Box Score | Box Score (pdf)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Madison Beckley scored on a header with nine seconds left as UC Santa Barbara handed the  University of Hawaii women's soccer team a crushing 2-1 road loss in a Big West contest Friday night at Harder Stadium. The Rainbow Wahine dropped to 6-7 overall and 1-2 in conference with the loss.

Knotted at 1-1, the match looked to be heading into overtime until the final sequence of events. The Gauchos (7-5-2, 1-2 BWC) earned a free kick just inside midfield with 30 seconds remaining and hurriedly lofted a long ball into the box. A Gaucho headed the ball toward the UH goal and a back-tracking Erica Young punched the ball skyward into the air for a save. Beckley, however, took advantage of the free ball heading it past an off-balance Young for the game-winner.

The loss was just the fifth for UH in its last 13 road matches.  The Gauchos, on the other hand, picked up a much-need win after dropping their first two league matches of the year.

UH got off to a rough start, surrendering a goal less than 90 seconds into the match. After a header bounced off the UH crossbar, Sara Feder eventually corralled the ball in the box then hit a shot that deflected off a UH defender and trickled in past the out-stretched arm of Young.

The Gauchos held that lead into halftime and continued to control things early in the second half, owning a 12-3 shot advantage at one point. Facing the top defensive team in the Big West, UH was stymied by UCSB for much of the first 60 minutes.

But UH finally broke through in the 63rd minute on a beautiful individual effort by Kama Pascua. Pascua knifed through the Gaucho defense, gaining space just inside the box, before launching a low-liner far post past UCSB keeper Beth Ritter. It was the fifth goal of the season for the sophomore forward, tied for the team lead.

The teams played the next 27 minutes evenly before the decisive goal in the waning moments.UCSB finished the match with a 16-8 advantage in shots, while Young recorded six saves for UH.

The Rainbow Wahine look to rebound when they travel north to San Luis Obispo to face defending regular-season champs Cal Poly on Sunday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. PT/9:00 a.m. HT.