KIHEI, Maui — It has been nearly three years since the Lahainaluna High School girls water polo team last lost a Maui Interscholastic League match, but coach Will Hutchison remembers the date precisely.

''It was April 14th, 2005, to King Kekaulike in a playoff game,'' Hutchison said to The Maui News. ''I'm certain that was the date. I could look it up, but I know that was the date.''

The Lunas won their 20th MIL match in a row last night at the Kihei Aquatic Center, 16-8 over Baldwin. It was easier than the score indicated for the deep, seasoned Lunas, a state final four team last season.

Moana Tuipulotu, the two-time MIL Player of the Year, left at halftime for a family spring break trip to Puerto Rico, but was still the top scorer in the game with four goals.

Five different Lunas scored the first five goals of the game, and Lahainaluna led 8-3 at the end of one quarter and 12-4 at halftime.

The two-time defending league champions improved to 3-0 at the midway point of the league's fourth regular season.

Perhaps Baldwin coach Andy Irimata, who swam at the University of Hawai'i and coached the Bears to the first MIL title, best described just how good the Lunas are.

''Lahainaluna is pretty tough,'' Irimata said after the Bears fell to 1-2. ''They have a strong team, good set offense, and the girls play together so well. When they go to state, I hope they represent Maui well.''

Hutchison admitted that his team is focused on the state tournament, scheduled for May 7-10 on O'ahu. The Lunas have five fourth-year players and five more third-year players.

''These girls have been together for a long time,'' Hutchison said. ''The starting lineup has been together for three years. (Freshman) Koral Gill has been playing for four years and Harmony (Bash) has been playing for three and they don't even start. Our top 10 players have been together for a long, long time. They love to set each other up and play together.

''Our focus has been on state all year. We have a scrimmage day set up on O'ahu in April with the top teams there. We play Kahuku in the morning, 'Iolani in the afternoon and Punahou in the evening. Those teams will all be playing just once that day, so it will be interesting for us.''

The Lunas will also play Kapolei and Leilehua the next day and this week they will take on the Dartmouth College club team, which has a 12-0 mark so far this year, according to Hutchison.

Tuipulotu and fellow starter Michelle Fuller, who had a goal last night, will both be on spring break trips when the Lunas take on Dartmouth.

The collegians will give the Lunas a test that they don't get in the MIL.

Several times during the game, Hutchison called for his players to pull the ball out when they had wide-open breakaway shots.

''We really like the competition we get in the MIL, but the league players all get along really well, so it will be nice to play people who are strangers,'' Hutchison said. ''We really like to attack, but we only get to do that in the first quarter in MIL games. Next week and on O'ahu, we will get to do it for four quarters.''

Hailey Gill and Alana Hendrickson each added three goals for the Lunas.

''They are just so deep,'' Irimata said. ''Their second-team players could beat a lot of teams, no doubt.''

The Bears got three goals from Veronica Biskis.

Lahainaluna 8 4 3 1—16

Baldwin 3 1 0 4— 8

Goals—Lahainaluna: Moana Tuipulotu 4, Hailey Gill 3, Alana Hendrickson 3, Kayla Wall, Mariah Gill, Desiree Acker, Jen Santos, Harmony Bash, Michelle Fuller. Baldwin: Veronica Biskis 3, Megan Luther 2, Mariah Magalianes, Alison King, Jasmine Davis.

KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI 15, KING KEKAULIKE 8

At Pukalani, Maui, Sulun Guth scored four goals as the Kamehameha-Maui defeated King Kekaulike 15-8 last night at the Warriors' pool.

Kaulana Ane added three goals for the Warriors (2-1).

Hailey Mulvhill led Na Ali'i (0-3) with three goals while Tiana Kaawai added two.

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