RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Hawaii's Natasha Kai tried to reel in the ball while holding off Fresno State's Rochelle Jagdeo in the first half yesterday at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium.

Record crowd can’t help Hawaii score a goal

Fresno State shuts out the Rainbow Wahine before both teams leave for the WAC tournament

It would have been fitting for the Hawaii women's soccer team to finish the Western Athletic Conference home season undefeated.

The Rainbow Wahine went into yesterday's match with Fresno State knowing they had clinched first place because San Jose State and Nevada tied yesterday.

There was an all-time record UH crowd of 3,175 on hand to celebrate Senior Night at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium.

Although the Bulldogs (7-9-2, 4-2-1 WAC) did not spoil the postgame celebration with their 1-0 win, they made an early goal stand up for a victory to end Hawaii's (9-8-2, 5-1) streak of 10 consecutive league home triumphs.

"There was nothing to play for, essentially," said UH coach Pinsoom Tenzing. "It's difficult to motivate them. They had achieved everything."

The Wahine had their scoring chances, but were not clicking with their passing game like they did last Friday against Nevada. They were tentative in the early going, resorting to too many long balls.

Natasha Kai's first shot at 6:30, off a long, high ball, was just wide left. It was her 50th shot in WAC matches this year, breaking the record she set last year.

Fresno's Nicole Gutierrez headed a bouncing ball past advancing UH goalkeeper Mahie Atay at 10:10, but Ashley Chaffin was able to clear the ball to the side a couple of feet from the line.

The Bulldogs scored the game-winner at 14:54 when Antonea Lugo beat Chaffin with a reverse move and crossed from the left to a wide-open Gutierrez inside the goalie box. Her head shot eluded Atay's one-handed stab and hit the net.

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Hawaii's Ashley Chaffin headed the ball in front of Fresno State's Cortney Sobrero in the first half of yesterday's game at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium. Fresno State won the game 1-0 and finished the regular season a half game behind the Rainbow Wahine in the WAC standings.

Both teams had good scoring chances in the last seven minutes. Adria Campbell lobbed a ball to Kai at the 18-yard line, and Kai pivoted for a right-footed shot that was inches outside the right post at 38:14.

FSU's Allison Schroeder had a one-touch shot from just inside the penalty box at 41:51 that flew wide left.

A communications mix-up in the FSU defense in the final seconds left the ball rolling across the goal mouth, but no Wahine was there to poke it into the net.

"I thought we competed hard after letting the other team get ahead. We didn't put the goals in we should have," Tenzing said.

The Wahine had trouble finding the drop zone behind the four-back, flat-back FSU defense, all too often sending a hard pass to FSU goalkeeper Angie Larsen.

"There were open spaces, but not everyone was on the same page," UH midfielder Jessica Domingo said. "We would run up to pressure and leave lots of open space and that left us vulnerable. We have to play as a team."

Kai had two more chances early in the second half on bouncing through balls. She missed open goals at 46:17 and 50:38 with both shots, not struck very well, going wide right.

"Overall, I'm happy. It was exciting for the fans," said Tenzing. "The midfield play wasn't there in the first half. It was a weak effort."

Hawaii leaves tomorrow for the WAC Tournament at Boise, Idaho. The Wahine have a first-round bye and will play their first match Friday.