6
UH 4 – 2 – 2 – 2 = 10
SCORING:
USC — Julia Janov 3, Honnie Vandeweghe-O’Shea, Alejandra Aznar, Abigail Hendrix.
UH — Bia Mantellato Dias 3, Alba Bonamusa Boix 2, Jordan Wedderburn 2, Morgan Rios, Agatha Weston, Lucia Gomez de la Puente.
SAVES: Carolyne Stern (USC) 6, UH n/a.
NEXT:
The Trojans’ next action comes up on Feb. 17 with a trip to UC Irvine to face the Anteaters at 12 p.m.