Box Score

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--Hawaii picked up its first win of the season and did it on the road with a 2-1 overtime win over UC Santa Barbara Wednesday night at Harder Stadium. Junior striker Natasha Kai scored the game-winner 53 seconds into the extra period to improve the Rainbow Wahine to 1-1-1.

The game-winner was the first goal of the year for Kai, who led the nation in goals scored last year with 29. Kai received a header from junior midfielder Seline Williams just inside the box, tapped the ball to create space from a UCSB defender, then sent a right-footed rocket into the upper right-hand corner of the goal. It was the 13th game-winning goal in Kai's career.

UH's second straight overtime game of the season came after a scoreless and uneventful first half. UCSB(1-2) held a 8-2 shot advantage in the first frame, but neither team mustered much of a threat offensively. UCSB broke the scoring ice early in the second half with a goal by Cinthia Ruiz in the 49th minute. After Maui native Chandi Bickford (King Kekaulike HS) attacked from the left side of the box was thwarted by UH, Ruiz picked up the rebound at the top center of the penalty box and lofted a shot over the head over Mahie Atay into the back of the net.

The Rainbow Wahine answered less than four minutes later on a near instant replay of the UCSB goal. Freshman forward Koren Takeyama penetrated the UCSB defense inside the box and her attempt deflected into the waiting feet of fellow freshman Gabrielle Bohlman. Bohlman squared up from 15 yards out and left-footed a low shot that cruised past Gaucho goalkeeper Catherine Burnson inside the right post.

The team's then played nearly 40 minutes before Kai's game-winning heroics. UCSB out-shot Hawaii by a 20-15 count as`Atay had six saves for the Rainbow Wahine. UH next heads south to Los Angeles where they will face USC on Friday, September 3. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. PST.

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