One more win and the Hawaii soccer team is in.
With UH and UC Riverside mired scoreless for most of the night, the Rainbow Wahine broke out late with goals by seniors Sarah Lau and Raisa Strom-Okimoto for a key 2-0 win Thursday night at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
UH (9-6-1, 4-3 Big West) moved into fourth place in the conference standings with one game to play. It’s the most conference wins for Michele Nagamine’s team since it joined the BWC in 2012.
“Our ladies were ready to play today,” Nagamine said. “They were very pumped.”
If UH beats Cal State Fullerton (3-12-3, 0-5-2) at 2 p.m. Sunday, it is in the four-team conference tournament for the first time. Defense-minded Riverside (11-3-3, 2-3-2) was knocked out of tournament contention.
“It’s like all the hard work just paid off,” Strom-Okimoto said after scoring her Big West-best 12th goal of the season on her 21st birthday. “Now we gotta refocus for Fullerton, another huge, huge game.”
Goalkeeper Lex Mata recorded her sixth shutout of the season.
In the 73rd minute, defender Taylor Mason worked her way upfield after a throw-in and centered it nicely for Lau, who bodied the ball in from close range for her second goal of the season.
“I saw the ball pass the last defender, and I saw me and the goalie (Annie Bailey) both meeting the ball at the same time,” Lau said. “And all that was going through my head was, ‘I need to run through this ball.’ Whether it is sore or whatever, I have to run through it.”
Riverside tried marking Strom-Okimoto with multiple players at all times, but a move to attacking midfielder from forward allowed her a few more yards of space for the game-clinching shot from 25 yards in the 77th minute.
Strom-Okimoto now has as many goals in a season as any Wahine player not named Natasha Kai — tied for fourth on the all-time list.
HPU women’s soccer team ties Holy Names
Brittny Ihara scored at 87:41 as the Hawaii Pacific women’s soccer team tied Holy Names 1-1 on Thursday in Hayward, Calif.
Lauren Spencer made four saves for the Sharks (5-5-5, 3-2-3 PacWest).
Abbi Alexander scored at 64:11 for the Hawks (3-10-1, 1-6-1).
>> The Hawaii Pacific men lost 1-0 to Holy Names on an own goal in the 102nd minute.
Max Austli and Chandler Schur each had one save for the Sharks (5-8-0, 3-5-0). The Hawks improved to 4-10-1, 3-5-0.
UHH, HPU, Chaminade volleyball win
Alexandria Parisian finished with 14 kills and Ashton Jessee had 11 total blocks as the Hawaii Hilo volleyball team outlasted Dominican 22-25, 25-15, 25-20, 18-25, 15-11 on Thursday in San Rafael, Calif.
Bria Beale added 10 kills and 19 digs for the Vulcans (17-5, 13-3 PacWest). The Penguins fell to 6-15, 4-12.
>> Cameryn Collie had 12 kills and Carson Pyle was in on eight blocks as Hawaii Pacific defeated Fresno Pacific 25-23, 25-22, 25-22 in Fresno, Calif.
The Sharks improved to 10-13, 9-8 PacWest, while the Sunbirds fell to 5-20, 4-12.
>>Alana Handy recorded 16 kills and Emma Tecklenburg added 12 as Chaminade took down Notre Dame de Namur 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 in Belmont, Calif.
The Silverswords improved to 19-4, 13-4 PacWest. The Argonauts dropped to 7-17, 6-10.
