WAIPAHU, Hawaii — The Hawaii soccer team never got off the ground against Air Force on Thursday night.
The Falcons of the Mountain West Conference were in control of the action early and put in two first-half goals, then relegated the Rainbow Wahine to their fourth straight shutout defeat, 3-0 at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
Coach Michele Nagamine spoke to her team at length once the result went final, then expressed disappointment in her team’s upperclassmen for a lack of accountability.
“We’re constantly chasing the bus,” Nagamine said.
The Wahine launched 15 of their 19 shots after halftime but only three for the match were on frame.
It was the first time since 2021 that UH was held scoreless for four straight matches. The dubious program record is six in a row in 2010, the year before Nagamine took over.
UH (1-4) will have its next chance to get on the board against North Dakota State (3-1-1) at 4 p.m. Sunday to cap the Outrigger No Ka Oi tournament. NDSU was beaten 1-0 by Grand Canyon in Thursday’s first match.
Nagamine, while reluctant to make excuses, sympathized with her players over a lack of consistent practice site this year as the construction of UH’s future on-campus soccer venue has eliminated the Wahine’s grass practice area. They have trained at a new location nearly every session.
"The lack of consistency, I think it showed tonight," Nagamine said. "It’s catching up to us. We’re behind in many, many ways."
Air Force freshman Mai Mateaki, who was born in Wailuku, Maui, and raised in Anchorage, Ak., put in the goals before intermission in the seventh and 20th minutes and Caeli Sherman tacked one on in the 51st.
It was a joyous homecoming for Falcons junior Raine Komata, a Mililani High alumna. The visitors’ starting defender faced down her former Trojans teammates Amber Gilbert, Nicole Ando and Jacey Jicha, all of whom are a year older. Jicha was Komata’s fellow center back at Mililani.
Playing against them was “really fun” but also something she "hated." Being back at Oahu’s primary soccer facility is a surreal experience for Komata, who also helped Air Force beat UH 3-1 in Colorado Springs, Colo, last season.
“It was incredible,” Komata said. “I don’t think I’ve played here since senior year of high school, so it was really exciting. I just was counting down the days until we came back to Hawaii.”
Komata and her service academy teammates proudly saluted during the pregame playing of the Star-Spangled Banner.
“I’m representing something bigger than myself, and that just means the world to me,” she said.
Air Force (3-0) faces Grand Canyon (3-1-1) for the tournament title at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.