Box Score

HONOLULU--The Rainbow Wahine soccer team exploded for three first half goals to fuel a 5-2 win over Wyoming on the final night of the OHANA Hotels & Resort No Ka Oi at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium. Strikers Arlene Devitt and Natasha Kai each scored two goals to give UH (1-0-1) its first win of the early season.

Both UH and UAB finished the tournament with identical 1-0-1 records, but the Blazers claimed the tournament title by virtue of its 3-0 shutout over Wyoming on Saturday.

The Rainbow Wahine were on the offensive from the get-go and held a comfortable 3-1 lead at the half. UH registered 10 shots on goal in the first half alone, while Wyoming (0-2-0) managed just two.

Kai, who set a new school record with 13 shots in the match, launched four shots on goal in the first 12 minutes of the match, including a header that bounced off the crossbar. Thirty seconds after her near-score, Kai finally found the back of the net on an acrobatic header off a UH corner kick. Devitt struck next at the 38th minute working a give-and-go with Carmen Calpo. With the score, the junior striker became the school's all-time points leader with 48, surpassing Jennifer Starsiak and Veronica Flores.

A defensive breakdown by UH in the second half allowed the Cowgirls to close to 3-2 with more than 30 minutes left in regulation, but a magnificent individual effort by Devitt just four minutes later shut the door on any comeback. The all-conference forward received the ball in heavy traffic, weaved through and around four Cowgirls and fired a rocket from 13 yards out that gave UH a two-goal advantage.

Devitt and Kai were named to the all-tournament team along with teammates Joelle Sugai and Sasha Araya-Schraner. UAB goalie Lisa Nowoslawski was named tourney MVP.

UH will hit the road this week for a pair of non-conference matches, taking on Oregon State on Thursday, Sept. 6 and UC Riverside on Sunday, Sept. 8.

OHANA Hotels & Resorts No Ka Oi All-Tournament Team
Mercy Adetoye, Wyoming
Sasha Araya-Schraner, UH
Melissa Bowman, Wyoming
Arlene Devitt, UH
Natasha Kai, UH
Tara Kidwell, UAB
Jill Knottek, UAB
Briana McCarty, UAB
Jenny Rynders, UAB
Joelle Sugai, UH
MVP: Lisa Nowoslawski (Goalie), UAB

- uh -