Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
The 2015 season continues to get away from the Hawaii soccer team.
UH faced a two-goal first-half deficit and was unable to recover in a 2-1 loss at UC Riverside on Friday night.
The Rainbow Wahine (3-9-1 overall) dropped to 0-3 in Big West Conference play heading into Sunday’s 2 p.m. game at Cal State Fullerton (9-2-1, 1-1). It’s the program’s worst start in the league since joining it in 2012.
UH coach Michele Nagamine chalked up the loss to a lapse of concentration the first 20 minutes — after which she thought her team played pretty well.
"I think the season is just shaping up to be one of those seasons," Nagamine said in a postgame phone interview. "Fortunately, I’ve never had one of those seasons in my entire career, so it’s a different position for me to be in as well. But I’m not giving up on the team, and they’re certainly not giving up on each other."
The last-place Wahine will have to pick up points in the road if they are to rally into the top four in the conference standings and qualify for the Big West tournament. Friday’s loss dropped UH to 0-5 on the mainland this season.
Tatum Lockett scored on a header in the third minute for the Highlanders (7-6, 1-1) and Tyler Cunningham put in her team-best fourth goal of the year in the 25th minute.
Senior defender Lidia Battaglia put in her second goal of the season in the 38th minute on a free kick by Storm Kenui, cutting the deficit to a goal, but the Rainbow Wahine were unable to find the net again despite outshooting the Highlanders 10-7 and earning six corner kicks to none for UCR.