RUSTON, La. ? Hawaii scored a pair of goals in the first half and tacked on three more late in the game as Tech was unable to capitalize on several great scoring chances in a 5-0 loss on Sunday at Joe Aillet Stadium.

It was the final home game for Tech seniors Candace Novak and Laura Williamson.

?I think we came out a little scared in the first half,? Tech head coach Kevin Sherry said. ?It seemed like our heads weren?t in the game, maybe because it was Senior Day. But we regrouped and played a much better second half. Hawaii has a very good team, and they took advantage of the same mistakes we?ve made all season long.?

The Rainbow Wahine outshot the Techsters 15-6 on the day and held a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal.

Hawaii got on the board at the 8:31 mark when Mari Punzal took a cross from Koren Takayama right in front of the net and put it past Tara Gavlak to give the Wahine a 1-0 lead. That would be a recurring theme as four of five Hawaii goals were scored in that manner. The second came at 29:53 when Alexis Choi connected with Taryn Fukuroku to put Hawaii ahead 2-0.

The Wahine picked up where they left off early in the second half with a goal at 46:44 from Tehane Higa to take a 3-0 lead.

Tech had three great scoring chances later in the half ? two by Brooke Lanie and one by Kat McCullough ? but Hawaii backup goalkeeper Nicole McClure made two outstanding saves to prevent a Tech score.

Hawaii would tack on two more scores in the last three minutes, one by Kelli-Anne Chang and one by Vanessa Bailey, to make the final margin 5-0.

Williamson and Novak both got the start in their final home contest.

?I speak for myself, Jim Oakes, and all of the Tech Athletics department, when I say how much we appreciate the contributions made by Candace and Laura,? Tech senior associate athletic director Mary Kay Hungate said. ?Candace transferred here and has played for three years, and her skill and her competitiveness have added greatly to this program.

?Laura Williamson will always have a special place in our hearts and in Tech soccer history. She is the only one still competing that was a member of Tech's first-ever soccer team in 2004. She is the first four-year letterwinner in the sport of soccer; her contributions to this program are tremendous and will never be forgotten.?

With the loss, Tech is now eliminated from contention for the WAC Tournament. The Techsters will play their final game of the season Saturday as they travel to Utah State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CST in Logan, Utah.