WAIPAHU, Hawaii — For the first time in a long time, the Hawaii soccer team showed it can score in bunches.
As for its shot-stopping prowess? There remains much to prove.
UH and Gonzaga combined for the most goals in Rainbow Wahine program history as the Bulldogs claimed the Outrigger Soccer Kickoff with a 7-5 win at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium on Sunday.
“People are going to look at the box score and go, ‘what the heck happened a Waipio?’” UH coach Michele Nagamine said. “That’s what the preseason is about.”
UH emerged from its first week of the season with an 0-1-1 record. It drew 1-1 with Utah Valley on Thursday.
Because of ongoing scheduling difficulties since the COVID-19 pandemic, UH has an abbreviated nonconference schedule, and therefore precious little time to figure things out before the 10-match Big West slate. Three out-of-conference games remain, including the last of those at WPSS against Sacramento State of the Big Sky on Thursday.
UH trailed 2-0 at halftime on Sunday, then both teams netted five goals in a wild second half. UH trailed 6-1 in the 71st minute, only to score four times in a 15-minute span, including two by backup midfielder Mia Foster six minutes apart as her first college goals.
Nagamine subbed liberally, pulling veteran attackers like Kelci Sumida, Eliza Ammendolia, Amber Gilbert and Krista Peterson late in both halves in favor of giving the bench an opportunity.
UH responded with its most goals in a game since 2018; it did not score more than two in any game in 2022. Gilbert had a brace, giving her three goals on the week, and forward Cate Sheahan netted the first ball of her career.
The defense will need to be tuned up, Nagamine acknowledged. The Bulldogs, picked to finish fourth in the WCC, drew two penalty kicks on UH freshman defenders and Giana Riley buried both.
“We got a little bit out of sorts,” Nagamine said. “We didn’t have the defensive pressure on the ball that we wanted to. Not the best goalkeeping either today. Our keepers (Sophie Augustin and Brianna Chirpich), they could’ve owned their box a little bit better, they could’ve organized the back line. But they’re new too; Lauren Marquez got the majority of the minutes last year. This is what we have to go through when you only have a limited number of games at home.”
The last time UH gave up seven goals was a 7-0 rout at Washington State on Sept. 5, 2021. It last yielded that many at home in a 7-2 loss to Cal Poly on Oct. 4, 2015.
Foster’s straightaway banger from about 35 yards in the run of play was the highlight for the Wahine, who tallied only 15 goals in all of 2022.
“I know we had hiccups here or there, but last year we didn’t have the same team,” said Foster, of La Mesa, Calif. “If we were down 6-1, I don’t think we would’ve came back like we did.
It started from last spring. We connect really well. I know girls, we kind of have to like each other to play well together, and we just have a good group. We want the best for each other. I think that’s really the difference from last year to this year, to be honest.”
Thursday’s opponent, Sacramento State, has six players from Hawaii. Four started in a 3-0 loss to UC Davis on Sunday.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
