Wahine score winning goal with 2 seconds left

The Hawaii Rainbow Wahine delivered one of their most dramatic victories ever last night by scoring the winning goal against Cornell with 2 seconds left in the first overtime.

With all 11 UH players deep in their own territory defending against a Big Red attack, Tehani Higa cleared a ball to Taryn Fukuroku as public address announcer Natalie Webb started the mandatory countdown of the final 10 seconds.

Fukuroku angled up the right side and passed to Ambree Ako in the middle as she crossed midfield. Kelli-Anne Chang, who began her run at the arc atop the penalty box in her own end, was following Ako, but veered off to the right.

"Kelli-Anne was more open and had a better angle," said Ako, who slid a pass to an unmarked Chang just inside the 18-yard line.

Chang one-timed her low shot into the left corner for the 1-0 win in the opener of the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Shootout before 532 fans at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park Stadium.

"I saw the goalie, took aim and shot," said Chang, a sophomore midfielder who leads UH with four goals.

It was the fourth consecutive overtime match for the Wahine who only had a light practice Thursday after arriving back from the mainland late Wednesday night.

"Would you just look at how they moved the ball up the field and how they used the flank," UH coach Pinsoom Tenzing said. "What a fabulous goal that was. I will sleep well tonight.

"We were a little flat. What happens is they give up the game plan and start going for the long ball and we don't have any tall players in the middle."

The Wahine (5-2-1) dominated the first 25 minutes by controlling the ball in the Cornell half of the field. Hawaii managed seven shots, but only one had any potential.

Fukuroku caught up with a through pass from Jessica Domingo just inside the box on the right side. Fukuroku, who was unguarded at the moment, watched her shot fly well wide of the left post at the 23:21 mark.

The Big Red (1-3-1) began to move the ball better in the last 15 minutes before the half, but got just one shot off. Neither goalkeeper, Cornell's Carlyn Swensen nor UH's Kori Lu, had to make a save.

UH finished with a 15-3 shot advantage. Each goalkeeper was credited with one save.

The tournament continues tonight at 7 when San Francisco plays Cornell and concludes tomorrow with the Hawaii-USF match at 5 p.m.