[ WAHINE SOCCER] ]
Wahine in tourney final
The Rainbow Wahine soccer team scored on three fast breaks in the first 18 minutes en route to a 5-2 victory over the Utah Valley State Wolverines last night at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park stadium.
Hawaii put itself in position to win the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Classic title today. They play Morehead State at 5.
Morehead State lost to UVS (3-2-1) 7-0 in the tournament opener Friday.
The Wahine struck first when Robyn deHay received a clearing ball from defender Jessica Uecker up the right side. DeHay beat a defender just outside the box, sidestepped UVS goalkeeper Amberlee Nelson with a soft touch on the ball, then rolled it across the goal line at 3:42.
The next two Hawaii (4-1-1) goals also were the result of quick counterattacks that took advantage of the Wahine's speed.
Natalie Groenewoud served a ball from her own half to Natasha Kai on a breakaway. UH's leading scorer was able to regain her balance after she was nearly upended by a diving Nelson and angle the ball across the goal line from the right side at 14:52.
Kai had a hat trick, the third of her career.
The third UH goal at 18:13 was the result of using the whole field with two well-executed passes. Arlene Devitt passed the ball out to a wide-open Joelle Sugai on the left at midfield. Sugai angled toward the goal and, as she neared the outer limits of the side of the penalty box, sent a perfect left-footed cross into the middle.
Kai, racing in at full speed with a defender close behind, headed the ball into the net for a 3-0 UH lead at 18:27.
The Wolverines made a number of thrusts into the Wahine goal area, but never delivered a shot on UH goalkeeper Mahie Atay that posed a problem.
DeHay scored her second goal at 56:17 on a head shot from 5 yards out off a looping cross by Groenewoud from the right corner. Devitt chipped a through ball to Kai, who outran the defense and pushed a grounder past Nelson for her third goal at 63:57.
