Hawaii defeats Saint Mary’s for fifth straight win

Another late-clock, game-winning goal? At this point, why not?

Sonest Furtado scored unassisted in the 77th minute to give Hawaii a 1-0 victory over Saint Mary’s on Friday night at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium, keeping the Rainbow Wahine red hot as they prepare for their only nonconference road trip.

UH (5-0-1) won its fifth straight, its longest streak since 2007, and matched that squad for the program’s second-best start to a season through six games. Only the 1998 team opened 6-0.

The Wahine have consistently scored in the final minutes of regulation or overtime to compile these early-season victories, all at home. This time they even did it playing on consecutive days; they beat Idaho 2-0 on Thursday and with the two wins earned their third Outrigger Soccer Classic trophy in three weeks.

“I wish I knew (how to win late), because I’d make a lot of money writing coaching books on how to do that,” UH coach Michele Nagamine said.

“I really have to hand it to the team. Even getting down into the waning moments, they found ways.”

Nagamine staggered some of her starters’ minutes to try to keep their legs fresh. The Wahine came out in a conservative 4-5-1 formation with that in mind, but UH junked that in favor of their regular 4-4-2 late in the first half when they struggled to advance the ball on the Gaels (0-5) of the West Coast Conference.

UH had to survive several close calls in the second half to keep it scoreless, but the Wahine held the Gaels down in the waning minutes to earn their third straight shutout. The last time they did that? 2007.

The Gaels’ Morgan Darling fired a rocket off the far post, then a Darling corner kick came within inches of ricocheting in were it not for T.J. Reyno, who blocked it at the goal line.

“I told her, ‘I’m buying you breakfast tomorrow,’ ” said goalkeeper Monk Berger, who had five saves. “Goalies say posts are your best friend. The posts got my back, T.J. had my back. In the end, I had my team’s back.”

UH was outshot 11-9, but Furtado made one count. The junior applied a wicked crossover to get past her primary defender at the top left corner of the box, then fired a left-footed low ball to the far post past oncoming help defense and goalkeeper Julia McDonald.

It was a near carbon copy of her other goal this season, in the opener against Oregon.

“This game I knew I needed to score,” Furtado said. “It’s so funny because it was the same situation. As soon as it happened, I was like, ‘Wow, Oregon again.’ ”

UH now prepares to head out for three games in the state of Colorado, starting with another Pac-12 opponent, Colorado, on Friday.

SMC lost to its fifth straight Big West opponent to open its season. It was only UH’s second win against the Gaels in 10 all-time meetings. Mililani High product Kailana Kaeo, a freshman, played 16 minutes off the bench for the visitors.