Box Score
HONOLULU - Freshman speedster
Natasha Kai returned from illness in grand fashion, scoring three goals, breaking three school records and tying another to lead Hawai`i to a 6-0 victory over Tulsa in the Rainbow Wahine's Western Athletic Conference opener at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
Kai, a 5-foot-8 striker from Kahuku, Oahu, opened her scoring barrage just a minute and fourteen seconds into the action when she scored off of assists from Erin Quattromani and Arlene Devitt. Quattromani recorded her first of three assists on the evening when she sent a high, lofting pass to Kai at the top of the Tulsa penalty box. Kai collected the pass, turned and fired a right-footed shot that clipped the far post before bouncing into the net.
Kai struck again at 17:37 to give Hawai`i the 2-0 lead when she made good on another assist from Quattromani. The Rainbow Wahine were awarded a free kick when a Tulsa defender was whistled for a foul outside the Golden Hurricane penalty box. On the restart, Quattromani sent a ball into the Tulsa box where it clipped a defender before settling in front of Kai, who sprinted onto the ball and hit a left-footer past keeper Kelly Wilson.
Hawai`i's all-time scoring leader, Arlene Devitt, netted her first of two scores at 30:29, when she scored with a right-footed laser from 25 yards out off of a loose ball.
Kai posted her single match record tying third goal at 54:12. Carmen Calpo initiated the scoring chance when she dropped a pass off to Natalie Groenewoud outside the Tulsa box. Groenewoud sent a first time right-footed cross onto the goal mouth, where Kai leapt above the crowd to sent a header into the back of the net. Both Calpo and Groenewoud were credited with assists. Kai's third goal tied the Hawai`i record set last Nov. 11 when Veronica Flores registered a hat trick of her own in the Rainbows' 7-1 win over Boise State in the WAC Tournament.
Junior midfielder Mia Moe made it 5-0, Hawai`i at 66:27 when she ran onto a Quattromani free kick and pushed her easy right footed shot past Tulsa keeper Abby Fahrig. Quattromani's three assists matched Tiffany Makue's school record which she set against Nevada last Oct. 28.
Devitt wrapped-up the night's scoring at 71:55, when she made good on a penalty kick attempt. Devitt earned the shot when she was taken down from behind on an attack inside the Tulsa penalty box. The goal was Devitt's eighth of the year.
Besides the school match goals scored mark, Kai also set new program standards for freshman points (20), goals (9) and shots (60). All three records were previously held by Devitt.
The Rainbow Wahine return to action on Sunday when they host Rice in another Western Athletic Conference contest. That match starts at 5:00 p.m.
