Hawaii soccer: San Francisco keeps UH winless in opening tourney

A furious second half saw Hawaii fall behind by two goals, then come storming back against San Francisco.

The disappointed Rainbow Wahine could not complete the comeback in a 3-2 defeat to the Dons in overtime on Monday afternoon at the UH grass practice field.

All-West Coast Conference first-team senior forward Miciah Madison put home the game-winner from 25 yards straightaway in the 94th minute, touching off a celebration under the visitors tent.

>> HAWAII VS. SAN FRANCISCO PHOTO GALLERY

Coach Michele Nagamine gave her team postgame encouragement for how they fought back.

“The way that we defend, our organization, and you know, scoring two goals in the run of play, that was nothing to sneeze at, especially after losing so much offensive power (from last season),” Nagamine said. “So I was really proud of them today.”

There was little doubt that Madison, who’d had some impressive runs in regulation, was the best player on the field for much of the game.

Last year’s mismatch in the Bay Area, this wasn’t, though.

USF outshot UH 26-4 in a lopsided Dons victory on their home field. That 2-0 result could’ve been much worse had Lex Mata not saved a career-high 12 shots.

Mata made a couple of her usual acrobatic stops Monday among six saves, but was put in an unfavorable position twice in the span of three minutes. USF was awarded a dubious penalty kick when Madison was legitimately fouled … but outside the box. She appeared to stumble and fall into the box, and the UH coaches protested loudly to no avail.

The next came two minutes later when a player went to the grass getting her legs knocked out from under her in the box. The UH coaches argued the contact was made on the ball first, to no avail. Samantha Jehnings converted both, the second especially a no-doubter.

Nothing Lex Mata could do about this PK from Samantha Jehnings. pic.twitter.com/I1Voxioddz

— Hawaii Warrior World (@hawaiiwworld) August 27, 2019

The lithe Rentner, known by her teammates and coaches as “Big Mike,” helped UH get one back in no time. She took a cross into the box from Izzy Deutsch in the 67th minute and finished it in left-footed fashion.

“We channeled our energy in a positive way,” said Rentner of the frustration with the whistles. “I feel like our coaches really help us with that, just coming back, not giving up. So I think we came together as a team and just fought until we got the results we wanted.”

Just like that, Rentner matched her goal output from her freshman season at UA, where she was a reserve.

“She had a little bit of a quiet first half, and was kind of finding her rhythm there. You could feel it toward the end of the first half, it just kind of switched into our favor. When we made the substitution for her to go in in the second half, I told her, ‘hey, you know what you need to do. Get in there, inside the 18-yard box. Let’s get you that first goal of your Rainbow Wahine career, and of course of the season.’ We have a lot of faith in her ability to finish, coming from the Pac-12. A very technical, crafty, creative player, and she’s got pace. So she did everything she needed to do with a great finish.”

UH tied it up in the 79th on a high-hopper sent into the box by defender Natalie Daub in the 79th minute. The unassisted goal appeared to catch the Dons napping. It was the sophomore’s first career score.

UH had a chance or two at the end of regulation, but USF keeper Olivia Camera (five saves) was on it.

UH gets a look on a free kick at the end of regulation but it’s saved.

They’re headed to OT with USF. pic.twitter.com/zESTxu7dNy

— Hawaii Warrior World (@hawaiiwworld) August 27, 2019

UH (0-2) will now look to its next tournament, the Rainbow Wahine Soccer Invitational (Thursday vs. Nevada, Saturday vs. Sacramento State) for its first win of the season.

Live updates here.
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Overtime doesn’t last long, as Miciah Madison launches one from about 25 yards from dead center that Lex Mata had little chance at. Tough one for the Rainbow Wahine, who battled back from down 2-0 to tie it up.

To OT they go.

Samantha Jehnings yellow carded for USF for standing in the way of a free kick in the waning seconds. UH gets a deep ball that’s taken out of the air by the USF keeper.

Lex Mata just laid out on a tough save to stop a goal by Miciah Madison. UH has a dangerous counterattack by Michaela Rentner broken up late.

The portable scoreboard on the practice field here has all but shut off completely. Officials keeping their own time and matching it with the scorers table.

Chaos now, as sophomore defender Natalie Daub scores on a high bouncer from outside the box (about 30 yards) in the 79th minute. First career goal for Daub. Game knotted at 2.

Mikaelah Johnson-Griggs has a good look blocked by a defender.

Things getting a little chippy. Miciah Madison issued a yellow for getting tangled up with Cristina Drossos and flinging her down.

Hawaii gets one back in a hurry. Arizona transfer Michaela Rentner, aka “Big Mike,” scores in the box on a left-footed shot to the left side of the net. Izzy Deutsch crossed it in for her. First goal of the season for UH.

Welp, more displeasure from the Wahine sideline. USF draws another foul in the box, this one seemingly more legitimate than the last, although UH still argues that it was all ball. Jehnings lines up another one and connects a no-doubter into the upper right corner. 2-0 Dons.

The UH coaches really, really did not like that call.

USF is awarded a penalty kick when Miciah Madison is fouled in the vicinity of the box. Looked like she might’ve taken a full stride or two before going down at the edge of the box. Nonetheless, USF is awarded a penalty kick and Samantha Jehnings buries it. USF 1-0 in the 63rd minute. UH’s Morgan Meza issued a yellow card either on the play or immediately afterward.

Tokunaga getting a couple of crosses entered in the box from the right side, but they’re snuffed by USF keeper Olivia Camera.

Sophomore Daelenn Tokunaga (two goals in 2018) getting her first run this season after a DNP in the opener against USC.

Forgot to mention earlier, but freshman midfielder Eliza Ammendolia showed some real toughness on a late-first-half ball, winning one she probably had no business getting and earning a corner kick. Ammendolia, an Australian, got in right at the end of preseason training.

Kelci Sumida has some wheels.

HALF

UH and USF go into halftime with a pretty evenly played game, 0-0. USF leads on shots at intermission, 5-4. Each team had at least one really close call of netting its first goal of the season.

USF has a tapped shot on a cross go off the crossbar in the 14th minute.

After the Dons kept it in the UH half for about the first 20 minutes, the Wahine got a few nice service balls from the midfield. One by Izzy Deutsch had a chance to find someone but the USF keeper read it well.

CJ Diede nearly finished a goal late in the half but was called offside.

Only starting lineup change for the Wahine from their opener vs. USC is freshman Kelci Sumida in at left forward for Madison Moore.