With a lethal shot and random tidbits about ice cream, Rainbow Wahine soccer player Ambree Ako is finding life sweet.

Ako and her former 'Aiea High teammates, junior co-captain Tehane Higa and junior midfielder Kelli-Anne Chang, have anchored the Wahine starting line since last season and helped UH to a 2-0 record this young season.

"It makes me feel proud that we all came from local roots," Chang said. "It's kind of surreal. We've been playing for 7 or 8 years together. It's not weird, but it's surreal."

Hawai'i hosts Pacific and Tennessee-Martin this weekend in the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Soccer Classic.

The 'Bows play Pacific today at 7 p.m. and UTM Sunday at 5 p.m. Pacific and UTM play tomorrow at 7 p.m. All games are at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

"They have really been rock-solid," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said of his 'Aiea alums. "They are good scholars, and like (assistant coach) Derick (Kato) says, wonderful citizens, and they are good soccer players. There's nothing more you can ask of them."

They follow in a prestigious list in the UH-'Aiea High pipeline, including former Rainbow Wahine captains Wendy and Wanette Miyashiro, and Joelle Sugai.

"Wanette coaches (at 'Aiea) and she's gone through our system and it seems like the kids coming out of 'Aiea have heard it before," Tenzing said. "She does a great job, and my job becomes easier as a consequence."

The Rainbow Wahine, tied for No. 15 in the Soccer Buzz West Region poll, came off a successful opening weekend, when they defeated Kansas and Auburn to begin the season 2-0 for the first time since 2001.

"It definitely boosted our confidence," Higa said. "Going into this weekend, we know since we did play with the top schools, we can hang with good competition."

Ako, the daughter of former UH baseball great Gerald Ako, was named to the Soccer Buzz National Team of the Week Wednesday. She was the MVP of the Ohana Hotels & Resorts No Ka Oi Tournament last weekend after scoring three goals in Hawai'i's two victories.

"I was expecting it," Tenzing said. "She was very good last year, but she's quicker, faster, stronger. That's what I felt going into the season. She's proving it."

Ako, a sophomore forward, is "loony and she's loud, but she's fun to be around," Higa said. "She makes us laugh. She always has these super random facts that you would never know.

"She tells us things like America is the No. 1 consumer of ice cream."

Higa, one of five players to start all 21 games last season, scored her first career goal in the opener against Kansas.

"She's an incredible soccer player," Tenzing said of his defender. "She hardly makes any mistakes. Her technique is almost perfect. The Auburn assistant coach remarked that she was the best central defender he ever saw."

Higa is "very mellow and down to earth, and sometimes she can be crazy, but that's her personality," Chang said. Those qualities make Higa a good captain, because "she's a presence on the field, but at the same time she's friendly and no one is intimidated to talk to her," Chang added.

Chang was an invited walk-on who wasn't sure she was even going to try out for the team in her freshman year, but said meeting and training with the players made her stick with it. Last season she tied for the team lead with eight goals and was second in points with 18.

"Kelli-Anne is fun to be around," Ako said. "She's a good person. She can be quiet around new people, but when you get to know her, she isn't as shy."

Higa said Chang's speciality is "one-on-ones. She has a lot of moves, and she likes to take on people, which not a lot of us like to do."

While Chang is "not as loud as Ambree," Higa said, it is her quickness and ability to shoot with both feet that speak volumes. She isn't "having as fast a start as we all hoped," Tenzing said. But he's confident her conditioning will improve as the season goes on.

"She was by far the most prolific goal scorer and most exciting player to see on the field last season," he added.

Hawai'i Homecoming: Pacific freshmen Sammi Teramae ('Iolani), Chyanne Alejado (Kapolei), Natalie Wong (Mililani) and Kylee Ah Choy (Kamehameha) have played in both of the Tigers' games this season. Wong has started both games, and Teramae leads the team with two goals and two assists for six points. Kellie Nakahara (Punahou) played in one game.

Hawai'i players Mari Punzal and Chelsea Deptula, and Teramae, Wong, Alejado and Ah Choy are former teammates for Leahi Soccer Club '89 and '90 Premier teams.

Ah Choy and Punzal were teammates on Kamehameha's state prep championship teams in 2006 and 2007.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.