Santa Barbara’s Paige Hauschild and Jamie Neushul are coming home with gold medals. 

They are part of the U.S. Women’s National Team that routed Spain 14-5 in the water polo gold medal game at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday.

The championship is the third straight for Team USA, and local players have been a part of all three. Kami Craig was on the 2012 squad that won in London; Craig, Kiley Neushul and Sami Hill played on the gold-medal winning 2016 team in Rio de Janeiro, and now Hauschild and Jamie Neushul claim gold in Tokyo. Also on the team with Santa Barbara ties is backup goalie Amanda Longan, who played for the 805 Water Polo Club as a youth.

Hauschild attended San Marcos High and Neushul is a Dos Pueblos alum.

Hauschild, in an Instagram post, said: "Olympic gold. An absolute dream come true."

VIDEO OF WATCH PARTY AT HAUSCHILD FAMILY HOME

Hauschild assisted on the fourth Team USA goal near the end of the first period. The U.S. opened up a 6-1 lead, with six different players scoring goals.

Spain got as close as 7-4 in the second quarter, but Team USA poured it on in the third period, outscoring the Spaniards 5-0 to take a 12-4 advantage.

The Americans made a sizzling 14 of 26 shots, while Spain was just 5 of 32

Goalie Ashleigh Johnson was spectacular, making 11 saves on 15 shots.

The nine-goal margin of victory was the largest in an Olympics final. Team USA also set a record for most goals in an Olympics tournament with 109.

It was an extra long and hard journey for Team USA to win this gold medal. Due to the global pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics were delayed a year.  The players went some 460 days without playing a game, and there was a time when they couldn't even train in the water.

“If this journey has taught me anything, it is that even in the most adverse circumstances, passion and dedication prevail," said Neushul in a text message from Japan "Amidst the pandemic, like the rest of the world, this group has fought through some difficult obstacles. But we were able to stay focused, continue to work, and keep the end in mind. It is that dedication to greatness that has allowed us to have this special moment together today” 

Said coach Adam Krikorian in the postgame press conference: "There's been a lot of talk about our success and our adversity, but the world has gone through a hell of a lot over the last 17 months. There have been many people who have suffered, so I don't want to diminish that, but what every single one of these Olympic athletes, coaches and staff members have been through to get to this point is a fricken gold medal in itself. 

"Yes, we won a gold medal but every single person that has been here has been through a heck of a lot and I hope the rest of the world is watching as there are so many good examples here."

​Maggie Steffens, who became the all-time leading goal scorer in women's water polo history at the Olympics, said of the team's performance:

"One thing that our team have been really focused on, not only in this Olympics but through this quad-plus year of this journey, is to enjoy the moment as much as possible. 

"I think with the pandemic, the postponement, so many challenges, so much adversity, individually and as a group, we kept coming out of those stronger and always stronger together. 

"Today, I think that was just a show of who we are as a team. That no matter the adversity that is thrown our way, we stick together as a team, and we rise up and we thrive in those moments. It was really amazing to see the balance and the full team effort.

"You could see it from every single player on our team. It's about the unit that you build, the unit you create and that's really where the magic lies. I'm really grateful to be a part of it and to have been able to show the world that magic we've created as a circle and as a unit."