StarBulletin.com

Pacific edges short-handed Rainbow Wahine in tournament final


By

POSTED: Monday, September 07, 2009

The numbers game caught up to the Hawaii women's soccer team.

Down a player the entire second half after leading scorer Britta Bourne was issued a red card, Hawaii watched Maricela Padilla put away a loose ball off a corner kick in the 85th minute to give Pacific a 3-2 victory in the final game of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Soccer Classic at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

Hawaii (1-3-1) dropped its third match in four games, while the Tigers (3-2) salvaged a split in the tournament after losing to UAB Saturday night.

“;I'm truly, truly proud of this team,”; Hawaii coach Pinsoom Tenzing said. “;We were down to 10 players and it could have gone either way. We gave up two easy goals, but we got it back.”;

Six cards were issued in a physical game that featured 30 fouls. The biggest call came in the final minute of the first half as Bourne, who had half of the team's six goals this season entering yesterday, was given a red card for kicking at a downed Pacific player.

She will also have to sit out the first game of Hawaii's upcoming road trip at Pepperdine.

Sophomore midfielder Rachel Domingo will likely miss the road trip after suffering a knee injury midway trough the first half on an illegal tackle by the Tigers.

Tenzing didn't know the extent of the injury, but if serious, Hawaii will be without one of its top scorers. Domingo is one of five Hawaii players to score a goal this season and entered last night's game second on the team in points.

“;We knew it would be physical,”; said senior Ambree Ako, who got untracked for her first two goals of the season. “;We gave it to them first instead of them giving it to us and putting us on our heels, so that was good on our part.”;

Things began to escalate after Domingo left the game. Hawaii freshman Chelsey Goo, a Mililani graduate, and Pacific junior Chyanne Alejado, a Kapolei grad, were both given yellow cards after the two got into a shoving match.

Then Bourne was issued a red card with seconds left in the half, putting Hawaii a player down the rest of the game.

“;I don't know what happened,”; Tenzing said. “;But that can't happen.”;

The Tigers raced out to a 2-0 lead, putting Hawaii into an early hole. Kortney Agdeppa took advantage of a cross from Padilla—headed across the box by Angelica Figueroa—to score in the 13th minute. Padilla added her first goal of the game 2 minutes later, controlling a ball from 25 yards out and blasting a shot into the net that Hawaii goalkeeper Kristina Ehrett had no chance to stop.

Hawaii answered as Ako scored on a penalty kick in the 20th minute after Mari Punzal drew a foul in the penalty box. The goal was her first of the season and 24th of her career.

Punzal was instrumental in Ako's second goal as well, dribbling the ball down the right side before crossing a pass at the last second that Ako headed into the net to tie the match 2-2 heading into halftime.

“;It took me a while this season, but finally I got it,”; Ako said. “;Hopefully it'll keep going.”;