WAIPAHU, O’ahu — Two goals in quick succession in the 85th minute sent the University of Hawai’i women’s soccer team to a 2-1 loss to Cal Poly on Sunday at Waipi’o Peninsula Soccer Complex.
UH sophomore Cate Sheahan gave the Rainbow Wahine the lead with a goal in the 47th minute off an assist from Fabiola Zamora. UH (5-6-3, 4-4-1 Big West) protected the lead into the final six minutes until Oliva Ortiz scored the equalizer at the 84:20 mark. The Mustangs (8-6-3, 6-2-1) regained possession and took the lead 32 seconds later on another long-distance strike by Kate Reedy.
Despite the result, the Rainbow Wahine closed the regular-season home schedule by celebrating Senior Night with the traditional postgame ceremony in honor of Mia Foster, Maya Gonzalez, Chaima Khammar, Brynn Mitchell, Nohara Takayama and Fabiola Zamora.
The Rainbow Wahine also had reason to celebrate prior to the match by clinching a berth in the Big West Championship for the second time in program history. UH secured a place among the top six in the Big West standings when UC Riverside played to a scoreless draw at UC San Diego. Hawai’i last qualified for the conference tournament in 2019, when the field was limited to the top four teams in the regular season standings.
The Rainbow Wahine ended the day tied with UC Irvine for fifth place in the Big West with 13 points. UC Irvine has the head-to-head tiebreaker over UH.
UH entered Sunday’s match looking for its second win in the all-time series with Cal Poly and first since 2018. The teams went into halftime scoreless with UH taking five shots to Cal Poly’s four. UH senior Nohara Takayama threatened to break the tie with in the 42nd minute a shot from outside the 18-yard box that drifted just over the crossbar.
The Rainbow Wahine struck early in the second half when Zamora’s pass led Sheahan past the Cal Poly back line and Sheahan punched in her third goal of the season and second of the homestand. The ‘Bows later came within inches of adding to the lead when Amber Gilbert’s shot banged off the left post.
The lead held up until Cal Poly scored the tying and go-ahead goals in the final minutes and improved to 10-1-3 in the series with UH.
The Rainbow Wahine head on the road to close the regular season on Thursday at fourth-place Long Beach State at 4 p.m. Hawaii time.
The Big West Championship opens Oct. 29 with the third seed playing host to the sixth seed and the No. 4 seed hosting the No. 5 seed. The top two seeds earn byes into the Nov. 2 semifinals which will be hosted by the No. 1 seed. The championshp match is set for Nov. 5.
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