BOISE, Idaho — Pinsoom Tenzing quietly took in the magnitude of the moment. After starting the Hawai'i women's soccer program 14 years ago, he pensively considered what his team's victory meant, a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fresno State in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship yesterday.

A few yards away at the Boas Tennis & Soccer Complex, senior midfielder Jessica Domingo just let it rip. "We just made history!" she shouted, joined by a chorus of high-pitched screams from her teammates, including Emma Makepa-Foley, who scored the game's only goal.

Coach and captain both enjoyed the significant meaning of the victory.

"This win is so monumental; we've been working toward this moment for many years," Tenzing said. "People may think it seems simple, but it's difficult to get girls to come to Hawai'i and play soccer. So, this team is mostly homegrown talent, which is another reason why I'm so proud that this group was able to accomplish this. They played with a lot of heart."

"This really is a dream come true for me," Domingo said. "We wanted to win our conference tournament so bad and get to play in the NCAA Tournament."

Now, the Rainbow Wahine (15-4-2) will do just that, earning a berth into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. They also set the school record for wins in a season with yesterday's victory, and won the WAC Tournament for the first time as well.

However, Tenzing didn't seem as though just qualifying for the NCAA Tournament was the end for his determined team.

"At the beginning of the season, our goals were to win the WAC regular-season title, win the WAC Tournament and go deep into the NCAA Tournament," he said. "We still have one more goal to achieve."

If the Rainbow Wahine continue playing the tough, smart brand of soccer they played last weekend, their remaining goal seems within reach.

After fending off a pesky Utah State team 1-0 in double-overtime Friday, the Rainbow Wahine dominated Fresno State from the opening whistle, using speed and quickness to keep the Bulldogs off balance.

Fresno State had the best scoring opportunity in the first half in the 41st minute when Andrea Alires' free kick from 35 yards away almost found the net, but was deflected off the crossbar by keeper Kori Lu.

In the second half, Hawai'i took advantage of its best opportunity of the afternoon, a set piece about 40 yards away from the goal. In the 58th minute, Nicole Mikula lofted the ball toward the net that Makepa-Foley redirected off the left post before it ricocheted into the net.

Makepa-Foley, a sophomore walk-on who didn't start, made the most of her time on the field. "I usually play the bench," she said with a laugh. "So I was just happy to get on the field and help the team. We have a lot of good headers on this team and we were just trying to get someone to get a head on the ball. Fortunately, the ball bounced our way."

Despite falling behind, Fresno State managed to maintain its composure and put together a couple of good runs that were snuffed by Hawai'i's swarming defense. Fresno State's last shot on goal was a low, screaming line drive toward the left corner of the goal that Hawai'i's second-half keeper Nicole McClure turned away with a diving stop.

"We wanted to make them play our game and not get sucked into playing theirs," Domingo said. "And that's what really led to our success. Every girl on this team played their heart out. We wanted to represent Hawai'i well and I think we did that."

NOTES

Hawai'i defender Chelsea Deptula was named the WAC Tournament MVP. ... The NCAA Tournament selection and pairings will be announced today on ESPNews at 3 p.m., Hawai'i time. The first-round games will be held either Friday or Sunday.