UH soccer team tops Fresno St. in OT, 1-0

Advertiser Staff

Fittingly, leading goal scorer Natasha Kai and assist leader Erin Quattromani teamed up to give the University of Hawai'i women's soccer team a 1-0 overtime win over host Fresno State yesterday in its final Western Athletic Conference match of the season.

With the win, Hawai'i (10-7-2, 6-2) clinched the WAC tournament's third seed and will face host and sixth-seed Rice in Houston on Thursday.

Hawai'i has won five matches in a row.

Rice defeated Nevada, 2-0, yesterday for the final spot in the tournament. Fresno State (7-12, 5-3) is the fourth seed.

Kai scored the game-winner at the 103:36 mark on a pass down the left side from Quattromani, and put the ball into the right side of the net.

"She ran onto the ball and sped past everybody and slotted it into the corner," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said.

Kai — who set a WAC mark with 10 league goals this season — has 16 goals and Quattromani has nine assists.

"It was a frantic game; it went back and forth, and we are happy to win," Tenzing said. "It is a good way to finish the season."

Tenzing's prediction for the WAC tournament: "beating Rice, playing UTEP, and taking on SMU in the finals."

No. 1 SMU, No. 2 UTEP, and No. 5 Tulsa round out the field for the tournament.

Six of the nine WAC teams qualified for the tournament.

Tournament schedule and final WAC standings in For the Record.