An opponent’s cleat got you down? Kama Pascua has a solution she’d like to share.

"I kind of laugh," said the Hawaii soccer striker.

Hard fouls on Pascua haven’t had the same effect they did as her first two years at UH, when the book on the talented ‘Iolani product was to take her out of the game by making her see red.

Sometimes, a red card.

Asked about what feels different about her junior season, Pascua volunteered her new-and-improved temperament.

"I try to laugh at things rather than put my energy into getting mad at things," she said. "Because it takes so much energy if you get mad. And I don’t like getting mad. I’m a happy person."

Coach Michele Nagamine has championed Pascua’s demeanor this season, especially coming off a challenging spring training season in which Kama was separated from her graduated older sister, Krystal, for the first time on the team.

"She’s taken some really hard fouls this year, that I can tell you last year she probably would have been carded for retaliation," Nagamine said. "And she’s just does a fantastic job of keeping herself calm, not taking it personally. It’s part of the game; we don’t have any control over the other team, nor do we have any control over the referee. We only have control over how we respond."

Pascua and her UH teammates will attempt to take that zen-like response into Saturday’s home game against Cal State Bakersfield while looking to get back into the win column. The Rainbow Wahine (1-4-1) were shut out and swept in road games at Portland State and San Francisco last week.

Nagamine has meditated of late on how to get the most out of her numerous offensive weapons, which have not yet meshed consistently. Pascua, traditionally a winger up top, has lately been tried at midfield, where she can use her superior speed and technical ability to slice through defenses and initiate counterattacks.

"I was kind of nervous moving to the middle because I’m so used to playing outside," Pascua said. "And it’s like a whole different game. But I’m getting used to it and slowly learning how to play that position better."

Her value, especially in traffic thanks to quick changes of direction and a superb shot off either foot, is difficult to replicate. Pascua was responsible for UH’s lone winning play of the season, a golden goal in overtime against Denver. It was the 10th score of her career and first of the season.

The Wahine have been particularly focused on combining — give-and-go sequences over simply trying to juke opponents through 1-on-1 moves. But it hasn’t helped that Pascua has played through some nagging leg injuries (tendinitis and shin splints) that have limited her minutes often to the 70s range.

"She’s been a trooper. It hurts us when we have to take her out, because she’s such an offensive force," Nagamine said. "She’s been seen dribbling almost through entire teams. She got a goal like that against (UC) Santa Barbara last year, she actually did it a couple times (last) weekend as well. Her technical ability and her ability to move with the ball is just so fluid and smooth. We’re trying to get her to understand that she doesn’t need to take that weight upon her shoulders every single time."

Pascua is second on the team in shot attempts, behind only co-captain Storm Kenui.

A tight bond between the two local products has helped Pascua make up for the absence of Krystal.

"(Storm) is always talking to me, telling me who to cover. Always getting my back," Pascua said.

There was never a Kama before the Storm. They went hand-in-hand pretty much from the get go, starting with AYSO at age 5. They bonded through a fierce rivalry which included not only who could shoot better, but who was taller. "It would go on for a while," Kenui said.

"It feels good to play with her and see her on the field, because If I’m frustrated she’s usually the person who helps me calm down," Kenui said. "Or if she’s frustrated, then I’m the one who helps her calm down. It’s like two peas in a pod."

The new Kama will even laugh about it, too.