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The Hawaii soccer team continues to find ways to prevail at home.
UH won its fourth straight, 2-0 over Idaho, on Thursday night at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium, giving the Rainbow Wahine (4-0-1) more wins than they achieved in all of 2015.
After nearly 80 minutes of even play and chances on both sides, UH broke through for two scores just 38 seconds apart.
“It’s just our game-planning this season,” said sophomore Raisa Strom-Okimoto, who scored UH’s first goal on a penalty kick and assisted on the second to Kellsie Gleason. “We’ve watched a lot more film, scouted the other team a lot more. We were able to see what they had and it was exactly what our coaches told us.”
Forward Addie Steiner got behind the Vandals’ defense and was taken down in the penalty box to earn a penalty kick. Strom-Okimoto improved to 2-for-2 on PKs this season, raising her team-high goal count to three by going low and right to slip it past Idaho keeper Torell Stewart.
The Aiea product is also UH’s assist leader (three) thanks to her through ball to the 6-foot Gleason, who lobbed it over the head of Stewart from about 15 yards when the keeper came out to challenge it.
UH’s last winning streak of this length was in 2007, which was also the last time it got off to this kind of start (5-0-1).
These Wahine shut out their second straight opponent after giving up a goal in their previous 11 games dating back to last season.
“It sure feels good, not gonna lie,” UH coach Michele Nagamine said. “I thought tonight was probably our most complete performance. I thought … we really moved the ball nicely. Idaho is a great team. They were very disciplined. They press like crazy.”
The Wahine conclude a season-opening six-game homestand against Saint Mary’s (0-4) of the West Coast Conference at 7 p.m. today.
Idaho (1-2-1), a former WAC opponent of UH now in the Big Sky, came in with all of its starters back from a 14-win season.
‘Iolani product Megan Goo started for the Vandals, while Summer Kaneshiro (‘Iolani) and Kayla Watanabe (Mid-Pacific) came off the bench for the visitors. Goo recorded two shots.
“It was always special for us to be able to bring them here and play in front of their families,” Idaho coach Derek Pittman said. “(And) it’s always unique to have two siblings playing against each other. I thought Lillie did an excellent job, and Soph played very well for us.”
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