Hawaii has had a goalie in five of the past six Olympics. After Tumua Anae and her U.S. teammates defended their title in amazing fashion at the XVI Pan American Games, it’s looking like six of seven.

Anae, born in Hawaii and raised in Southern California since elementary school, was backup goalie to the venerable Betsey Armstrong on the women’s team at the Pan Am Games, the world’s second largest multi-sport event, after only the Olympics.

The team’s remarkable 27-26 shootout victory over Canada — it was tied 8-8 at the end of regulation and the two overtime periods — qualifies the Americans for next year’s Olympics in London.

Anae would like to be living back in Laie by then. Her parents moved home this year. Tumua, mother Annabel and sister Jordan are hoping to produce a Hawaii TV show geared toward kids that involves elite local athletes talking about the unique impact of playing in paradise.

Tumua calls it a "getting some experience while I can’t have a ‘job’ job." She graduated from USC last year with a degree in broadcast journalism, the 2010 NCAA water polo championship and first-team All-America honors. Since then, she has been the backup goalie on the national team. Training takes up all day, everyday but Sunday.

Ideally, it will stay that way until the Olympics. She is playing behind Armstrong, an Olympic silver medalist who has been in the U.S. goal the past five years and was the FINA Aquatics World Magazine Female Water Polo Player of the Year last year.

Armstrong, 28, is five years older than Anae and, at 6 feet 1, 2 inches taller.

"She’s been here awhile," Anae says. "There is almost a comfort level having her in. I need experience and time."

She has talent, starting four years for the Trojans and collecting a stunning 20 saves in one game. Her sister, married to Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Fili Moala, also played for USC. Both were swimmers in high school, before a neighbor introduced them to water polo and Tumua’s size sent her to seal off the net.

Her high school coach at Corona del Mar was former ‘Iolani coach Aaron Chaney, a referee at the past two Olympics who has also moved back home.

Anae hasn’t met Punahou graduate Chris Duplanty, a goalie for the U.S. at the 1988, ’92 and ’96 Games. But Brandon Brooks, another Punahou graduate who was in the goal at the past two Games, came to aid Chaney for a few days. He ended up helping Anae an awful lot.

She says it is no coincidence the position draws Hawaii athletes.

"One of the characteristics of a goalie that is important is charisma," Anae says, "and people from Hawaii are easy-going and easier to get along with. That plays a role in why they make good goalies. It’s a personality trait people are drawn to."

This year, the U.S. has won World Championships and the World League Super Final, both in China. But the epic Pan Am victory hit much closer to home, and heart.

"I told the girls this is the greatest game I’ve ever been a part of," U.S. head coach Adam Krikorian said. "This is maybe the most courageous, most mentally tough group of girls during one game that I’ve ever seen."