The University of Hawai'i women's soccer team is in a "really, really difficult" situation after dropping another Western Athletic Conference game, this time a 2-1 loss to Nevada, last night at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium in front of 469.

"It makes it really, really difficult, because Utah State (Hawai'i's next opponent) is a really tough opponent," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said.

The top six teams in the nine-team conference advance to November's WAC Tournament. Hawa'i (5-10-1, 1-4-0 WAC) is in a tie for last place with three points, with three games remaining. Teams receive three points for a win and one for a tie. The last time a Rainbow Wahine squad failed to qualify for the WAC Tournament was 2000.

"Since our first two losses all we've been thinking about is making it to the WAC Tournament, but still trying to be really optimistic about it," junior captain Mari Punzal said. "This puts us deeper in the hole. We have to rely on other teams."

Senior forward Ambree Ako scored her fifth goal of the season in the 10th minute for Hawai'i on an assist from senior forward Britta Bourne.

Punzal started the play when she sent a long, through ball up the left sideline to senior midfielder Kelsie Look. Look lofted a cross into the 6-yard box and initially a Wolf Pack defender headed it back out to the left but Bourne challenged the play, knocking it to the right side of the 6-yard box where Ako took a touch and shot a low ball into the left side of the goal.

Nevada (6-11-0, 3-3-0) answered 25 seconds later on a goal by sophomore midfielder Annabelle Allen, who chased a ball to the endline and crossed it in. Her ball deflected off a Rainbow Wahine defender and into the goal.

The Wolf Pack went ahead on a goal by sophomore forward Natalie Ratnavira, who emerged out of a crowd with two Rainbow Wahine defenders to poke the ball past goalkeeper Kanani Taaca in the 30th minute.

It was a pair of defensive miscues similar to the ones that have been plaguing Hawai'i "all season long, especially at home," Tenzing said. "Not one earned goal, not one goal that was well conceived and well executed. It was all giveaways, mistakes."

The lead change seemed to deflate the Rainbow Wahine, who rebounded in the second half with a barrage of shots that just missed.

"I'm really proud of the kids, the way they played the second half," Tenzing said. "I'm old and victories don't mean the same thing for me, but that's what soccer is all about. I thought they played beautiful soccer. It was an inspiring half of soccer."

NOTES: The Rainbow Wahine close out their regular-season home schedule tomorrow against Utah State at 5 p.m.