Another fast start by Hawaii went by the wayside in its season-opening tournament.

Despite that, the Rainbow Wahine soccer team felt better Monday after its 2-1 defeat to Texas compared to the hollow feeling 24 hours prior, when it was routed by Arizona State.

In the fifth minute, senior co-captain Krystal Pascua scored her first goal since her sophomore season — the second straight night UH struck first. Though the Wahine would lose the lead and the match, it was competitive throughout.

"I was really, really happy with the way they responded from yesterday ’til today," UH coach Michele Nagamine said. "Especially considering we didn’t have much time to recover. Texas had two days between the games to kind of get their legs back. I thought we showed a lot more composure and maturity … cleaned up a lot of mistakes."

An improved effort, for sure, but not enough against the towering team from the Big 12. Texas (1-0-1) equalized by halftime and got the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute, an unassisted lob shot by Whitney Jaynes over UH keeper Monk Berger.

ASU (1-0-1) won the Outrigger Resorts Shootout thanks to goal differential; the Sun Devils tied with Texas but beat UH 5-2.

UH doesn’t have much time to dwell on the 0-2 start. It hosts Northern Illinois on Thursday to kick off the next three-team event, the Ohana Hotels and Resorts No Ka Oi.

"The loss kind of sucks, but we were looking at the big picture," junior center back Lidia Battaglia said. "The way we responded to our loss last night (was positive), because that was a pretty bad one. We came out here, 1-1 the majority of the game … we were on it, we were solid tonight. It was one little miscommunication, but night and day from last night."

The Wahine starting defenders — all except Battaglia are new to that this season — displayed better help defense. Passing all over the field was crisper in general, and the return of sophomore Kama Pascua from a one-game suspension improved UH’s attacking runs.

Krystal Pascua got UH on the board first with a beautiful opposite-post goal from about 22 yards out. She sealed a defender on her back, pivoted with the ball and scored unassisted with a rocket shot off her left foot and into the upper corner, over the outstretched hands of the Longhorns keeper.

Texas responded with a goal by Julia Dyche off a cross from the goal line in the 22nd minute.

Longhorns coach Angela Kelly thanked UH for its appearance in the tournament. The Longhorns made good on their two days off between games to hike Diamond Head and visit the Arizona Memorial.

"Disappointed we gave up a goal so early in the match, but once again, that’s a credit to Hawaii taking advantage of their opportunities," Kelly said. "I thought that we gutted it out. This was a game that wasn’t pretty."