Honolulu—The University of Hawai'i soccer team will be in action against UC San Diego on Friday with a start time of 7 p.m. HT at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
 

Since the Rainbow Wahine's (3-1) dramatic 1-0 victory in overtime over Bowling Green on Aug. 19, they've gone 2-0 with two wins on the road at Saint Mary's and Pacific, extending their win streak to three. The Tritons (2-0-1), an NCAA Division II powerhouse and future Big West Conference member slated for 2020, are 2-0-1 with a recent 1-1 tie against Hawai'i Pacific on Sept. 4.

 
UH will look to ride the momentum from the previous two matches, where the reigning Big West Offensive Player of the Week, senior midfielder Raisa Strom-Okimoto flashed her brilliance once again in a time of need. She netted a game-tying goal against Saint Mary's in the 87th minute, followed by a game-winning assist in overtime to sophomore midfielder Leialoha Medeiros off a corner kick. She also added another goal in the 5-0 thrashing of Pacific, totaling a team-high three goals on the season.

 
Backing up Strom-Okimoto's play has been redshirt-junior goalkeeper Alexis Mata, the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Week. Mata held Saint Mary's to just one goal while recording her second shutout of the season at Pacific. Mata ranks sixth in saves within the BWC at 18 but has played at least one less match compared to those who sit atop the leaderboard; her .783 save percentage ranks fifth.

 
As the season continues, the Rainbow Wahine are seeing underclassmen step up, most notably the performance against Pacific where five student-athletes recorded goals. Medeiros is second on the team in goals scored with two, adding her second goal in two matches against the Tigers on Sunday, while sophomore defender Cristina Drossos, freshman forward Daelenn Tokunaga, and freshman midfielder McKenzie Moore notched their first-career goals.
 

As for the Tritons, senior forward Mary Reilly highlights the Tritons attack and top returner as she registered nine goals and four assists in 2017. She was named United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team, D2CCA All-West Region Second Team, and All-CCAA First Team.


Match #5 Information:
TEAMS: Hawai'i (3-1), UC San Diego (2-0-1)
WHEN:  Friday, Sept. 7, 2018
WHERE:  Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium
PROMOTIONS:  Free roster sheets, team posters, and schedules cards will be available at the sports marketing table located near the concession stand. Fans can register to participate in the "Soccer Challenge" promotional contest at halftime, and enter a drawing-contest for the chance to win a UH-branded polo shirt and four (4) free tickets to an upcoming football home game. Free pair of "rubbah slippahs" will be distributed to fans while supplies last, courtesy of the UH Soccer team. UH branded t-shirts and soccer stress balls will be tossed into the crowd when UH scores a goal. 
LIVE STATS: www. hawaiiathletics.com
TICKETS: Free