RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside returned home to continue Big West play, playing to a 1-1 draw with Hawaii on Thursday night at UC Riverside Soccer Stadium.
Kelsey Musolf earned UC Riverside's first shot of the night in her second start and fifth appearance of the year. Musolf sent one in the opening minute, but a block prevented the Highlanders from taking the early lead.
The Rainbow Wahine would eventually break through, with a conversion from the penalty spot in the 31st minute giving Hawaii the 1-0 lead.
The UH lead would not last long. Akarai Shimizu answered with a penalty of her own, as the native Hawaiian buried her first career goal in the 35th minute to pull UCR level.
Shimizu's conversion broke a scoreless streak of nearly 400 minutes for the Highlanders. Overall, UC Riverside made the most of its chances in the opening 45 minutes with five corner kicks and six shots.
Caela Kaio was busy in the early going, making three of her six saves before the 30-minute mark of the first half. Kaio made her first save of the second half in the 47th minute, denying the Rainbow Wahine from the lower left of the goal.
Alyssa Carranza fired UCR's first shot of the second half in the 52nd minute, but missed high. Alexandra Hargrave laid claim to the Highlanders' second attempt of the half nine minutes later. Hargrave's shot was the eighth of the night for UC Riverside, the team's most in a match since September 10.
The late-game push continued for UCR with Daphane Mendez going for goal in the 82nd minute, but her aim at the low center of the target was denied. Natza Marin got on the stat sheet with a shot in the 86th minute that missed high and to the left, marking UCR's third straight game with at least 10 shots. Marin won a penalty with 12 seconds left in regulation, but was denied as the Highlanders went to extra time for the second time in three games.
Kaio made a critical save in the top left of the goal with seconds winding down in the first overtime after Braelynn Llamoca recorded UCR's only shot of the first extra period in the 95th minute.
UC Riverside logged five of its 14 shots in the second half, with three in the last 10 minutes of regulation in addition to three in extra time. The Highlanders outshot their opponent for the second game in a row and third time this season.
The brief two-game homestand concludes on Sunday, October 10 with a 2:00 p.m. PT kickoff against UC Davis from the Inland Empire. Live stats for the matinee against the Aggies will be available on gohighlanders.com.
