The Mustangs scored on their first three shots over the opening 12-plus minutes as they beat the Rainbows, 4-3, in a slight drizzle before 900 at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Park. All the scoring came in the first half.

SMU improved to 10-2 overall and took over sole possession of first place in the WAC at 3-0. Hawai'i is 7-4-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

SMU's Lauren Messallem scored unassisted on a left-footed shot from 12 yards out at 1:28 after Hawai'i couldn't clear a corner kick, and Olivia O'Rear added another at 3:40 off a long pass by Amanda Jordan.

The Rainbows' Natasha Kai, who missed the previous game because of an ankle injury, answered just 10 seconds later after taking a pass from Robyn deHay, dribbling around goalie Amanda Clark and shooting into an open net.

SMU went up 4-1 after goals by Erin McCallum at 12:23 and Kim Harvey at 30:56. Harvey's goal was assisted by Adria Campbell, a Punahou School alum from Kailua.

When asked about his team's fast start, SMU coach John Cossaboon said: "Against Fresno we had a very similar (start), but against an opponent of this level, no."

SMU beat Fresno State, 6-1, last Sunday.

The Rainbows' Kalena Eaton scored at 31:17 and Arlene Devitt made it 4-3 at 38:13 on a penalty kick after a hand ball was called against SMU's Kati Shelton in the penalty box.

"We gave up some easy goals, we made some defensive errors, but then we came back and I have nothing to be disappointed in," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said. "We played well enough to win, but it was not to be today."

Cossaboon said he switched from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 after taking a three-goal lead by pulling a forward back to the midfield. But his team continued to play an attacking style, which allowed the Rainbows to rally.

"To me, it's the way to play the game," Cossaboon said of his team's offensive mentality. "It's like an attacking spirit, a warrior mentality. We can sit back and get beat or win 1-0, but that's not the same as us going forward expressing ourselves and playing soccer."

The Rainbows had a few opportunities to even the match in the second half, but couldn't find the back of the net. Devitt got behind the defense in the 59th minute, but her shot went off the right post. In the final minute, deHay's left-footed shot traveled just wide right.

UH is 0-6-1 against SMU, which is the three-time defending conference regular-season champion.

The Rainbows will host Texas-El Paso (7-3, 2-0) tomorrow at 5 p.m.