PORTLAND, Ore. — The Hawaii soccer team finally found something to show for its efforts on its 10-day road trip to the Pacific Northwest.
With UH staring at the prospect of a 0-3 trip, Cate Sheahan scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute and Nalani Damacion followed up with the game-winner in the 85th in a 2-1 comeback victory over Portland State on Thursday night.
The Rainbow Wahine (3-6) outshot the Vikings (1-5) of the Big Sky Conference by a whopping 25-3 count, including 14-3 on goal, but they were stymied nearly the entire way on the turf field of Hillsboro Stadium.
“We just kept battling and battling,” coach Michele Nagamine said in a phone interview with Spectrum News.
UH, coming off a 2-0 loss at Eastern Washington on Sunday, recorded 22 shots before Sheahan’s low attempt across the face of the goal was the junior’s first of the season and fourth career. A short time later, Damacion capitalized on a chance from just inside the top of the box amid a few Vikings defenders for the freshman's second goal of the year.
Vikings goalkeeper Natalie Cunningham compiled 12 saves in the loss.
PSU’s Elle Frazier staked her team to an early lead with a right-footed shot in the fourth minute.
“To go down so early and stick to it and rally, and not have people point fingers and … stay focused on the task at hand, it’s what we’ve been talking about all season long,” Nagamine said. “I don’t know how we’ve been putting up so many shots – 16, 18, 19 – a game and nothing’s been dropping. It’s been very frustrating. We know we have the talent and the ability to get results, and it’s taken us a while to get in gear.”
A change to a 4-3-3 formation in the second half paid off, Nagamine said.
UH opens Big West play by hosting UC Davis (6-2) next Thursday at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.