Last-second goal stings

The Hawaii soccer team was prepared to put its perfect overtime record to the test in hostile territory.

UC Santa Barbara had other ideas.

The host Gauchos scored the game-winning goal with nine seconds left in regulation, denying the Rainbow Wahine 2-1 at Harder Stadium in UH’s first Big West road match of the season.

The Gauchos crossed the ball in from the left wing on a 50-yard free kick and got a clean header look. UH goalkeeper Erica Young leapt and deflected that initial attack straight up, but she lost her footing upon landing — resulting in an easy second header by UCSB’s Madison Beckley that was good from point-blank range.

UH coach Michele Nagamine sighed at the disappointing conclusion in a postgame phone interview from Santa Barbara, Calif. She thought her team defended the play well, but she was incensed about two no-calls in the final minute before UCSB was awarded the free kick with 11 seconds left.

"My whole thing is consistency, that’s all I really want," she said.

The Gauchos (7-5-2, 1-2) came out energized and scored in the second minute, but sophomore Kama Pascua squared the match with an unassisted goal in the 63rd minute and UH was feeling good about extra periods, where it is 3-0 this season.

Now UH (6-7, 1-2 Big West) drives up the California coast for Sunday’s 9 a.m. match at Cal Poly (6-8, 1-2), which lost at home to UC Davis on Friday.

"I gotta hand it to the kids. I thought we got robbed tonight and they handled it well," Nagamine said. "Krystal Pascua told me (about Cal Poly), ‘Eh, get chance.’ "

Nagamine credited UCSB for coming out "on fire," as the Gauchos held possession for most of the first 20 minutes. Their first score came moments after a shot hit the UH crossbar and caromed back for another attempt.

At one point, the Gauchos had attempted 12 shots to UH’s three. But things swung after halftime; the count ended at 16-8 in UCSB’s favor.

"We absolutely had the run of play in the second half," Nagamine said.

The younger Pascua gave the Wahine new life, knifing through several defenders and beating the Gauchos goalkeeper far post. It was her fifth goal of the season, tying Storm Kenui for the team lead.

"She basically willed that goal to happen," the coach said. "She broke through everybody. … She had this crazed look in her eye."

For a moment in the 75th minute it appeared UH would be awarded a penalty kick when Sonest Furtado was brought down in the penalty box, but instead a free kick was awarded just outside that UH could not capitalize on.