The University of Hawai'i women's soccer team's offense emerged with a much-needed scoring outburst yesterday, just before going on the road for the first time this season.

Hawai'i defeated Eastern Michigan, 3-0, in the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Soccer Classic at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium in front of 950 fans.

No. 18 Pepperdine (4-0) defeated Eastern Michigan (1-3-0), 2-0, on Saturday night to claim the championship with a 2-0 record. Hawai'i (2-2-0) finished 1-1, and EMU 0-2.

Senior forward Natasha Kai scored two goals off assists from junior midfielder/forward Adria Campbell, and sophomore midfielder Koren Takeyama added another on a Campbell assist, with all scoring occurring in a span of a little over two minutes at the end of the first half.

"We definitely came into this game expecting to win, but we weren't taking them lightly, either," Campbell said. "After two losses (to BYU and Pepperdine), we had to win this one. Going on the road, we needed the confidence."

It was Hawai'i's highest scoring game since scoring three against Nevada on Oct. 15, an eight-game span, and the Rainbow Wahine posted their first shutout of the young season.

The Rainbow Wahine will play at the 49er Classic against Weber State and host Long Beach State, and at UC Santa Barbara this weekend.

Kai scored her first goal at 40:13. Campbell dribbled down the field and sent a floating ball over the defense, and Kai touched the ball past the keeper and sent a low left-footed shot into the right side of the goal.

The combination worked again at 41:52, as Campbell quickly restarted a free kick after freshman forward Aimee Cohen was fouled, sending a long ball to Kai, who headed the ball to the left and volleyed the ball into the right side of the goal.

"She's reading me better, and I'm reading her better, and our reward is goals," Kai said. "I knew we were going to end up getting a few, but I didn't know it would be like that. Getting those goals changed the momentum of the game."

Takeyama scored the final goal at 42:28. Campbell took a long shot, which bounced off the crossbar, and Takeyama put the rebound in.

"Adria did a good job," Hawai'i coach Pinsoom Tenzing said. "She's settling into that attacking midfield role."

Campbell, whose three assists tied the school's single-game record, said she's feeling more comfortable in her role, and she's connecting with her teammates better.

Hawai'i scored on its first three shots on goal in the first half, which was relatively quiet for both teams. Before then, EMU recorded the game's only shot on goal.

The three-goal lead allowed Tenzing to clear his bench in the second half. Senior midfielder Kimi Tiampo saw her first action in over a year after recovering from a knee injury, and freshmen Kelli Anne Chang and Kristen Oshiro played their first collegiate games.

"We got to play everybody, and that was the most positive aspect of the game," Tenzing said.

EMU didn't go away easily. In the 65th minute, a shot by Michele Lawrence was tipped over the goal by goalkeeper Mahie Atay, who entered in the second half. In the 80th minute, Lawrence beat two defenders and took a shot on goal, which was easily saved by Atay.

"It was tough for us to play two games against two tough teams in less than 24 hours," EMU coach Scott Hall said. "You just wait for them to explode, and that was what happened."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.