WAIPAHU, O’ahu – The Hawai’i women’s soccer team used yet another come-from-behind effort in the second half to extend its unbeaten streak to nine matches with a 2-1 win over UC Riverside before a large crowd Sunday at Waipi’o Soccer Stadium.
Cate Sheahan and Nalani Damacion each scored second-half goals to keep the Rainbow Wahine in first place in the Big West standings with 19 points, three ahead of second-place UC Santa Barbara. The victory also secured UH’s first 10-win season since 2007, while giving the ‘Bows six conference wins – also the most since 2007.
With the win, Hawai’i also officially clinched a spot in the Big West postseason, marking the third time in program history and the second year in a row that UH qualified for the conference championship.
The Highlanders got on the board in the 32nd minute when Julianna Hernandez found the back of the net off of a cross from Audrey Stewart to make it 1-0. The goal also snapped UH’s shutout streak at 496 minutes, a stretch that dated back to a Sept. 22 win over Hawai’i Pacific.
The Rainbow Wahine answered in the second half when Sheahan broke through off a Brynn Mitchell cross in the 61st minute to make it 1-1. The goal was Sheahan’s third of the season and put her in a tie for the team lead with 10 points while Mitchell dished out her second assist of the year and also has 10 points.
Damacion then delivered her sixth game-winning goal of the season when she got open in front of the goal, finishing off the feed from Mia Foster in the 86th minute to put UH in front for good. All of Damacion’s team-leading six goals have been game-winners, and she remains the leader among freshmen nationally in game-winning goals.
The Rainbow Wahine head back on the road for matches at Cal Poly (Thursday, 4 p.m. HT) and at UC Santa Barbara (Sunday, 2 p.m. HT).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
