A large and loud Spring Break crowd came to watch history in the making when fourth-ranked University of Hawai'i played second-ranked Stanford yesterday in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation water polo match. Instead, it witnessed history unraveling ejection by ejection at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.

Stanford outscored Hawai'i 2-1 in overtime to seize a 10-9 victory from the jaws of what would have been its first loss to the Rainbow Wahine since they started their program a decade ago. The 'Bows not only lost their unblemished MPSF record — dropping to 6-1, a half-match ahead of Stanford (15-3, 5-1) — they lost an opportunity for a breakthrough victory in their 20th meeting with one of the sport's powers. A seventh straight win would have given them their best start in history.

It was not to be. Kira Hillman scored the decisive goal on a lob over UH freshman goalie Serena Bredin at 2:13 in the second overtime period. Hawai'i turned the ball over on its next possession, then could not convert despite a rare 6-on-5 advantage.

The Cardinal got the ball back with 50 seconds remaining and drew its 13th Rainbow ejection, giving it another 35 seconds and its own power play. It didn't attempt another shot, taking the clock down to :09 and then preventing UH from getting off a final shot off.

Hawai'i coach Michel Roy was unwilling to place the blame for the loss on his team, attributing the result to the fact that his team had more than twice as many ejections (13-6). Two-time All-American Kelly Mason got her third 20-second "kickout" at the end of the third quarter to "foul out."

Roy, admittedly "obsessed with the refs," talked to his team about "feeling mad and sad" after. "They have to walk out of here and say we could have given a little more and we could have won," he said. "Although I do think we won the game. I believe everybody here, including Stanford, believes we deserved to have won the game.

"Thirteen kickouts against a team that plays zone defense is not logical."

Hawai'i got three goals each from Angela Turnbull and Lisa van Raalte, and two from 6-foot freshman Carmen Eggens. Bredin had six saves. Stanford got two goals each from Hillman, Koree Blyleven and Silver, who also missed a penalty shot.

There were nine ties in the match and neither team led by more than a goal, with both letting great opportunities for separation get away, then making spectacular plays to get over the disappointment. Eggens tipped a brilliant Saara Majuri pass in to give the 'Bows their first lead at 4-3. Sieprath found van Raalte for a blast into the net at the third-quarter buzzer that made it 7-6 UH. Turnbull scored Hawai'i's last goal in regulation from 30 feet out.

"We could have played another 2 hours and it still would have been tied," Stanford coach John Tanner said. "The game just happened to end at a time when we were ahead."

The Rainbow Wahine play top-ranked and unbeaten UCLA at 4 p.m. Friday.