The margin for error is small, the desire to fold smaller.

Urgency has taken hold with the Hawaii soccer team, which needs at least a split of road games at UC Davis (today) and Long Beach State (Sunday) to remain in contention for a Big West Conference tournament berth.

UH’s hopes for one of four tourney spots in Fullerton, Calif., took a body blow with last Sunday’s 3-2 double-overtime defeat to Cal Poly on the Waipio Peninsula, in which the Rainbow Wahine came back from a 2-0 second-half deficit only to fall in extra frames. The Wahine (6-7, 1-3 BWC) spent the days since in recovery mode, mulling over how to make things right in four remaining matches.

"With some of the things we’ve seen this year, I know a lot of teams would have just given up," UH coach Michele Nagamine said. "But not us. We’re going to keep fighting ’til that fat lady sings. And nobody gave me the mic yet."

The Wahine will have to end their winless streak in BWC road games (0-6-1 since joining the league last season) if they are to earn another mainland trip next month. They currently sit in seventh place. Davis, in eighth, might represent an opportunity to end that futility.

There are several California natives on the UH roster, which should lend some semblance of crowd support from friends and family this week.

"I think we’ve played well. We’ve showed well," said senior defender Malé Fresquez, of Downey High in Los Angeles. "We’ve outplayed teams on the road. I think all it comes down to is finishing."

Finishing, indeed. Junior Tiana Fujimoto and freshman Kama Pascua have 12 of the team’s 13 goals on the season. Others have struggled to put balls away, despite the team’s shot count nearly doubling up that of opponents (211-122).

Nagamine feels there’s still time for that to turn around. Krystal Pascua (team-best five assists) has been a facilitator to this point, and T.J. Reyno is still coming back from an ankle injury. Both have the ability to finish.

"I was telling the kids, ‘Hey, I am a gambling woman, right? I love to play craps. And you don’t win every time you play craps. The house always has a slight advantage, and that’s why people love to gamble.’ " Nagamine said. "It’s that chance. The operative word for us is chance. There’s a chance this thing is going to turn at any time."