Wahine soccer off to best start with Air Force win

Hawaii soccer went up high to attain the program’s loftiest record through nine games of a season.

Addie Steiner scored twice on assists from Raisa Strom-Okimoto and the Rainbow Wahine prevailed 2-1 in the altitude of the Air Force Academy on Tuesday, giving them consecutive wins to close out their three-game Colorado road trip.

UH (7-1-1) has never been better at this stage of a season, surpassing the 1998 squad’s 7-2 mark.

“It feels great. I’m extremely happy for the kids,” UH coach Michele Nagamine said in a postgame phone interview. “To be able to watch the transformation that has occurred within them from last year (3-14-1) to this year, it’s been phenomenal and nothing short of amazing. But you know, they’re going to keep it real because they know how quickly the tide can turn.”

Now all that remains — aside from the alumnae game on Sept. 25 — is eight Big West contests, starting Sept. 30 at Cal Poly.

“It’s definitely something to be proud of,” said Strom-Okimoto, who is tied for the BWC assists lead with five. “We worked really hard during camp to prepare for this preseason, and now we’re trying to prepare for conference when it really matters.”

UH responded to Friday’s 3-1 loss to Colorado in Boulder with a 2-0 win at Denver University on Sunday, followed by Tuesday’s decision over Air Force (2-2-1) in Colorado Springs — places the Rainbow Wahine had never won.

The Wahine overcame chilly weather and a lightning delay to get on the board quickly, a rarity this season, when Steiner took a pass from Strom-Okimoto near the end line to the right of the Falcons’ goal. She beat a few defenders and fired a shot at an extreme angle past the charging goalkeeper.

“I tried to get a foot in,” Steiner said of the fourth-minute score. “I didn’t even see it go in until it was in the back of the net, honestly.”

Said Nagamine: “That first goal was incredible. It was sheer effort and determination.”

UH padded its lead in the 21st when Strom-Okimoto found a streaking Steiner at the top of the box for a straightforward shot. Steiner moved into co-honors with Strom-Okimoto for the team goals lead at four.

“The past couple games we’ve just developed more of a connection, and she can read where my runs are going and I can tell when she starts to play the ball,” Steiner said.

Nagamine knew the service academy of the Mountain West was capable of a late charge. The hosts had a 14-9 advantage in shots, with seven saved by Monk Berger.

Brooke Rittmann put one in in the 75th minute, cutting the lead to a goal, and it was a nerve-wracking final 15 minutes for UH.

“There’s a lot of pride in everything that they do,” Nagamine said. “You make sure you’ll prepare yourself for a battle. It’s going to be intense. And that’s exactly what happened tonight.”