Two firsts for the University of Hawai'i women's soccer team led to its second conference win.

Hawai'i defeated Boise State, 3-0, in a Western Athletic Conference game at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium yesterday in front of 1,108 fans.

Senior midfielder Natalie Groenewoud and sophomore midfielder Jessica Domingo scored their first goals of the season, and senior forward Natasha Kai scored her ninth, as the Rainbow Wahine improved to 5-6-2 and started conference play 2-0 for the fourth straight season. It was the first time this season they won back-to-back games.

Boise State fell to 7-5-2 and 1-1 in the WAC.

"Natalie had one of the best games I've seen her play and Jessica is just tremendous," Tenzing said.

Groenewoud scored in the 17th minute when she chest-trapped a ball and volleyed it with one touch into the lower right side of the goal off a cross from junior midfielder Adria Campbell.

"I wasn't even thinking," Groenewoud said. "It was kind of instinctive. I feel like I've been in a little slump with injuries (ankle sprains) and it feels good to be back on my game."

Domingo scored the second goal in the 79th minute off assists from Kai and Campbell. Campbell got a pass from Kai and was running with a defender before blasting a shot that goalkeeper Kim Parker could not control. Her deflected save found the foot of Domingo, who was running up the middle of the penalty box and put the ball past Parker into the left side of the goal.

"I saw she (Campbell) had no support, so first I went for the through pass," Domingo said. "Then I saw she took it herself, but I did all the running, so I might as well frame the goal."

With 36 seconds remaining, Kai scored on a header off a corner kick from younger sister, junior defender Krisha Kai.

"Every Sunday game is hard, following a Friday game," said Natasha Kai, who added that it was her brother Jalen's 13th birthday yesterday and she dedicated the goal to him. "I woke up this morning and was so tired," she said. "We started off slow, only scoring one goal in the first half, and one goal is like a 0-0 game."

Scoring by three different players was a good sign for the Rainbow Wahine.

"It takes the pressure off Tasha because now they have to mark other people," Domingo said.

While much of the first half was played in the middle third of the field, the Rainbow Wahine had a 6-0 advantage on shots on goal, mostly on outside shots. Overall, they had a 25-5 shot advantage.

Groenewoud was in on another good Hawai'i chance in the 60th minute, when she juked a defender and cracked a 25-yard shot that bounced off the crossbar. Natasha Kai tried to head in the deflected ball, but her shot also bounced off the crossbar, and Parker scooped up the ball.

Hawai'i continued to dominate the offensive attempts to start the second half. Domingo crossed the ball to Campbell, but her header was saved on a diving stop by Parker in the 66th minute.

With about 20 minutes left, the Broncos began pressuring Hawai'i's defense. Boise State forward Kristin Hall had shots in 73rd minute and the 86th minute, but both went high.

Goalkeepers Mahie Atay and Kori Lu combined for Hawai'i's fifth shutout of the season. Atay has not been scored on for a school-record 468 minutes, dating to last season.

Sophomore defender Allison Tsuchida, a Punahou graduate, and junior forward Liane "Annie" Tom, a Mililani graduate, started for Boise State.

UH starts a four-game road trip at Louisiana Tech on Friday. Other games are at Utah State (Sunday), Utah Valley State (Oct. 17) and San Jose State (Oct. 21).

"Going 2-0 (to start the conference) was really big," Domingo said. "Mentally, physically, it gives us extra momentum and fuel (for the road)."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.