UH settles for tie against Ball State

The lead didn’t last, but the streaks are still alive.

Hawaii couldn’t make a 1-0 lead stand up against Ball State and settled for a 1-1 tie in the opener of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Soccer Classic on Friday night.

It was UH’s third double-overtime match in its past four outings, and marathon minutes took their toll. Several players were crumpled on the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium field when the second 10-minute extra period came to a merciful end.

Seven UH players went the distance, including midfielder Krystal Pascua, whose 25-meter strike in the 28th minute staked the Rainbow Wahine (4-1-2) to a 1-0 halftime lead.

After UH kept up the pressure on the Cardinals for the first 20 minutes of the second half, the visitors turned the tables on the Wahine with near-constant scoring threats. Ball State (3-2-1) broke through with a putback score by Nicole Pembleton in the 80th minute.

"We should have won. We felt like we got robbed," Pascua said. "We were all working hard. We just fell out of rhythm a bit. I guess because they were high-pressuring us a lot."

UH still extended its unbeaten streaks to 10 games at home, six overall this season and six overtime games.

That was of little consolation to UH coach Michele Nagamine, who said she was "disgusted" by the result before softening it to "disappointed." She is looking for a convincing victory against Detroit (2-3) on Sunday to cap a six-game homestand.

"Again, I think some of our youth shows," she said. "I question some of the decisions we make, especially under pressure. We’ve got to be better."

Goalkeeper Kanani Taaca punched a lofted ball up into the crossbar to preserve OT in the first extra frame for one of her season-high seven saves. No one on either team had a better look for the win.

UH had difficulty keeping possession against the Cardinals’ aggressive attacks on passing lanes.

"We’ve got to finish, because it’s getting exhausting," Nagamine said. "Working so hard, and addressing all these things. The players have gotta be exhausted; the coaching staff is exhausted."

The Mid-American Conference school from Indiana didn’t want to hear about it; the Cardinals made their longest trip in history.

"After traveling pretty much 24 hours, we definitely were the underdogs with all the adversity played against us," Ball State coach Craig Roberts said. "But I was very proud of the way my girls fought. … We battled really hard and deserved to get back in the game."

Pascua scored unassisted in the 28th minute from about 25 yards out, lofting a shot over leaping keeper Aubrey Buehler into the opposite top corner of the net for her second goal of the season. It was the only score of the half.