Ambree Ako provided all the scoring the Rainbow Wahine soccer team would need with two goals in the first half as Hawai'i downed Fresno State 2-1 last night at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

The Rainbow Wahine's seventh consecutive home win set a UH record; the team also set a record for most consecutive home games without a loss (10).

More importantly, last night's victory completed a weekend sweep of the two Western Athletic Conference preseason favorites. UH, which was picked to finish fifth in the conference, defeated preseason favorite Nevada, 3-0, on Friday.

"That's what I'm more happy with," said UH head coach Pinsoon Tenzing.

Hawai'i improved to 9-3-2 (2-0 WAC), while Fresno State dropped to 6-6 (1-1).

The Bulldogs struck first when midfielder Chelsea David found forward Nicole Gutierrez on the run for a ground-skimming shot past UH goalie Kori Lu 10 minutes and 35 seconds into the game.

Midway through the half, fullback Nicole Mikula drew a foul in the FSU box and Ako converted the ensuing penalty kick to tie the game.

Hawai'i dominated the time of possession in the half, limiting the Bulldogs to two shots on goal.

With eight minutes left in the half, fullback Lehua Wood launched a perfectly placed throw-in that found Ako open in front of the net.

"The ball just dropped through and I was, like, 'Oh, there it is,' " said Ako. "I just had to get to my feet and get the shot off."

Ako's shot found the upper left corner, just beyond the reach of leaping FSU goalie Kaity Revel.

The Rainbow Wahine's white-on-rice defense sealed the game in the second half, leading to a few chippy moments down the stretch.

Twenty minutes into the half, Mikula and Gutierrez tangled while going for a loose ball. Mikula fell and Gutierrez appeared to try and kick Mikula as they separated.

Seconds later, Mikula elbowed Gutierrez as a play unfolded in front of the UH goal. Gutierrez crumpled to the turf and Mikula was assessed a yellow card.

Lu punched away Stephanie Yoro's free kick to preserve the UH lead.

"She was pushing me from behind so I had to give it back to her," Mikula said.

Despite UH's impressive start, Tenzing said his team won't play its best until midfielders Kristen Oshiro and Mallory Maughan return from injury.

"This was not a pretty game because we have people playing in positions they're not familiar with," he said.

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.