University of Hawai'i soccer coach Pinsoom Tenzing quietly applauded his team in his postgame speech after its first win over a ranked opponent in school history, though he said there is room for improvement.

Hawai'i sophomore forward Ambree Ako, junior defender Tehane Higa, freshman defender Chelsea Deptula and freshman midfielder/forward Mari Punzal scored in a 4-0 win over No. 26 Kansas in the season-opener in front of 1,250 fans last night at the Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

"It was so awesome," Ako said. "To win 4-0 against a very good team boosts our confidence way up."

Kansas plays Auburn tonight at 7 in the Ohana Hotels & Resorts No Ka Oi tournament and the Rainbow Wahine and Tigers conclude the tournament Monday night at 7.

Tenzing said he was happy "we were able to beat (Kansas) comprehensively," but the Rainbow Wahine are "not there" in terms of playing attractive soccer.

He wasn't satisfied with his team's long ball and choice to play the ball vertically, beating the Jayhawks with athleticism rather than soccer ability.

"We have things to work on," he said. "Last year, even in defeat, I was satisfied with the way we played. Tonight I was not satisfied."

The Rainbow Wahine's record against ranked teams is now 1-17-1.

Defensive pressure resulted in the first goal for the Wahine.

Ako intercepted a pass from a defender and cut it to the right to beat goalkeeper Colleen Quinn before shooting it into the open goal in the fourth minute.

Of her touch to the right, Ako said she "was trying to get it away from the goalkeeper and figure out what to do next."

Higa's goal was the first of her career.

"I feel great," she said. "I never get to shoot. Everyone was yelling, 'Shoot, shoot!' so I shot."

Freshman defender Nicole Mikula made a long run up the left side and dropped the ball to junior forward Taryn Fukuroku who passed it to the center of the field for Higa, who was running up from her defensive position. Higa's low shot to the far right side of the goal slipped past Quinn three minutes after the start of the second half.

Deptula scored the third goal on a high shot into the near right side of the goal after crashing the goal on a throw-in by Punzal from the right side in the 58th minute.

"I think someone deflected it," Deptula said.

Punzal scored in the 68th minute on a penalty kick into the right side of the goal after Ako was taken down in the penalty box.

Punzal, who admitted she felt the freshman jitters, said she thought "about happy thoughts" and all the practicing she did taking penalty shots.

Hawai'i's young squad — Tenzing started freshmen Mikula, Deptula and Punzal, who all picked up their first collegiate points — proved more than capable of playing with the Jayhawks, who were 26th in the Soccer Buzz Top 30 preseason poll.

"I thought we connected way better than I thought we would," Higa said. "We still need to do more talking and tighten things up."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.