If there was any question about whether the Colorado soccer team should have gotten a berth into the NCAA tournament, the Buffs certainly delivered an affirmative answer on Friday.

CU, the seventh seed from the Big 12 Conference, blanked Western Athletic Conference champion Hawaii 2-0 in the first round on a perfect fall day at Prentup Field.

Gianna DeSaverio's and Mel Hicks' Buffalo goals were the first two scored against the Rainbow Wahine in six matches. The high-octane Hawaii squad, playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time, had outscored its last five opponents by a combined 19-0 and had been shut out just two other times on the season.

"I think definitely we should be in the tournament," said CU forward Nikki Marshall, who was playing defense for the second straight game. "I think we're better than a lot of teams out there. I don't know if we deserve to be in the tournament after our season. But I think we played well today, and we showed that we're here and we're going to work hard."

The victory advances the Buffs (10-7-4) to the second round of the tournament for the fourth year in a row where they'll face the third-ranked Portland Pilots (16-3-0) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Prentup (television on FSN).

CU coach Bill Hempen admitted this week that his team may have gotten a "mulligan" by getting into the tournament as the Big 12's seventh-place team.

"But then we go out and did a pretty solid job against the winner of the WAC," Hempen said. "That's pretty good for our conference. We want to show that the conference deserves us and more the next time so that, who knows, the Texas Techs, they get a shot when they're looking for teams."

Colorado asserted itself right from the start on Friday.

Hicks had a shot from close range saved by Hawaii keeper Kori Lu in the ninth minute.

But two minutes later, DeSaverio put the Buffs on top. Amber Bettenhausen passed a corner kick to Michaela DeJesus near the 18-yard line, and DeJesus lobbed it into the box where DeSaverio easily headed it into the right corner.

"She hit a great ball," DeSaverio said. "It wasn't very hard to finish."

Hawaii (15-5-2) had a golden opportunity to tie the match in the 30th minute. But Taryn Fukuroku's first shot was turned back by CU goalie Kara Linder. Her second, off of a melee for the rebound, looked to be good but bounced off the right post.

"We were lucky, and sometimes this time of year you've got to be lucky," Hempen said. "That post, I'll probably go wax that thing."

The missed chance seemed to deflate the Rainbow Wahine, who to that point were playing a 50-50 match with the Buffs. After two shots on goal the first half, Hawaii mustered no really dangerous scoring chances in the second half.

"I couldn't believe it," Fukuroku said. "It just hit the post and bounced right back out. I think it would have changed the whole game. We would have probably had more of a life back in our team."

Hicks gave the Buffs a cushion in the 51st minute when she fired past Hawaii back up goalie Nicole McClure.

CU outdid Hawaii 6-2 on shots on goal, and Linder saved both that she faced. The shutout was the second in a row and 10th of the season posted by the Buffs.

"I think our three defenders were just outstanding today at limiting them, because they had some players that had some game and could get in behind us," Hempen said. "But we just never really let them in it."