Box Score

BOISE, Idaho - The University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine soccer team broke its postseason hex with a 1-0 double-overtime win over Utah State in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals Friday afternoon at Boas Soccer Complex. Senior Koren Takeyama scored the golden goal in the 101st minute to lift the Rainbow Wahine (14-4-2) to its first tourney win in six years.

Top-seeded UH advanced to Sunday's tournament final, its first championship appearance since 2001. That was the last year UH won a tournament match as it subsequently endured five straight years of one-and-done before Friday's victory.

Takeyama picked the right time to score her first goal of the season. A little more than a minute into the second overtime period, freshman Mari Punzal found Takeyama near the left corner of the penalty box. Takeyama lofted a left-footer that sneaked inside the upper corner of the far post, beyond the outstretched reach of Aggie goalkeeper Ali Griffin. It was just the second career game-winner for the native of Wailuku, Maui.

Takeyama's goal concluded a hard-fought, physical match. UH out-shot the Aggies, 18-14, though shots on goal were even at seven apiece. The fourth-seeded Aggies (9-11) best opportunity came early in the second half when Candice Clark had a point-blank shot stuffed by UH goalkeeper Nicole McClure. The Rainbow Wahine also had a chance to end the match in the first overtime, but Chelsea Deptula's header off a Rainbow Wahine corner kick bounced off the cross bar.

With the victory UH set a new single-season mark for wins (14), surpassing the 2003 squad. McClure and Kori Lu combined for Hawaii's 11th shutout of the year, tying a school record. The Rainbow Wahine also avenged their only conference blemish of the season, a 3-2 loss to the Aggies in Ocotober. The win was Hawai`i's first in four all-time meetings with Utah State.

The Rainbow Wahine, victorious in seven of their last eight matches, now await the winner of the Boise State-Fresno State semifinal. The championship match is set to kickoff at 1:00 MST (10:00 a.m. HT) on Sunday, Nov. 11. UH fell to SMU, 2-0, in its only other championship appearance in 2001.

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