The Hawaii soccer team paired its scoring production with improved defense and contributed to coach Michele Nagamine’s birthday celebration with a 3-1 win over Eastern Washington on Friday in the opening match of the Montana Invitational in Missoula, Mont.

After twice squandering two-goal leads in a loss to Idaho State on Sunday, the Rainbow Wahine jumped ahead again on Friday and limited EWU to two shots on goal while improving to 4-5 overall and 2-1 on their four-match road trip.

"I got the best birthday present ever," Nagamine said.

The Wahine close the 12-day trip against host Montana on Sunday at South Campus Stadium.

Hawaii has scored 11 goals in the first three matches of the trip and leads the Big West with 20 this season, two more than its 2013 total. On the flip side, the Wahine had given up eight goals in their previous two matches and 27 this season before holding EWU to one goal on just six total shots on Friday.

Nagamine promised changes to the lineup after Sunday’s loss and moved freshman Dani Crawford into the back line, "and she was just a stud today," Nagamine said.

"We were a lot more cohesive on defense than we had been the last couple of matches," she said.

Kama Pascua gave UH the lead 23:38 into the match, converting an assist from Ashley Haruki into her third goal of the season.

After Chloe Williams scored the tying goal for EWU (2-3) less than seven minutes later, Storm Kenui gave the Wahine the lead back with her team-leading fourth goal of the season off an assist from Sonest Furtado.

Senior midfielder Hayden Gibson scored her first career goal on a rebound off the crossbar in the 54th minute to widen the lead.

While UH fired 19 shots, 10 on goal, Rainbow Wahine goalkeeper Erica Young faced just two shots while picking up her second win of the season.