Rainbow Wahine win third in row
By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer
The University of Hawai'i heads into conference play on a three-game win streak after beating Detroit-Mercy, 2-0, in the OHANA Hotels and Resorts Shootout last night at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium in front of 704 people.
Hawai'i senior forwards Ambree Ako and Britta Bourne each scored for Hawai'i, which played its final non-conference game before opening the Western Athletic Conference season this week with games against San Jose State Friday and Fresno State Sunday.
"I think we'll be fine. We just have to compose ourselves a little bit better," Ako said. "We can work on that in practice. We'll work on finishing, but I think we'll be fine."
A night that ended with a postgame "altercation" between a Hawai'i (4-6-1) player and a Detroit-Mercy (2-7-1) player began with an early Hawai'i goal by Ako.
The Rainbow Wahine had been plagued all season with lack of scoring. All non-conference season long, Hawai'i worked on each aspect of its game, from the defense up to the midfield, but was having a hard time putting the balls in the net.
"I think we played badly in the first half and the intensity picked up in the second," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said. "We got the goal in the first half, and once again we created a lot of chances. We have to put away those chances or else we're going to be in trouble in the WAC."
Ako scored in the 18th minute on a breakaway, set up by senior forward Britta Bourne and defender Colleen Burns, outpacing the entire Titans defense and shooting under goalkeeper Joanna Hinde.
Ako returned the favor to Bourne when Ako chased down a long pass from Burns, slotted it behind a Titans defender for an oncoming Bourne, who put it away in between the legs of Hinde the 50th minute.
It was a different game than Thursday's game between the same teams, when UH dominated offensively but scored one goal. Last night, Hawai'i took seven shots on goal and made two. Detroit-Mercy took two shots on goal.
"We didn't play as well as we did the last game, but we put away goals which is what matters," Ako said.
