Capitalizing on a home crowd — including its school band — and holding off a late rally, the 'Iolani boys water polo team defeated rival Punahou, 10-8, in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu match last night at 'Iolani in front of a couple hundred fans.

"Most of them came straight from the football game (between 'Iolani and host Punahou)," senior Stephen Lim said of the Raiders fans. "We haven't had a band in a while. Maybe a few years. They were so loud."

Like last season, 'Iolani (3-0) won the matchup with Punahou in the first round of a two-round regular season. But Punahou (2-1) won the remaining matches between the two teams to win its sixth straight ILH title.

"I told them we were in the same place last year," 'Iolani coach Randy Bart said.

Lim scored three goals and senior goalkeeper Nate Yang had eight saves for the Raiders, who saw an 8-3 lead dissolve into a 9-8 scare late in the match.

Punahou took a 2-0 lead on goals by Jack Roney and Curtiss Baldwin in the opening minutes.

"We had a couple of defensive breakdowns, and that kind of woke us up," Lim said.

A goal by Joshua Busse sparked an 8-1 'Iolani run. Lim and Bret Johnson scored for a 3-2 Raiders' lead at the end of the first quarter.

"The boys were pressing and Punahou stopped getting shots," Yang said.

Punahou's Jeter Ishida tied the match at 3 on a five-meter penalty shot to start the second quarter, but two goals from 'Iolani's Victor Wong, and scores by Lim and Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka made it 7-3.

Each team scored twice in the third. 'Iolani's Johnson scored, then the Buffanblu received goals from Ishida and Tim Steinmeier to make it 8-5. Lim's goal with 35 seconds left gave 'Iolani a 9-5 lead at the quarter's end.

"We were trying to win a quarter, catch up a goal or two at a time," Punahou coach Ken Smith said. The strategy appeared to work. Punahou scored three straight on goals by Roney, Baldwin and Ishida to pull to 9-8 with 1:49 left in the match.

"We wanted to take care of the ball," Bart said. "We didn't want to sit on the points. I think we got a little tired and complacent."

'Iolani's Michael Lim scored with 1:09 left to give the Raiders their final 10-8 lead.

Punahou threatened with a missed penalty shot and a shot that hit the post — one of four last night — in the final minute.

"It was a two-goal swing, and those are killers," Smith said.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.